An analysis on the isnad and content of the quasi-hadith “man ṭalabanī wajadanī” (he who seeks Me would find me)

The hadith heritage that has a major part in accessing the Divine knowledge (and teachings) should be preserved against oblivion and be safeguarded against harms and damages that threaten this precious treasury. Creeping of the quasi-hadith paragraphs into the tradition collections is among these harms and damages. One of these paragraphs seemingly generated in the atmosphere of Sufism and mysticism and gradually crept into some of the sources is: “man ṭalabanī wajadanī …” (He who seeks Me (i.e. God), will find Me, and he who finds Me, will know Me, and he who knows Me, will like Me, and he who likes Me, will love Me passionately; and if one loves Me passionately, I will love him passionately, and whom I love passionately, I will kill, and whom I kill, his ransom will be incumbent upon Me, and he whose ransom is incumbent upon Me, I will be his ransom). The concern of this study accomplished by relying upon library sources and applying a descriptive-analytical method – is to track down this paragraph in the tradition-oriented and mystical sources and to analyze its content. The findings of this essay indicate that such a paragraph does not exist in the early hadith sources, however, considering its compatibility with the disposition of the Sufis and mystics, it has crept into the tradition-oriented and mystical sources. Moreover, the term ‘ishq (passionate love) has scarcely occurred in the traditions and that it has mostly been used with a negative meaning. This fact along with certain cases of incompatibility in it with the Qur’an and the Sunna have caused it to be doubtful to be recognized as a (true) tradition.