Is the hadith ‘I was a hidden treasure…’ authentic?
Someone from Australia sent the following hadith to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih V (aa):
كُنْتُ كنْزًا مَخْفِيًّا فَأحْبَبْتُ أنْ أُعْرَف فَخَلَقْتُ الْخَلْقَ لِأُعْرَفَ
“I was a hidden treasure and I willed to be recognised, so I created the creation that I might be recognised.”
He wrote that most scholars classify this hadith as fabricated [maudu‘] or weak [da‘if], but the Promised Messiah (as) also received a revelation in these very words. So, can we say that this hadith is, in fact, sound?
In his letter dated 4 February 2024, Huzoor-e-Anwar (aa) provided the following guidance in response to this question:
“Firstly, the Just Arbiter [Hakam ‘Adl] of this age, the Promised Messiah (as), laid down the following criterion for ahadith to be regarded as authoritative: any hadith which does not contradict or oppose the Holy Quran, the practice [sunnah] of the Holy Prophet (sa) and authentic ahadith is a sound hadith. Accordingly, he states:
“‘It is incumbent on my Jamaat to follow any hadith which does not oppose and contradict the Holy Quran and sunnah, regardless of its authenticity and give preference to it over man-made jurisprudence.’
(Review bar Mubahathah Batalavi wa Chakrhalavi, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 19, p. 212)
“He further states:
“‘Regarding the Book and the sunnah being Islamic legal proofs, my belief is that the Book of Allah is the supreme authority and guide. In any matter where the meanings ascribed to the Prophetic ahadith do not contradict the Book of Allah, those meanings shall be accepted as Islamic legal proof. However, we shall never accept those meanings that contradict the clear and decisive injunctions of the Quran. Rather, as far as possible for us, we shall interpret such a hadith in a manner that accords with and conforms to the clear text of the Book of Allah. And if we come across a hadith that contradicts the text of the Holy Quran and we are entirely unable to reconcile it in any way, we shall declare such a hadith to be maudu‘, because Allah, Glorified be His Majesty, says: فَبِأَيِّ حَدِيثٍ بَعْدَ اللَّهِ وَآَيَاتِهِ يُؤْمِنُونَ. That is, in what hadith after Allah and His verses, will you believe?
(Surah al-Jathiyah, Ch. 45: V. 7)’ (Al-Haqq Mubahathah Ludhiana, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 4, pp. 11-12)
“Thus, the hadith you have mentioned neither contradicts the Quran and the sunnah nor do we need to interpret it in any other way. Rather, in terms of its manifest and hidden meanings, it perfectly meets the criteria of authentic ahadith. Therefore, it is incorrect to declare it maudu‘ or da‘if.
“Secondly, certain well-known and widely recognised ahadith are not mentioned in authoritative collections of Hadith, yet in terms of their meaning and purport, there is nothing in them that indicates any unsoundness. Such reports also stand at the level of a sound hadith. An example of this is the famous hadith: لَوْ لَاكَ لَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْأَفْلَاكَ [‘But for you, I would not have created the heavens’]. Accordingly, the Promised Messiah (as) was asked whether this hadith was correct, to which Huzoor (as) replied:
“‘According to the rules governing the authenticity of narrations, this hadith is not found in the authentic collections [sihah], but in terms of its meaning and purport, this hadith is sound.’ (Zikr-e-Habib, by Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq [ra], under the heading ‘Hadith Law Laka’, Zia-ul-Islam Press, p. 130)
“Thirdly, it is the practice of Allah the Exalted that He sometimes vouchsafes revelations to His loved ones in the very words of certain verses of the Holy Quran or certain ahadith. Hence, the Promised Messiah (as) also received the following revelation from Allah the Exalted:
كُنْتُ كنْزًا مَخْفِيًّا فَأحْبَبْتُ أنْ أُعْرَف
“‘I was a hidden treasure and I willed to be recognised.’
(Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part IV, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 1, p. 611)
“Thus, this serves as a robust proof that these are indeed words conveyed by Allah’s Messenger (sa), as he narrated this qudsi hadith having received knowledge from Allah the Exalted and subsequently, Allah also revealed these very same words to the Holy Prophet’s (sa) most ardent devotee.”
What is the philosophy and true purpose of performing Umrah or Hajj?
