Is “I Am Ahmad…” a Hadith?

Question

Regarding the following hadith, Zayd and Bakr disagree. Zayd says it is a hadith qudsi; Bakr says it is not a hadith qudsi. The hadith is as follows: [ar]أَنَا أَحْمَدُ لِأَنَّهُمْ أَنَا فَوْقَ الْعَرْشِ أَحْمَدُ وَفِي السَّمَاءِ أَحْمَدُ وَفِي الْأَرْضِ مُحَمَّدٌ وَبَشَّرَنِي مَحْمُودٌ[/ar] “I am Ahmad, for they… — Above the Throne I am Ahmad, and in the heaven I am Ahmad, and on the earth Muhammad, and Mahmud gave me glad tidings.” Kindly provide an answer.

Answer

This narration is not found in the books of hadith. The hadith scholars gathered every single hadith in their books together with its isnad (chain of transmission). Whoever calls this a hadith qudsi or the like should be asked for a full reference.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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