The phrase: “Hadith Qudsi” refers to sayings that are manifested through the mouth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) but which are believed to give expression to Divine communications that are considered to be separate from the hidayat, or guidance, that comes through the Qur’an and, yet, which, nevertheless, constitute a form of Divine assistance. In addition, such sayings of the Prophet (and there are a number of these) are set apart from those sayings of the Prophet which are not distinguished in this manner. One such hadith qudsi provides an overview of the entire Sufi mystical path – namely:
“Whoever seeks Me, finds Me.
Whoever finds Me, comes to know Me.
Whoever comes to know Me, comes to love Me.
Whoever comes to love Me, that person I slay,
And whoever I slay, I owe that person blood-money,
And to whoever I owe blood-money, I am the recompense for that blood-money.”
In the foregoing saying, the notion of “seeking” gives expression to the discipline of tariqat or the Sufi path. Among other things this process of seeking encompasses the five pillars of Islam (namely, bearing witness, prayer, fasting, zakat or charity, and hajj or pilgrimage), as well as zikr (remembrance), seclusion, night vigils, meditation, contemplation, service (to both one’s shaykh as well as the community), and fatiha – which is a gathering of individuals who wish to offer up prayers of gratitude for all that God gives, as well as to voice requests for Divine blessings and assistance, together with an acknowledgment of those individuals (such as the Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him) who have dedicated their lives to the service of God.]
The process of “finding” that is mentioned in the foregoing hadith qudsi alludes to the experiences of “haqiqat” or truths that are realized through the tajalli (that is, Divine manifestations) that are encountered through such phenomena as: kashf (unveiling), ilham (flashes of intuition), and veridical dreams, and although all dreams can be informative, not all dreams are veridical – that is, authentic communications from the realm of the Unseen).
The word “knowing” in the aforementioned hadith qudsi refers to the condition of gnosis or ma’rifat – a condition that transcends the conditions of submitting ( muslim) or believing (mu’min) and tends to be characterized by yaqueen or certainty of knowledge.
The word “love” that appears in the foregoing hadith qudsi might be best expressed by the term: “Ishq”, which is derived from the word “ashiqah” -- a vine that envelops its immediate surroundings wherever it grows and which removes everything apart from the enveloping process.
The slaying of the individual that takes place through the station of love gives rise to the condition of “fana” in which all – including one’s sense of self -- is extinguished from a person’s consciousness and all that remains in awareness is the overwhelming presence of Divine manifestation.
Finally, the dynamic being alluded to in the aforementioned hadith qudsi which involves God being the recompense for the blood-money that is owed to the one who is slain in the way of Allah refers to the condition of “baqa” or a condition of Self-awareness that abides or subsides within God’s presence according to the potential that is inherent in one’s fitra or essential nature and as a function of the infinite Divine Baraka or Grace that is bestowed on the individual in that condition or station of baqa.