Hadeeth Qudsi – The Hadeeth which has the same status as Quran
The main source of Islamic Shari’a is Quran which is revealed in the exact Words of Allah hence it is termed as Wahy Matlu (Oft-recited Revelation in Allah’s Words). Quran covers the Divine orders, guiding principles and other facts in a general form. The second source is Hadith which are the Traditions of the Prophet. Ahadith inform us about the practical aspects of Divine commandments for human life and provide explanations and demonstrations of the basic principles outlined by Allah .
Some Ahadith hold a distinct place and are termed as Ahadith Qudsi (Sacred Traditions). Generally Ahadith are traced back to the Prophet SAW as regards their authority, but the authority in Ahadith Qudsi is attributed to Allah through the Prophet SAW . The distinction between the Quran and Ahadith Qudsi is that the Quran is in the direct wording of Allah as from Al-Lauh Al-Mahfu: (the Preserved Tablet) while Ahadith Qudsi are from Allah as to the meaning and from the Prophet as to the wording.
The 40 Hadeeth Qudsi
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Hadith 1: Mercy over wrath
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Allah the Exalted said: The son of Adam has lied against me but he has no right to do so, and he has abused me but he has no right to do so. As for his lie, it is his saying that I cannot recreate him as I did before. As for his abuse, it is his saying that I have a son, but I am glorified above taking a wife or a son.
Reflection : This hadeeth is a reminder to the people who do not believe in the Day of Resurrection (Aetheist) and to the People who thinks that Allah has sons and daughters(Christians)
Source: Sahih Bukhari 4212,
Hadith 3: Allah gives the rain
Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhaniyy reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, led the morning prayer for us at al-Hudaybiyah following rainfall during the night. When the Prophet finished, he faced the people and said to them:
هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ
Do you know what your Lord has said?
They said, “Allah and his Messenger know best.” The Prophet said:
Allah said: Some of my servants entered the morning as believers in me and others as disbelievers. Whoever said we have been given rain due to the favor and mercy of Allah, he is a believer in me and a disbeliever in the power of the stars. Whoever said we have been given rain due to the rising of this star, he has disbelieved in me and he has put his faith in the stars.
Reflection :The pre-Islamic Arabs believed that rain was brought about by the movement of stars. This Hadith draws attention to the fact that whatever be the direct cause of such natural phenomena as rain, it is Allah the Almighty who is the Disposer of all things. It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Malik and an-Nasa’i).
Source: Sahih Bukhari 810
Hadith 4: The Son of Adam curses Time
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Allah the Almighty said:
Allah the Exalted said: The son of Adam abuses me. He curses time and I am time, for in my hand are the night and day.
Reflection :As the Almighty is the Ordainer of all things, to inveigh against misfortunes that are part of Time is tantamount to inveighing against Him. It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Muslim).
Source: Sahih Bukhari 4549.
Hadith 5: Allah will leave them to their partners
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Allah Almighty said:
Allah the Exalted said: Verily, I am independent and in need of no partner. Whoever performs a deed in which he associates something with me, I will leave him to his partner.
Source: Sahih Muslim 2985
Reflection of Hadeeth : This is a strong warning against Major and Minor Shirk.
Hadith 6: Allah knows the hypocrites
Abu Huraira reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say:
Verily, the first of people to have their case judged on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who was martyred. He will be brought and Allah’s blessings will be made known and he will recognize them. Allah will say: What have you done concerning these blessings? The man will say: I fought in your cause until I was martyred. Allah will say: You have lied because you fought so that it would be said how courageous you are, and it was said. Then Allah will order him to be dragged upon his face into the Hellfire. Another man learned religious knowledge, taught others, and recited the Quran. He will be brought and Allah’s blessings will be made known and he will recognize them. Allah will say: What have you done concerning these blessings? The man will say: I learned religious knowledge, taught others, and I recited the Quran for Your sake. Allah will say: You have lied because you learned religious knowledge so that it would be said you are a scholar and you recited the Quran so that it would be said you are a reciter, and it was said. Then Allah will order him to be dragged upon his face into the Hellfire. Another man was given an abundance from Allah and was given every kind of wealth. He will be brought and Allah’s blessings will be made known and he will recognize them. Allah will say: What have you done concerning these blessings? The man will say: I spent money in every cause upon which You wished it to be spent. Allah will say: You have lied because you spent money so that it would be said how generous you are, and it was said. Then Allah will order him to be dragged upon his face into the Hellfire.
