The Hadith “I Was a Hidden Treasure” — Explanation and Connection to a Verse

Question

A certain religious scholar narrated a hadith: [ar]كُنْتُ كَنْزًا مَخْفِيًّا فَأَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ أُعْرَفَ فَخَلَقْتُ الْخَلْقَ[/ar] “I was a hidden treasure, and I loved to be known, so I created creation…” (etc.), and explained the meaning of this hadith to mean that Allah Most High is attached to [present in] all things. Is it correct to take such a meaning? Kindly inform us.

Answer

If what this religious scholar meant to say was that recognition (ma‘rifa) of Allah Most High can be attained through every single thing in this world, and that from every thing one may deduce the existence and power of the Lord, then taking this meaning is correct, but the wording [of the hadith] is imprudent.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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