Someone from Mauritius asked Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih V (aa), what the true purpose of performing Umrah [the minor pilgrimage] is. He also enquired about the significance of circumambulating the Ka‘bah [tawaf], the ritual going back and forth between Safa and Marwah [sa‘i] and the Black Stone [al-Hajar al-Aswad].
In his letter dated 5 February 2024, Huzoor-e-Anwar (aa) gave the following answer in this regard:
“Umrah, like other Islamic acts of worship and particularly Hajj, is an act of worship mandated by Allah the Exalted. (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch. 2: V. 197) The Holy Prophet (sa) established it through his sunnah. Great importance and merit are attributed to Umrah in the ahadith. While Hajj can only be performed once a year during a specific month and on specific days, there is no fixed time for Umrah; other than the days of Hajj, it can be performed at any time of the year.
“As for performing tawaf of the Ka‘bah, doing sa‘i between Safa and Marwah and kissing the Black Stone, as I have stated, we perform all these acts in obedience to the commandment of Allah the Exalted and our master and guide, the Holy Prophet Muhammad al-Mustafa, the Chosen One (sa), also personally demonstrated them through his own practice. Therefore, performing these acts of worship in accordance with the command of Allah the Exalted and the practice of His Messenger (sa) is certainly deserving of reward and merit. On one occasion, Hazrat Umar (ra) kissed the Black Stone and then, addressing it, said, ‘I know well that you are but a stone that can neither cause harm nor bring benefit. Had I not seen the Holy Prophet (sa) kissing you, I would not have kissed you.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-hajj, Bab ma dhukira fi l-hajari l-aswad)
“Thus, we observe all these acts of worship in submission to the commandment of Allah the Exalted and the practice of His Messenger (sa) and our purpose in doing so is to attain the pleasure of Allah the Exalted. Expounding upon the philosophy of Hajj, the Promised Messiah (as) states:
“‘In the realm of love, the human soul perpetually circles its beloved and kisses their threshold. In exactly the same manner, the Holy Ka‘bah has been granted as a physical manifestation for the sincere lovers [of God]. God has, as it were, declared: ‘Behold, this is My House and the Black Stone is the stone of My threshold.’ He ordained this so that man may physically express the ardour of his love and devotion. Thus, those who perform the Hajj physically circumambulate that House, adopting the appearance of those who are wholly consumed and intoxicated by the love of God. They forsake all adornment, shave their heads and, assuming the appearance of those lost in Divine attraction, perform a passionate circumambulation of His House; and they kiss that stone, envisioning it as the stone of God’s threshold.
“‘This physical passion kindles spiritual ardour and love; as the body circumambulates this House and kisses the stone of the threshold, the soul concurrently circumambulates the True Beloved and kisses His spiritual threshold. There is no trace of associating partners with God [shirk] in this practice. Upon receiving a letter from a bosom friend, a friend will kiss it too. No Muslim worships the Ka‘bah, nor do they seek the fulfilment of their desires from the Black Stone; rather, it is solely regarded as a physical symbol appointed by God and nothing more. Just as we prostrate ourselves upon the earth, yet that prostration is not for the earth, similarly do we kiss the Black Stone, but that kiss is not for the stone itself. A stone is but a stone; it can neither benefit nor harm anyone, but it has been bestowed by the hand of that Beloved Who has designated it as the symbol of His threshold.’”
(Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 23, pp. 100-101)
What is the meaning of al-Akhirah?
“Someone wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih V (aa), asking about preaching to his female classmate and also raising certain questions concerning some Arabic words.
In his letter dated 6 February 2024, Huzoor-e-Anwar (aa) gave the following reply in this regard:
“Regarding your question about preaching to your female classmate, the answer is that if you are engaged in tabligh with a righteous intention and pure motive while observing the Islamic commandment of hijab and purdah, then there is no harm in conveying the message of truth to anyone, whether men or women.
“Furthermore, you have written that you are composing a tafsir of the Holy Quran. May Allah the Exalted place blessings in your endeavour, illumine your mind and increase your spiritual knowledge.
“With regard to the word al-akhirah, what you have written, namely that it means only the life of the Hereafter and cannot signify the promised time yet to come, is not correct, for, in exposition and exegesis, a single word may bear several meanings. Hence, it is not correct to confine a word to one meaning alone, so long as the other meanings are not contrary to any Quranic teaching or to the sunnah of Allah’s Messenger (sa).
