2. ḤADĪTH QUDSĪ
The
term ḥadīth literally means: communication, story, conversation, religious
or secular, historical or recent. Techincally, it means “what was transmitted
on the authority of the Prophet, his deeds, sayings, tacit approval.” This is
called Ḥadīth Nabawī. However, in broader mening, the term is also used
for narrations about the the Prophet’s Companions (ṣaḥābah) and
Successors (tābi‘īn).
Another kind of ḥadīth
is called Ḥadīth Qudsī. Qudsī means sacred, holy, as the idea is from
Allah through inspiration, but the wording is from the Prophet himself. Like
any regular ḥadīth, some of them are strong, and others are weak,
depending on the conditions of its narrators. It is unlike the Qur’an which is
inimitable, unique, revealed as a challenge and a kind of worship, cited in
prayer, cannot be cited in meaning, and protected by Allah. One of the examples
of the Ḥadīth Qudsī and its commentary is as follows:
قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ
تَعَالَى: أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي، وَأَنَا مَعَهُ إِذَا
ذَكَرَنِي، فَإِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي نَفْسِهِ، ذَكَرْتُهُ
فِي نَفْسِي، وَإِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي
مَلَإٍ، ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي مَلَإٍ خَيْر مِنْهُمْ،
وَإِنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ بِشِبْرٍ، تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ
ذِرَاعًا،
وَإِنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ ذِرَاعًا، تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ بَاعًا وَإِنْ أَتَانِي يَمْشِي،
أَتَيْتُهُ هَرْوَلَةً (رواه
البخاري ومسلم والترمذي وابن ماجه)
The
Prophet (ﷺ) said: Allah the Almighty
said: I am as
My
servant thinks I am (i.e., "I am as My servant expects
Me to
be"). I am with him when he makes mention of
Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I
make
mention of
him to Myself; and if he makes mention of
Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an
assembly
better than it. And if he draws near to Me
an arm's
length, I draw near to him a cubit, and if
he draws near to Me a cubit, I draw near to him
a fathom. And if he comes to Me walking, I go
to
him at
speed. ( Reported by
al-Buhkari, Muslim,
at-Tirmidhi and Ibn-Majah).
The meaning of the term ظَنّ (ẓann), (“assumption”, “opinion”)
is betweenيَقِيْن (yaqīn) “certainty” and شَكّ (shakk), “doubt.” But it could also
mean yaqīn or shakk depending on strong evidence in the context,
such as:
الَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُمْ
مُلَاقُو رَبِّهِمْ وَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ (البقرة:46)
(They are
those) who are certain that they are
going to meet their Lord, and that to Him they
are going to return (Q. 2:46)
وَاسْتَكْبَرَ
هُوَ وَجُنُودُهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَظَنُّوا
أَنَّهُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا
يُرْجَعُونَ (القصص:39)
And he (Pharaoh) and his hosts were
arrogant in
the land,
without right, and they thought (i.e. doubt)
that they would never return (Q. 28:39)
Commentary:
“I am as My servant thinks I am”
-
It means that if he thinks
that Allah will forgive him, then He will do so, and if he thinks Allah will
punish him, then he will do so. Allah will
treat His servant based on his good thinking of Him, and He will do what he
expects from Him. It is also said that
if there is any hope he will expect it, as only a believer who will expect that
he has a Lord Who would forgive him. It is Allah Who could do what his servant
thinks He would do to him. The Muslims are urged to have good opinion of Allah,
hoping more than fearing of Him, as Allah is as His servant believes or are
certain of what He is.
- Al-Qāḍī ‘Iyāḍ ibn
Mūsāal-Sibtī (d. 544/1149)[1]:
It means Allah will forgive him if he asks forgiveness, will accept his
repentance if he repents, will answer his prayer if he prays, because this
could only happen with the servant of Allah if he has good opinion of Him and a
strong faith with Him.
- Al-Qābisī (d. 403/1012)[2]:
It is possible that it is a warning of what will happen in the heart of the
servant, as in the verse: وَإِنْ تُبْدُوا مَا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ
يُحَاسِبْكُمْ بِهِ اللَّهُ .(البقرة:284) “…
and whether you disclose what is in you own selves or cvonceal it, Allah will
call you to account for it…” (Q.
