Hadith Qudsi (الحديث القدسي) is a special category of Hadith in Islam. The word “Qudsi” (قدسي) itself means “holy” or “sacred.”

Here’s a breakdown of what it means and how it’s written in Arabic:

Meaning of Hadith Qudsi:

Hadith Qudsi are sayings attributed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in which he conveys words directly from Allah (God). The meaning of a Hadith Qudsi is from Allah, but the wording is attributed to Prophet Muhammad. This distinguishes it from the Qur’an, where both the meaning and the exact wording are from Allah, and from regular Hadith (Hadith Nabawi), where both the meaning and wording are from the Prophet.

Arabic Writing:

The term itself is written as: الحديث القدسي

• الحديث (Al-Hadith): means “the saying,” “the report,” or “the tradition.”
• القدسي (Al-Qudsi): means “the sacred” or “the holy.”

When you read a Hadith Qudsi in Arabic, it often starts with a phrase indicating that Allah said something. For example:

• قال الله تعالى: (Qāla Allāhu Ta’ālā) – “Allah the Almighty said:”
• قال الله عز وجل: (Qāla Allāhu ‘Azza wa Jall) – “Allah, Mighty and Exalted is He, said:”

You’ll then find the actual words of the Hadith, followed by the chain of narration (isnad) and who reported it (e.g., رواه مسلم – reported by Muslim).

Example of a Hadith Qudsi in Arabic (and its common English translation):

A famous Hadith Qudsi is:

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ” لَمَّا قَضَى اللَّهُ الْخَلْقَ، كَتَبَ فِي كِتَابِهِ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ، فَهُوَ مَوْضُوعٌ عِنْدَهُ: إِنَّ رَحْمَتِي تَغْلِبُ غَضَبِي” رواه مسلم (وكذلك البخاري والنسائي وابن ماجه)

Translation: On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: When Allah decreed the Creation He pledged Himself by writing in His book which is laid down with Him: “My mercy prevails over My wrath.” It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, an-Nasa’i and Ibn Majah).

Read a topic wise selection of Hadith Qudsi devotedly selected for the readers enlightenment in this book.

QUL SAY