Linguistically, Al Qudsi is attributed to Al Quds which is a word that means “pure” or “sacred.” In light of this, Al Hadeeth ul Qudsi refers to a Hadeeth that is attributed to the Most Sacred Being i.e. Allah ﷻ. Within the terminology of the Scholars of Al Hadeeth, Al Hadeeth ul Qudsi refers to a narration in which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ conveys what Allah ﷻ stated.
Mulla ‘Ali Al Qari (Allah shower mercy upon him) stated in relation to the difference between Al Hadeeth ul Qudsi and the Noble Qur’an in Mirqaat ul Mafaateeh;
هَذَا حَدِيثٌ قُدْسِيٌّ، وَالْفَرْقُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْقُرْآنِ أَنَّ الْأَوَّلَ يَكُونُ بِإِلْهَامٍ أَوْ مَنَامٍ أَوْ بِوَاسِطَةِ مَلَكٍ بِالْمَعْنَى، فَيَعَبِّرُهُ بِلَفْظِهِ وَيَنْسِبُهُ إِلَى رَبِّهِ، وَالثَّانِي لَا يَكُونُ إِلَّا بِإِنْزَالِ جِبْرِيلَ بِاللَّفْظِ الْمُعَيَّنِ، وَهُوَ أَيْضًا مُتَوَاتِرٌ، بِخِلَافِ الْأَوَّلِ فَلَا يَكُونُ حُكْمُهُ حُكْمَهُ فِي الْفُرُوعِ
“This is a Hadeeth Qudsi. The difference between it and the Qur’an is that the former (i.e. Al Hadeeth Al Qudsi) would be the conveyance of meaning through inspirations, dreams or through the means of an Angel and the Prophet ﷺ would explain it in his blessed words and would attribute the meaning to His Lord. The latter (i.e. the Noble Qur’an) would only be attained through the descent of Sayyiduna Jibreel with specific words. Furthermore, the Qur’an is massly transmitted (Mutawaatir) as opposed to Al Hadeeth ul Qudsi. Therefore the rulings pertaining to derived laws within Al Hadeeth ul Qudsi are not the same as the rulings found within the Noble Qur’an.”
There are further differences between Al Hadeeth ul Qudsi and Al Qur’an mentioned within books pertaining to the Principles of Al Hadeeth which include;
- The words and meanings of the Noble Qur’an are of Allah ﷻ and the meanings of the words within Al Hadeeth ul Qudsi are attributed to Allah ﷻ whilst the exact words are of the Noble Prophet ﷺ
- The words of the Noble Qur’an are recited with the intention of gaining reward for its recitation whilst Al Hadeeth ul Qudsi is not recited in this way.
- It is a condition for the Qur’an to be massly transmitted (Mutawaatir) whilst this is not a condition for Al Hadeeth ul Qudsi which can be Al Khabar ul Waahid.
An example of Al Hadeeth ul Qudsi is the following narration mentioned by Al Imam Muslim (Allah shower mercy upon him) in his Sahih in the Chapter on Remembrance, Supplication, Repentance and Seeking forgiveness, Section encouraging the Remembrance of Allah ﷻ;
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ وَاللَّفْظُ لِقُتَيْبَةَ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي وَأَنَا مَعَهُ حِينَ يَذْكُرُنِي إِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي نَفْسِهِ ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي نَفْسِي وَإِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي مَلَإٍ ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي مَلَإٍ هُمْ خَيْرٌ مِنْهُمْ وَإِنْ تَقَرَّبَ مِنِّي شِبْرًا تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ ذِرَاعًا وَإِنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ ذِرَاعًا تَقَرَّبْتُ مِنْهُ بَاعًا وَإِنْ أَتَانِي يَمْشِي أَتَيْتُهُ هَرْوَلَةً
Qutaybah Ibn Sa’eed and Zuhayr Ibn Harb mentioned to us (the wording of the narration is from Qutaybah), they both stated that Jareer narrated to us from Al A’mash who narrated from Abu Saalih who narrated from Abu Hurayrah who stated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Allah ﷻ states, “I am with the thought of My bondsman in relation to Me. I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers me in his heart, I mention him Alone. If he remembers me in a group, I mention him in a group that consists of better individuals than his group. If he comes close to Me one handspan then I come close to him one armlength. If he comes close to Me one armlength, I come close to him two armlengths. If he comes to me walking, I rush to him.”
Al Qaadhi ‘Iyaadh (Allah shower mercy upon him) stated in relation to the words of the Hadeeth that stated, “I am with the thought of My bondsman in relation to Me,” that Allah ﷻ forgives the bondsman when he repents with sincerity, He grants acceptance to his Repentance when the bondsman repents sincerely and He accepts his supplication when he supplicates sincerely. Al Imaam An Nawawi (Allah shower mercy upon him) states in relation to the words of the Hadeeth, “I am with him when he remembers Me,” that Allah is with the bondsman through His Mercy, Assistance, Guidance and Care when the bondsman remembers Him. In relation to the wording of the Hadeeth that refers to Allah ﷻ coming to the bondsman, Al Imam An Nawawi (Allah shower mercy upon him) explains that it is impossible to apply the literal meaning to this as Allah ﷻ is free from shape, form, space and time;
ومعناه من تقرب إلي بطاعتي تقربت إليه برحمتي والتوفيق والإعانة ، وإن زاد زدت ، فإن أتاني يمشي وأسرع في طاعتي أتيته هرولة ، أي صببت عليه الرحمة وسبقته بها ، ولم أحوجه إلى المشي الكثير في الوصول إلى المقصود ، والمراد أن جزاءه يكون تضعيفه على حسب تقربه
“And the meaning of it is that the one who comes close to Me by obeying Me, I come close to him with My Mercy, Ability and Assistance. If he increases in obedience, I increase in My Mercy. If he comes to me walking and He rushes in obedience to Me, I come to him rushing i.e. I pour Mercy upon him and I precede him with it. I do not burden him to walk a lot in reaching the goal. The meaning is that the reward increases for him in accordance with the amount he comes close.”