Source: Sahih Muslim 1905
Reflection of Hadeeth : This is a strict warning against Hypocrisy
Hadith 7: Allah delights in a humble servant
Uqbah ibn Amir reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say:
Your Lord delights at a shepherd who, on the peak of a mountain, gives the call to prayer and prays. Then Allah the Exalted will say: Look at this servant of Mine, he gives the call to prayer and performs the prayers, for he is in awe of Me. I have forgiven My servant for his sins and have admitted him to Paradise.
Source: Sunan An-Nasa’i 666
Reflection of this Hadeeth : We should develop the awe of Allah swt and Perfect our Prayers.
Hadith 8: Recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah
Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
A prayer performed by someone who has not recited the foundation of the Quran (surah al-fatihah) during it is deficient, incomplete.
He repeated these words three times. Someone said to Abu Hurairah, “Even though we are behind the Imam?” He said: Recite it to yourself, for I have heard the Messenger of Allah say:
Allah the Exalted said: I have divided prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.
When the servant says: Praise be to Allah Lord of the Worlds, Allah says: My servant has praised Me.
And when he says: The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, Allah says: My servant has extolled Me.
And when he says: Master of the Day of Judgment, Allah says: My servant has glorified Me, – and on one occasion He said: My servant has submitted to My power.
And when he says: You alone we worship, You alone we ask for help, Allah says: This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.
And when he says: Guide us to the straight path, the path of those whom you have favored, not those who went astray, Allah says: This is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.
Source: Sahih Muslim 395
Hadith 9: The first action to be judged is prayer
Huraith Ibn Qabisa reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
The first actions for which a servant of Allah will be held accountable on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayers. If they are in order, then he will have prospered and succeeded; but if they are lacking, then he will have failed and lost. If there is something defective in his obligatory prayers then the Lord the Exalted will say: See if My servant has any extra prayers which can complete what is defective in his obligatory prayers. Then the rest of his actions will be judged in the same way.
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 413
Reflection of this Hadeeth :Never miss the Fardh prayer and fill the gap of missed fardh with Nafl Prayers.
Hadith 10: The virtue of fasting
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Fasting is a shield. If one of you is fasting, he should avoid intimate relations with his wife and arguments. If somebody should fight or argue with him, he should say: I am fasting. By Him in whose hand is my soul, the unpleasant smell coming from the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than the smell of musk. There are two pleasures for the fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast and the other when he meets his Lord, for then he will be pleased due to his fasting.
A man from the time before you was called to account and nothing good was found with him except that he was easy-going in his business with people and he would order his servants to be lenient with those in difficult circumstances. Allah the Exalted said: We are more worthy of such actions, so pardon his sins.
Source: Sahih Muslim 1561
Reflection of Hadeeth :This Hadeeth command us to be lenient with those in difficult circumstances.
Hadith 13: Protect yourself from Hellfire by even half of a date
Adi ibn Hatim reported: I was with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and there came to him two men: one of them was complaining of poverty, while the other was complaining of robbery. The Messenger of Allah said:
As for the obstruction of the roads, it will not be long until a caravan will travel to Mecca without any guard. As for poverty, the Hour will not be established until one of you goes out looking to give charity but will find no one to accept it. Each one of you will stand in front of Allah without a barrier or interpreter between him and Allah. Allah will ask: Did I not give you wealth? He will say yes. Allah will ask: Did I not send you a messenger? He will say yes. Then he will look to his right and see nothing but Hellfire, and he will look to his left and see nothing but Hellfire. Thus, let one of you protect himself from the Hellfire by giving even half of a date in charity, and if you do not have it then say a kind word.
Source: Sahih Bukhari 1347
Reflection : This Hadeeth has a message :protect himself from the Hellfire by giving even half of a date in charity, and if you do not have it then say a kind word.
Hadith 14: The virtue of remembrance
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Verily, Allah the Exalted has caravans of angels who have no other work but to follow gatherings of remembrance. When they find such gatherings in which there is remembrance, they sit with them and some of them surround the others with their wings until the space between them and the heaven is covered. When they disperse, they ascend to the heaven and
Allah the Exalted asks them, although he is best informed about them: From where have you come? They say: We came from your servants on earth who were glorifying you, declaring your greatness and oneness, praising you and asking from you.
Allah says: What do they ask from me? They say: They ask for your Paradise.
Allah says: Have they seen my Paradise? They say no.