23:284)
-
Al-Qurṭubī (578-656/1182-1258)[3]:
It is said that it means the Muslim’s belief in the acceptance of his prayer
while he is praying, of his repentance while he is repenting, of his forgiveness
while he is asking forgiveness, of his deeds while he is doing them fulfilling
their conditions and upholding the fulfilment of His promise and His generous
kindness. Tthe Peophet himself said: اُدْعُوَا اللَّهَ وَأَنْتُمْ مُوقِنُونَ
بِالْإِجَابَة (رواه الطبراني والترمذي) "Pray to Allah while you are certain of its acceptance.” (Reported by al-Țabrānī and al-Tirmidhī).
-
Al-Khaṭṭābī (319-388/931-988)[4]
says that the Muslims themselves have to do good deeds so that they will have
good thinking with Allah.
-
In the same manner, it is necessary for the the person who repents,
asks forgiveness, and does deeds to endeavour performing them being certain
that Allah the Almighty will accept his deeds and forgive his sins, as promised
by Allah to accept genuine repentance and good deeds. On the contrary, if he
does these dees believing or thinking that Allah will not accept them, and that
they will give not give any benefit, then this behaviour is hopelessness from
Allah’s blessing and giving up His mercy which is among the gravest sins.
Whoever dies in this condition he will get what he has expected, as mentioned
in the following ḥadīth: أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي فَلْيَظُنَّ عَبْدِي
بِي مَا شَاء (رواه مسلم و الحاكم) “I am as My servant
thinks I am, so let My servan think I am what he wills” (Reported by Muslim and al-Ḥākim)
I am with him when
he makes mention of Me
- Ibn Abī Jamrah (d. 695/1295)[5]:
It means that Allah is with him depending on his intention in mentioning Him.
It could be with tongue only, with heart only, or with both of them, or with obeying
the command and avoiding prohibited things. The
evidence is that there are two kinds of mentioning: (1) definitely stated by
its speaker, such as mentioned above, and as in the verse: فَمَنْ يَعْمَل مِثْقَال
ذَرَّة خَيْرًا يَرَهُ (الزلزلة:7) “So,
whoever does good equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it”
(Q. 99:7), or (2) it is based on seriousness, such as the Prophet’s statement مَنْ لَمْ تَنْهَهُ
صَلَاتُهُ عَنْ الْفَحْشَاء وَالْمُنْكَر لَمْ يَزْدَدْ مِنْ اللَّه إِلَّا بُعْدًا “Whoever his prayer does not prevent him from committing
crimes and abonemical actions, he only will increase his being away from Allah”.
However, while he is committing the crime he fearfully remembers Allah and is
fearful about his condition, then he will be expected that his prayer to be
accepted.
If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make
mention of him to Myself
If he mentions
Allah secretly, then He will mention him with reward and blessing secretly. If
he mentions Allah with glorification, Allah will mention him with His blessings.
-
Al-Māzinī (d. 63/683)[6]:
If he mentions Allah in privacy Allah will reward him for what he has done in
privacy.
-
Ibn Abī Jamrah: It is possible
that it is like Allah’s statement فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ
وَاشْكُرُوا لِي وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ (البقرة:152) “Therefore remember Me. I will
remember you, and be grateful to Me and never be ungrateful to Me. (Q 2:152) which means “remember Me by glorifying Me, and I shall
remember you with My favours.” Allah says,
وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ(العنكبوت:45) “…
and remembering Allah is greater indeed..” (Q. 29:45) meaning that “it is
the greatest worship, and whoever remembers Him while he was in fear, Allah
will ptotect him, or being lonesome or unhappy, Allah will amuse him, as Allah
says, (أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ (الرعد:28) , ‘… verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.’”
