What is a hadith qudsi, and how is it different from the Quran and a regular hadith?

A hadith qudsi ('sacred hadith') is a saying the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) attributed directly to Allah, yet it is not part of the Quran. It sits in an unusual middle position: its meaning is revealed by Allah, but the exact wording is the Prophet's own, unlike the Quran, whose precise Arabic wording is itself considered revelation, word for word, recited in prayer, and inimitable. Regular hadith, by contrast, record the Prophet's own words, actions, or approvals, without any claim that Allah dictated the phrasing. Because hadith qudsi are still narrated through human chains of transmission like ordinary hadith, they are graded sahih, hasan, or da'if just like any other hadith; not every hadith qudsi is authentic. A well-known example is the hadith in which Allah says, 'O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and made it forbidden among you, so do not oppress one another,' recorded in Sahih Muslim. Scholars generally count around a hundred such reports across the major collections, offering profound theological and spiritual material distinct from both the Quran's legislative recitation and the Prophet's everyday guidance.

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