Allah says: What if they were to see my Paradise? They say: They seek your protection.
Allah says: From what do they seek my protection? They say: From your Hellfire, our Lord.
Allah says: Have they seen my Hellfire? They say no.
Allah says: What if they were to see my Hellfire? They say: They ask for your forgiveness.
Allah says: I will pardon them, give them what they request, and grant them protection. They say: Our Lord, there is one among them, a simple servant who happened to pass by and sit there alongside them.
Allah says: I will also grant him pardon, for whoever sits with these fellows will not suffer misery.
Source: Sahih Bukhari 6045
Hadith 15: The virtue of repentance
Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Verily, Allah has recorded good and bad deeds and He made them clear. Whoever intends to perform a good deed but does not do it, then Allah will record it as a complete good deed. If he intends to do it and does so, then Allah the Exalted will record it as ten good deeds up to seven hundred times as much or even more. If he intends to do a bad deed and does not do it, then Allah will record for him one complete good deed. If he does it then Allah will record for him a single bad deed.
Source: Sahih Bukhari 6126
Reflection : Reward of Intention of good deed is immense too
Hadith 17: Prohibition of oppression
Abu Dharr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, relates from his Lord that Allah said:
O my servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you, to become as pious as the most pious heart of anyone of you, that would not increase My kingdom in anything.
O my servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you, to be as wicked as the most wicked heart of anyone of you, that would not decrease My kingdom in anything.
O my servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you, to rise up in one place and make a request of me, and were I to give everyone what he requested, that would not decrease what I have any more than a needle would decrease the sea if put into it.
O my servants, it is only your deeds that I record for you and then recompense for you, so let him who finds good praise Allah and let him who finds other than that blame no one but himself.
Source: Sahih Muslim 2577
Hadith 18: Give in charity and find Allah with him
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Allah the Exalted will say on the Day of Resurrection: O son of Adam, I was sick but you did not visit me. He will say: O my Lord, how can I visit you when you are the Lord of the worlds?
Allah will say: Did you not know that my servant was sick and you did not visit him, and had you visited him you would have found me with him?
O son of Adam, I asked you for food but you did not feed me. He will say: My Lord, how can I feed you when you are the Lord of the worlds?
Allah will say: Did you not know that my servant asked you for food but you did not feed him, and had you fed him you would have found me with him?
O son of Adam, I asked you for drink but you did not provide for me. He will say: My Lord, how can I give you drink when you are the Lord of the worlds?
Allah will say: My servant asked you for a drink but you did not provide for him, and had you given it to him you would have found me with him.
Source: Sahih Muslim 2569
Hadith 19: Condemnation of arrogance
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Allah the Almighty said: Pride is my cloak and greatness is my garment, so whoever competes with me regarding these two will be thrown into the Hellfire.
Source: Sunan Abu Dawud 4090
Hadith 20: The virtue of reconcilation
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
The gates of Paradise are opened on Monday and Thursday. Allah forgives every servant who does not associate anything with him except a man with hatred between himself and his brother. It will be said: Delay these two until they reconcile, delay these two until they reconcile.
Source: Sahih Muslim 2565
Hadith 21: Allah will oppose sinners
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Allah said: There are three whom I will oppose on the Day of Resurrection: a man who gives his word by me but proves treacherous, a man who sells a free person and consumes the price, and a man who employs a worker and receives a completed job but he does not pay him his wages.
Source: Sahih Bukhari 2114
Hadith 22: Fear none but Allah
Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
لَا يَحْقِرْ أَحَدُكُمْ نَفْسَهُ
Let not one of you belittle himself.
They said, “O Messenger of Allah, how can any one of us belittle himself?” The Prophet said:
He finds a matter regarding Allah about which he should speak up but he does not. Allah the Exalted will say to him on the Day of Resurrection: What prevented you from speaking up about such a matter? He will say: It was out of fear of the people. Allah will say: Rather, it is I who deserved to be feared.
Source: Sunan Ibn Majah 4008
Hadith 23: The virtue of love for the sake of Allah
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Verily, Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection: Where are those who love each other for the sake of my glory? Today, I will shelter them in my shade on a day when there is no shade but mine.