“Thus, both meanings of وَبِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.5) are valid: that ‘they have firm faith in the Hereafter’ and also that ‘they have firm faith in the things promised for the future.’
“In the latter sense, namely ‘they have firm faith in the things promised for the future’, this theme becomes connected with the second advent of the Holy Prophet (sa) mentioned in Surah al-Jumu‘ah, in that true and perfect believers are those who believe in this second advent of the Holy Prophet (sa) just as they believe in his first advent, for when, upon the revelation of those verses of Surah al-Jumu‘ah, the Companions of Allah’s Messenger (sa) asked, ‘Who are these latter ones?’, he placed his hand on the shoulder of Hazrat Salman Farsi (ra) and said:
لَوْ كَانَ الْإِيمَانُ عِنْدَ الثُّرَيَّا لَنَالَهُ رِجَالٌ أَوْ رَجُلٌ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ
“‘If faith were to ascend to the Pleiades, a man, or men, from among these (the people of Salman al-Farisi) would surely attain it.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab at-tafsir, Bab qawlihi wa akharina minhum lamma yalhaqu bihim)
“In this, there is, in fact, a prophecy of the advent of the Promised Messiah and Awaited Mahdi (as) and of the Khilafat that would continue after him. The Holy Prophet (sa) emphasised belief in this Messiah and Mahdi so strongly that he said:
فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمُوهُ فَبَايِعُوهُ وَلَوْ حَبْوًا عَلَى الثَّلْجِ فَإِنَّهُ خَلِيفَةُ اللَّهِ الْمَهْدِيّ
“‘When you see him, then take the bai‘at at his hand, even if you have to go to him crawling over snow, for he is Allah’s Khalifa, the Mahdi.’ (Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab al-fitan, Bab khuruji l-mahdiyy)
“Moreover, in the Holy Quran, the word al-akhirah has also been used for the time yet to come. Thus, while giving glad tidings to the Holy Prophet (sa), Allah the Exalted says:
وَلَلْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنَ الْأُولَى
“‘Surely [every hour] that follows is better for thee than [the one] that precedes.’ (Surah ad-Duha, Ch.93: V.5)
“Explaining this verse, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra) states:
“‘In this blessed verse there is mention of the Holy Prophet’s (sa) endless progress, day by day and hour by hour. Every later step of his surpassed the earlier one. Whatever excellences the Ummah possesses, and whatever durud is being recited for him throughout the world, no other founder of a religion is the recipient of so many prayers and blessings. اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَبَارِكْ وَسَلِّمْ – O Allah, bless Muhammad and the people of Muhammad and bestow Thy blessings and peace.’”
(Supplement to Badr, Qadian, 8 August 1912, Haqaiq-ul-Furqan, Vol. 4, p. 405)
Destiny, fate, burials, trials, Satan, Waqf-e-Nau, letters to Huzoor (aa) and reciting the Holy Quran
“A lady from the UK wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih V (aa), raising various questions concerning qismat [fate], the burial of the deceased, Allah the Exalted putting human beings through trials, the existence of Satan, the Waqf-e-Nau scheme and the children included in it and the recitation of the Holy Quran.
In his letter dated 8 February 2024, Huzoor-e-Anwar (aa) gave the following reply:
Destiny, fate, luck
“If by qismat you mean what some people say – that a person’s fate was simply bad and that is why such-and-such happened – then Islam recognises no such concept of fate. Islam emphasises the performance of righteous deeds and the keeping of good intentions, for it is through a person’s deeds that they reap good or evil consequences. Good deeds yield good results and evil deeds lead to evil consequences, whereby a person suffers loss. There is no question of fate in this sense. At times, a person undertakes some task and thinks that they have done everything properly, but if the matter is examined carefully, some deficiency will be found somewhere or some mistake will have been made, which is why the result does not turn out according to their desire.
“Yes, if a person exerts themselves fully and also prays, yet despite this does not attain success in some matter, then some wisdom from Allah the Exalted lies hidden in their not being granted success at that time. It may be that the accomplishment of that matter at that moment would have proved the precursor to some greater harm for them, from which Allah the Exalted, through the blessing of prayer, saves them. Allah the Exalted sets forth this theme in the Holy Quran as follows: ‘And it may be that you dislike a thing while it is good for you, and it may be that you like a thing while it is bad for you. Allah knows [all things], and you know not.’ (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.217) Therefore, the task of a believer is that, after acting with righteous intent and utmost effort, they should leave the matter of the outcome to Allah the Exalted.”
