Hadith Qudsi: Sacred Narrations from Allah

What Is Hadith Qudsi?

A hadith qudsi — literally a sacred or divine hadith — is a narration in which the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ conveys words whose meaning (ma'na) originated with Allah, but whose wording (lafz) is from the Prophet ﷺ himself. It is thus distinct from both the Quran and ordinary hadith, occupying a unique intermediate category.

How Hadith Qudsi Differs from the Quran

The Quran is the direct, verbatim word of Allah — both its meaning and its precise Arabic wording are divine, preserved miraculously, recited in prayer, and protected from the slightest alteration. Hadith qudsi shares the divine meaning but not the divine wording: the Prophet ﷺ received the content from Allah (through revelation or inspiration) and conveyed it in his own words. As a result, hadith qudsi is not recited in prayer, is not considered inimitable (mu'jiz), and is subject to the same chain analysis as regular hadith.

How Hadith Qudsi Differs from Regular Hadith

A regular hadith reports the Prophet's ﷺ own words, actions, or approvals. A hadith qudsi explicitly attributes the content to Allah: the Prophet ﷺ typically introduces it with phrases such as Allah says or the Lord of Might says. The content reported is thus Allah's speech, but in a form transmitted through the prophetic medium rather than preserved as the final recitation of the Quran.

Famous Examples

• The Hadith of the Ninety-Nine Mercies: Allah divided His mercy into one hundred parts. He withheld ninety-nine for the Day of Judgment and sent one part to the earth — it is from this single mercy that all creatures show compassion to one another.
• The Hadith of Mutual Love for Allah: My love is due to those who love one another for My sake, who sit with one another for My sake, who visit one another for My sake, and who give to one another for My sake.
• The Hadith of Divisions: I have divided the prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves... — the famous hadith on Surah al-Fatiha and its recitation in prayer.
• The Hadith on Oppression: O My servants, I have made oppression forbidden for Myself and I have made it forbidden among you, so do not oppress one another.

Scholarly Collections

Several scholars compiled collections of hadith qudsi specifically. Al-Madani's Al-Ittihafat al-Sunniyah bi al-Ahadith al-Qudsiyah and al-Qushayri's work on divine narrations are among the most cited. Ibn Allan al-Siddiq's commentary Al-Futuhat al-Rabbaniyah provides detailed commentary on forty hadith qudsi. These narrations hold special significance for Islamic spirituality and theology, offering an intimate window into the divine attributes and Allah's relationship with His servants.