Source: Sahih Muslim 2566
Hadith 24: When Allah loves or hates a servant
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
When Allah loves a servant, He calls Gabriel and says: Verily, I love this person so you should love him. Then Gabriel loves him and makes an announcement in the heavens, saying: Allah loves this person and you should love him. Thus, the dwellers of the heavens love him and he is honored in the earth. When Allah is angry with a servant, He calls Gabriel and says: I have resentment for this person, so you should resent him. Then Gabriel is resentful towards him and makes an announcement in the heavens, saying: Verily, Allah is resentful with this person, so you should resent him. Thus, they become resentful with him and he is hated in the earth.
Source: Sahih Muslim 2637
Hadith 25: The loyal friends of Allah
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Allah Almighty said: Whoever shows hostility to a friend of mine, then I have declared war upon him. My servant does not grow closer to me with anything more beloved to me than the duties I have imposed upon him. My servant continues to draw near me with extra works until I love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hands with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask something from me, I would surely give it to him. If he were to ask me for refuge, I would surely grant it to him. I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of the believer, for he hates death and I hate to disappoint him.
Source: Sahih Bukhari 6137
Hadith 26: The virtue of humility
Abu Umamah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Verily, the most admired ally of mine is a believer of simple means and given to prayer, who has been excellent in the worship of his Lord and has obeyed him in secret, who was obscure among the people and not famous, whose sustenance was barely sufficient yet he bore this patiently.
My Lord offered to make the valley of Mecca into gold for me. I said: O Lord, let me be filled one day and hungry another day. When I am hungry, I will humble myself before you. When I am filled, I will be grateful and praise you.
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2347
Hadith 27: The virtue of martyrdom
Masruq reported: We asked Abdullah ibn Mas’ud about this verse:
The souls of martyrs are alive in the bodies of green birds who have their nests in chandeliers hanging from the Throne of the Almighty. They eat the fruits of Paradise from wherever they wish and they nestle among these chandeliers. Once their Lord cast a glance at them and he said: Do you want anything? They said: What more could we desire? We eat the fruit of Paradise from wherever we wish. Their Lord asked them the same question three times. When they saw that they will continue to be asked, they said: O Lord, we wish that you could return our souls to our bodies so that we could be martyred in your way once again. When Allah saw that they had no needs, he left them to enjoy.
Source: Sahih Muslim 1887
Hadith 28: Condemnation of suicide
Jundub ibn Abdullah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
There was a man among those before you who had a wound. He was in such anguish that he took a knife and he slit his hand with it and the blood did not cease to flow until he died. Allah the Almighty said: My servant has taken the initiative over me by himself, so I have forbidden Paradise for him.
Source: Sahih Bukhari 3276
Hadith 29: The virtue of patience with death
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
It is not like this, rather when a believer is given the glad tidings of the mercy of Allah, His pleasure, and Paradise, then he loves to meet Allah and Allah loves to meet him. When a disbeliever is given news of the punishment at the hand of Allah and hardship to be imposed by Him, he hates to meet Allah and Allah hates to meet him.
Source: Sahih Muslim 157
Hadith 31: Never say Allah will not forgive someone
Jundub reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
A man said: By Allah, Allah will not forgive this person! Allah the Exalted said: Who is he who swore by me that I will not forgive someone? I have forgiven him and nullified your good deeds.
Source: Sahih Muslim 2621
Hadith 32: The virtue of fearing Allah
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
A man had indulged himself in sin, so when death approached he enjoined his sons saying: When I die you should burn me, pulverize me, and scatter me to the winds over the sea. By Allah, if Allah is capable he will punish me in such a way as he has not punished anyone else. So they did that to him and when he stood before his Lord, Allah said to him: Why compelled you to do what you did? The man said: Fear and awe of you, O Lord. Thus, Allah forgave him due to that.
Source: Sahih Bukhari 7067
Hadith 33: The virtue of continuous repentance
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
A servant committed a sin and he said: O Allah, forgive my sin! Allah the Exalted said: My servant has committed a sin and he knows he has a Lord who forgives sins and holds him accountable. Then the servant returned to his sin and he said: O Allah, forgive my sin! Allah said: My servant has committed a sin and he knows he has a Lord who forgives sins and holds him accountable. Then the servant returned to his sin and he said: O Allah, forgive my sin! Allah said: My servant has committed a sin and he knows he has a Lord who forgives sins and holds him accountable, so do what you will for I have forgiven you.