The Islamic way of burying the dead
“In reply to your question concerning whether the dead should be buried or cremated, the answer is that different religions and different societies in the world have adopted different practices regarding the final rites of the deceased. All these methods are intended to show respect to the deceased, whether one cremates the body, buries it or leaves it for beasts and birds to consume. However, the method which Islam has prescribed in this regard is nearer to nature and is the more natural way. By relating the incident of the sons of Hazrat Adam (as) [Surah al-Ma’idah, Ch.5: V.32], the Holy Quran has informed us that the natural way is for the deceased to be buried in the earth, because man was created from dust and into dust should he be laid.”
Why does God try us?
“In reply to your question regarding hardships befalling human beings, some afflictions come upon a person because of their own mistakes, while others come from Allah the Exalted by way of trial. These afflictions are just as, in worldly life, one passes an examination and thereby advances to the next stage. If we do not endure the hardship of the examination, we cannot progress to the next stage. These worldly trials come most upon the beloved ones of Allah the Exalted. Thus, the Holy Prophet (sa) said that among people, the Prophets are tried the most and then, according to rank, others are tried. (Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Kitab az-zuhd, Bab ma ja’a fi s-sabri ‘ala l-bala’) Hazrat Aisha (ra) states, ‘I never saw anyone in greater suffering than the Holy Prophet (sa).’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-marda, Bab shiddati l-marad)
“In truth, many divine wisdoms lie hidden in worldly sufferings and trials and at times human reason cannot attain to them. Therefore, one should try to bear them with patience and prayer. Sayyiduna Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah (as), states:
“‘At times, divine wisdom so ordains that a person’s wishes are not fulfilled in this world. Various afflictions, calamities, illnesses and frustrated hopes befall them, but one should not lose heart on account of them.’ (Malfuzat, Vol. 5, UK: 2022, p. 23)”
Why does Satan exist?
“In reply to your question concerning the existence of Satan, the existence of Satan is also one of the trials of this world for man. Allah the Exalted, having made man the noblest of His creation, has plainly set forth for them the paths of righteousness (i.e., the path of the angels) and of evil (i.e., the path of Satan) and then granted them the choice. Whichever path they follow, the result of their deeds will appear accordingly. If they do good, they will receive reward and if they commit sin, they will incur punishment.”
How to surpass those who are in Waqf-e-Nau
“In reply to your questions regarding Waqf-e-Nau, children are dedicated in this scheme before birth because Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh) founded this scheme upon the sacrifice of the mother of Hazrat Maryam (as), as mentioned in the Holy Quran and the mother of Hazrat Maryam (as) dedicated her to Allah the Exalted before her birth. Therefore, the children presented in this scheme are likewise dedicated by their parents before they are born. Since these children are dedicated by their parents before their birth and before they attain an age of understanding, in which the parents’ will is involved but not the children’s own choice, when these children reach the age of reason and awareness, they are asked whether they wish to continue in this dedication or not. Earlier, it was their parents who dedicated them, but now they themselves must state what they wish. This is why they are asked again about this dedication upon growing up.
“Merely being included in the Waqf-e-Nau scheme does not make children ‘special’. There is no difference between them and other children and those who make such a distinction are mistaken. This is why I have repeatedly drawn the attention of parents to the fact that they should not differentiate between their children. In the same way, I have also said on many occasions to Waqf-e-Nau children themselves that they are not ‘special’ in comparison with other children. Of course, those children who do good deeds do become distinguished by virtue of those good deeds. If you are not in Waqf-e-Nau, that does not matter. You can study, achieve something and then dedicate yourself and by doing good deeds, you may even surpass those who are in Waqf-e-Nau.”
I give due attention to all the letters I receive
“You asked which letters I give preference to. The answer is that I give preference to every letter that is written to me, whatever language it may be in. It is not a matter of English or Urdu alone. People write to me in many languages from around the world and I give attention to all these letters and also reply to them.”
Tilawat should be done in Arabic
“The Holy Quran should first be recited in the language in which it was revealed. Thereafter, its translation should be read in English, Urdu or whatever one’s own language may be. The recitation of the Arabic words is called tilawat; the translation is not tilawat.”
(Compiled by Zaheer Ahmad Khan, Head of Records Department, Private Secretariat, London and translated by Al Hakam)