(Q. 13:28)
and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I
make
mention of him in an assembly better than it
- If he mentions Allah in an assembley, namely,
among a group of believers, Allah will mention him in a better assembley,
namely, among intimate angels and the souls of messengers. Angels in general
are better than human beings in obeying Allah, as only some human beings are
obedient to Him. Allah says, لَا يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ
مَا يُؤْمَرُون (التحريم:6) , “… who disobey not (from
executing) the Commands they receive from Allah, but do that which they
arecommanded.” (Q. 66:6).
And if he draws near
to Me an arm's length, I draw
near to him a cubit, and if he draws near to
Me a cubit,
I draw near tohim a fathom. And if he comes to
Me walking, I go to him at speed
-
Whoever
draws near to Allah by obeying Him, He draws near to him with His blessings,
forgiveness, success, and assistance. If he increases his obedience Allah
increases them more.
There are other
examples of the Ḥadīth Quidsī dealing with thinking of Allah as follows:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَقُولُ أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي وَأَنَا مَعَهُ إِذَا دَعَانِي (رواه أحمد)
Allah the Almighty said: I am as My servant
thinks I
am and with him as he calls Me
. (Reported by Ahmad)
أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي إِنْ ظَنَّ بِي
خَيْرًا فَلَهُ وَإِنْ ظَنَّ شَرًّا فَلَهُ
(رواه مسلم واحمد والطبراني)
Allah the Almighty said: I am as My servant thinks
I am. If he thinks good then it is (good) for
him, and
if he
thinks bad, then it is(bad) for him
(Reported by
Muslim, Ahmad, and al-Ṭabrānī))
قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ:أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ
عَبْدِي بِي، إِنْ ظَنَّ خَيْرًا فَخَيْرٌ،
وَإِنْ ظَنَّ شَرًّا فَشَرٌ.(رواه الطبراني و
ابن حبان)
Allah the Almighty
said: I am as My servant thinks
I am. If he thinks
good then it is good, and if he
thinks bad, then it is bad
(Reported by al-Ṭabrānī and Ibn Ḥibbān)
قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ:أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ
عَبْدِي بِي فَلْيَظُنَّ عَبْدِي مَا شَاءَ
.(رواه مسلم
والحاكم)
Allah the Almighty
said: I am as My servant thinks I am.
So, let My servant think whatever he will
(think I am)
(Reported by Muslim and al-Ḥākim)
We
Muslims should be good and have good thinking with Allah, be optimistic with
His wisdom and divine decree.
(CIVIC, 31
March, 2017)
المراجع:
المكتبة الشاملة
Denffer, Ahmad von. ‘Ulūm al-Qur’ān. Kuala Lumpur: A.S Norordeen,
1991
Azami. M.M. Studies in Hadīthe Methodology and
Literature.
Kuala
Lumpur: Islamic Book Trust, 1977
from: http://www.jamiat.org.za/isinfo/mishkat2.html
[1] Al-Qāḍī ‘Iyāḍ, the Moroccan scholar of Ḥadīth,
Arabic language and grammar, a chronicler, and a genealogist, a student of Ibn
Rushd and Ibn al-Ḥāj, became qāḍī of Ceuta then Granada, died in Morocco in 544 H.
[2]Abū ’l-‘Abbās al-Qābisī was the leader in the
science of Ḥadīth, its asānīd (inscription, namely, the uninterrupted
chain of authorities on which a tradition is based). Despite of his blindness
he was one of the most correct and meticolus writer. He died in Qayrawān.
[3]Abū ’l-‘Abbās Aḥmad ibn ‘Umar al-Qurṭubī was the writer of the book entitledالمفهم لما أشكل من تلخيص كتاب مسلم
[4] Abū Sulaymān Ḥamd ibn Muḥammad al-Khaṭṭābī was a
traditionist, a linguist and jurist and one of the great scholars of the
Shāfi‘ī school.
[5]Abd Allāh ibn Sa‘īd ibn Abī Jamrah was a traditionist
and a Qur’an reciter. He abridged al-Bukhārī’s al-Jāmi ‘ al-Ṣaḥīḥ.
[6] ‘Abd Allāh ibn Zayd ibn ‘Āṣim ibn Māzin al-Anṣārī
participated in many battles, such as Uḥud; with Waḥshī he killed Musaylimah.
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