Defining Qudsī Ḥadīths and How They Differ from Qurʾān
Al-ʿAllāmah Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān
[Q]: What is the difference between a Qudsī ḥadīth and the regular ḥadīths of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم)?
[A]: The Qudsī ḥadīth is that which the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) narrates from Allāh, in both wording and meaning.
The non-Qudsī ḥadīth is that whose meaning comes from Allāh by way of revelation, but its wording is from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). As Allāh said:
وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ ﴿٣﴾ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ ﴿٤﴾
“Nor does he speak out of the desire (of his own soul) (and forge revelation thereby). It is nothing but revelation revealed to him.”
(Al-Najm, 53:3-4)
[Q]: Considering this, what is the difference between the Qurʾān and the Qudsī hadiths?
[A]: There are several differences:
Firstly: The Qurʾān is miraculous in its wording, while the qudsī ḥadīths are not.
Secondly: Mere recitation of the Qurʾān is an act of worship which draws one nearer to Allāh. This is not the case for qudsī ḥadīths.
Thirdly: The Qurʾān is mutawātir.1 However, this is not conditional for Qudsī hadiths.
Fourthly: Any physical copy of Qurʾān may only be touched by one who is in a state of ritual purity (ṭahārah), yet there is no issue in touching physical writings of Qudsī hadiths even if one is not in a state of ritual purity.
Endnotes:
[1] Translator’s Note: Meaning, it is reported by a large group of people at every level of the chain of transmission, such that it is impossible that they came together to forge a lie.
Source: Silsilat al-Muntaqá min Fatāwá Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān: al-Qurʾān al-Karīm: 62-63.
Translated by: Omar ibn Bilal
