In the name of Allah the Most Gracious the Most Merciful

By Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-’Uthaymeen may Allah have mercy on him

The Shaykh mentions this point of benefit in his explanation of Imaam an-Nawawi’s 40 Ahadith under the 24th hadith. He said,

There are many differences between the Qur’an and the Hadith Qudsee. They are:

1.The reward for reciting Qur’an will not apply to reading Hadith Qudsee. Whenever you recite one letter from the Qur’an you receive ten good deeds.

2.Allah challenged mankind to bring something similar to the Qur’an or at least a verse like it. This challenge does not apply to Hadith Qudsee.

3.The Qur’an is preserved with Allah as He said,

إِنَّا نَحۡنُ نَزَّلۡنَا ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ ۥ لَحَـٰفِظُونَ

”Verily We: It is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur’an) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption).” [Surah al-Hijr: 9]

And this does not apply to Hadith Qudsee. Rather, there some Hadith Qudsee that are authentic or good and there are also Hadith Qudsee which are weak or fabricated.

4.It is from the consensus of the Muslims that is not permissible to recite the Qur’an by meaning (leaving out the exact wording). As for Ahadith Qudseeyah (plural for Hadith Qudsee) then it is permissible to relay their meanings (without their exact wordings).

5.It is legislated to recite the Qur’an in the prayer. In fact, one’s prayer will not be accepted unless they recite from it (at least Surah al-Faatiha), and this is not the case with Hadith Qudsee.

6.The Qur’an cannot be touched unless one is ritually purified according to the most correct opinion. This is not the same with Ahadith Qudseeyah.

7.The Qur’an cannot be recited when one is in a state of sexual impurity until he makes the ritual bath (ghusl), and this is not the case with Ahadith Qudseeyah.

8. If one disbelieves in one letter in the Qur’an then he has become a disbeliever (after the conditions of kufr are met). This is not the case with a Hadith Qudsee because one can doubt its authenticity, and in this case he hasn’t disbelieved. However, if he knows that the Hadith Qudsee is authentic and he stills disbelieves in it then he has disbelieved because of his belying of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Translated by: Abu Awzaa’ee AbdusSalaam

الفقير الى الله