Salaam and Greetings of Peace: “I was a hidden treasure and
wanted to be known.” This is the beginning of probably the most
famous hadith qudsi, or extra-Qur’anic Word of God, ḥadiṯs-e
kanz-e maḵf. Its more correct translation might be as follows:
“I was a Treasure unknown then I desired to be known so I
created a creation to which I made Myself known; then they knew
Me.” Tradition says that it is the divine response to the
Prophet David’s query, when he asked about the purpose of
creation. These are not the words of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW),
and no chain of transmission is known for this hadith, whether
sound or weak, as Ibn Taymiyya and others state. But the meaning
is true and is inferred from Q51:56: “I created the Jinn and
humankind only that they may worship Me!” meaning “that they may
know Me” as the Prophet’s (SAW) cousin Ibn Abbas explained it.
Since human beings were created in His image (as self-aware
consciousnesses evolved in a physical body), all human beings
are also hidden treasures to each