"O My Servants.." (Hadeeth-e-Qudsi)
Submitted by Mohammed Gilani on
> يَاعِبَادِي، كُلُّكُمْ ضَالٌّ إِلَّا مَنْ هَدَيْتُهُ، فَاسْتَهْدُونِي أَهْدِكُمْ
يَا عِبَادِي، كُلُّكُمْ جَائِعٌ إِلَّا مَنْ أَطْعَمْتُهُ، فَاسْتَطْعِمُونِي أُطْعِمْكُمْ.
يَا عِبَادِي، كُلُّكُمْ عَارٍ إِلَّا مَنْ كَسَوْتُهُ، فَاسْتَكْسُونِي أَكْسُكُمْ.
يَا عِبَادِي، إِنَّكُمْ تُخْطِئُونَ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ، وَأَنَا أَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا، فَاسْتَغْفِرُونِي أَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ
> “O My servants! All of you are misguided except those whom I guide, so seek My guidance and I shall guide you.
O My servants! All of you are hungry except those whom I feed, so seek food from Me and I shall feed you.
O My servants! All of you are naked except those whom I clothe, so seek clothing from Me and I shall clothe you.
O My servants! You sin by night and by day, and I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness from Me and I shall forgive you…”
Ibn Rajab (Rahimahullah) explains that Allah's address "O My servants" is a call of mercy, not just a statement of authority.
On "kullukum ja'i" (all of you are hungry):
"This is literal regarding physical provision, but also figurative - the soul is hungry for imān and ma'rifah, which only Allah can feed."
On "kullukum 'ārin" (all of you are naked):
"It is literal for worldly clothing, and figurative for spiritual clothing - Allah clothes His servant in the garments of taqwā (Qur'ān 7:26).
This hadith is linked to the Aayat 16:53: "Whatever blessing you have is from Allah."
The phrase fastahdūnī... fa'ahdikum shows that guidance is a continuous need - even those guided must keep asking, because deviation is always possible without Allah's preservation (Qurtubi)
This Hadith teaches the etiquette of du'ā - always attach your request to Allah's ability, not your worthiness. (Ibn Hajar)
This Hadith points out the repetition of "seek from Me..." teaches that du'ā is the direct means to gain Allah's help. (Nawawi)
Reference:
- Narrated by Muslim in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim
- ḥadīth no. 2577 (Kitāb al-Birr waṣ-Ṣilah wa’l-Ādāb).