Source: Sahih Bukhari 7068
Hadith 34: Allah will always forgive the repentant
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Allah the Exalted said: O son of Adam, if you call upon me and place your hope in me, I will forgive you without any reservation. O son of Adam, if you have sins piling up to the clouds and then ask for my forgiveness, I will forgive you without any reservation. O son of Adam, if you come to me with enough sins to fill the earth and you meet me without associating a partner with me, I will come to you with enough forgiveness to fill the earth.
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 3540
Hadith 35: The virtue of night prayer
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Our Lord descends to the heaven on the last third of every night, and he says: Who is calling upon me that I may answer him? Who is asking from me that I may give him? Who is seeking my forgiveness that I may forgive him?
Source: Sahih Bukhari 1094
Hadith 36: The Greater Intercession
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
The believers will gather on the Day of Resurrection and they will say: Would that someone intercede for us with our Lord! They will go to Adam and say: You are the father of humanity, Allah created you with his hand, the angels prostrated for you, and he taught you the names of all things, so intercede for us with your Lord that we may be relieved of this place! Adam will say: It is not fitting for me. Then he will remember his sin and he will feel ashamed and will say: Go to Noah, for he was the first Messenger that Allah sent to the people of the earth. They will go to him and Noah will say: It is not fitting for me. Then he will remember his request for his Lord to do that of which he had no knowledge and he will feel shame and will say: Go to the intimate friend of the Merciful, Abraham. They will go to him and Abraham will say: It is not fitting for me, so go to Moses, the servant to whom Allah spoke directly and to whom he revealed the Torah. They will go to him and Moses will say: It is not fitting for me. Then he will remember when he killed a man without right and he will feel ashamed in front of his Lord and will say: Go to Jesus, the servant of Allah and his Messenger, his word, and his spirit. They will go to him and Jesus will say: It is not fitting for me, so go to Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, the servant who was forgiven for his past and future sins. So they will come to me and I will proceed until I ask my Lord for permission and I will be granted permission. When I see my Lord, I will prostrate for him and he will let me remain in that state as long as he wills and then I will be addressed: Raise your head and ask for your request will be granted, speak and your saying will be heard, intercede and your intercession will be accepted. I will raise my head and praise Allah with a supplication he will teach me and I will intercede. He will fix a limit for me who will be admitted into Paradise. I will come back to Allah again and when I see my Lord, the same will happen. I will intercede and Allah will fix a limit for me who will be admitted into Paradise. I will come back a third and fourth time and it will be said: None will remain in the Hellfire except those whom the Quran has imprisoned and are destined to remain therein forever.
Source: Sahih Bukhari 4206
Hadith 37: The wonders of Paradise
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
When Allah created Paradise and Hellfire, he sent Gabriel to Paradise saying: Observe it and what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants. Gabriel came to it and observed it and what Allah had prepared therein for its inhabitants. He returned to Allah and he said: By your glory, no one will hear of it without entering it. Allah ordered that it be surrounded by hardship and he said: Return to it and observe what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants. Gabriel returned and found that it was surrounded by hardship. He returned to Allah and he said: By your glory, I fear that no one will enter it. Allah said: Go to the Hellfire and observe it and what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants. Gabriel found that it was in layers, one above the other. He returned to Allah and he said: By your glory, no one who hears of it will enter it. Allah ordered that it be surrounded by desires and he said: Return to it. Gabriel returned and he said: By your glory, I fear that no one will escape it.
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2560
Hadith 39: Paradise and Hellfire dispute each other
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
The Hellfire and Paradise disputed each other. Hellfire said: The arrogant and the tyrants will dwell in me. Paradise said: What is the matter with me that only the meek and humble of the people will enter me? Allah said to Paradise: You are my mercy with which I show mercy to those of my servants whom I will. Allah said to Hellfire: You are punishment with which I punish those of my servants whom I will, and both of you will be full. As for Hellfire, it will not be filled until Allah puts His foot over it and Hellfire will say: Enough! Enough! All of its parts will be filled together and Allah will not wrong any of his creatures. As for Paradise, Allah will create a new creation with which to fill it.
Source: Sahih Bukhari 4569
Hadith 40: The ultimate reward in Paradise
Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Verily, Allah will say to the people of Paradise: O people of Paradise! They will say: We are at your service, our Lord, all goodness is in Your hand! Allah will say: Are you satisfied? They will say: Why should we not be satisfied when You have given us what you have not given to any other creation? Allah will say: Shall I not give you something better than that? They will say: O Lord, what could possibly be better than that? Allah will say: I will bestow upon you My pleasure and I will never be displeased with you afterwards.