It is so. Apart from the special ḥāl (spiritual state) witnessed during the moment when the angel imparts to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) the ḥaqīqa (inner reality), there is no one among this community, whether from its prophets or its walī (friend[s] of God), who can inherit the knowledge of ʿilm al-ladun (divine, unmediated knowledge). (Asfār, 278)
The walī is addressed by following the prophet (nabī), whereas the nabī is addressed directly, without following another, with the original ruling. The walī is addressed from behind the veil of his prophet; the nabī is addressed without any veil or intermediary prophet. What is addressed to the prophets is direct witnessing (mushāhada), while what is addressed to the walī is the unseen (ghayb). (Asfār, 284)
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The difference between a nabī and a walī is like the difference between the follower and the one followed. In this respect, there is nothing that can unite the two (they are distinct from one another). Although they may be united in principle—namely, in the maqāmāt (spiritual stations), which are... (such stations as) islām, iman (faith), ihsan (spiritual excellence), tawakkul (reliance upon God), riḍā (contentment with God's decree), submission, and the like... the ascension of the prophets is by light—that is, by gifted knowledge. This knowledge is original... (the ascension of the prophets is not by following another human, but by receiving directly from the original divine ruling). Only those prophets who ascend by this light are true prophets. The ascension of the walī, however, requires preparation for the station of walāya (sainthood) that arises from the original light. This is something attained by the one who stands in this station.
For the station of walāya that arises from the original light, there is no share except one's own portion. This portion is nothing other than one's own capacity. This station is attained by striving and effort. The walī only ascends to the extent that he attains from the original light through effort. Ascension is only by light. For the paths of ascension to the Real (al-Ḥaqq) are dark to the eyes of the gnostics (ʿārifūn) in relation to themselves. This light is the gifted knowledge by which they are illumined. This knowledge is granted to the prophets without any preparatory capacity. Therefore, prophethood is not acquired. This is the correct view. (Asfār, 286)
The mujtahid does not speak outside the sharia (the sacred law). All his words in the matter of ijtihād are within the sharia. Likewise, the walī who is the heir of the Prophet does not speak within the sharia in the matter of ijtihād. Rather, his words are outside the rulings of ittiḥād (union). Those words are reports of divine realities. Prophets, since they possess both walāya and risāla (messengership), speak of both. If you hear a prophet say something contrary to the sharia, it is because he is a walī and a gnostic who knows divine realities, not because he is both a nabī and a rasūl. (Sofyavi, 245)
The awliyāʾ (walī, friends of God), due to the dominance of their spirituality over their corporeality, appear in various forms. (Bughyah, 74)
The walī has two kinds of meaning: The first is the one who possesses the authority of walāya, established for the benefit of religion; the second is the one who possesses the authority of walāya not in actuality, but in potential (not actively, but potentially possessing the authority of walāya). If it is asked, "How can one be a walī without the authority of walāya?" the answer is: It is possible for someone to be a walī in the sense that Allah Most High undertakes and manages all his affairs. Such a walī is a walī in potential. When he listens, he listens with the Real (al-Ḥaqq); when he looks, he looks with the Real; when he speaks, he speaks with the Real. He is in the realm of belovedness.
The awliyāʾ have four stations: The first is the station of succession to prophethood (khilāfat al-nubuwwa), the second is the station of succession to messengership (khilāfat al-risāla), the third is the station of succession to the possessors of firm resolve (khilāfat al-ulū'l-ʿazm), and the fourth is the station of succession to the elect (khilāfat al-ulū'l-iṣṭifā).
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The station of succession to prophethood belongs to the scholars, the station of succession to messengership belongs to the abdāl, the station of succession to the possessors of firm resolve belongs to the awtād, and the station of succession to the elect belongs to the quṭubs. Some of the walī are in the station of the prophets, some in the station of the messengers, some in the station of the possessors of firm resolve, and some in the station of the elect. (Jāmiʿ, 5)
The khātam (seal) is the one with whom prophethood ends. This is a single person, our Prophet Muḥammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
There is also the khātam of walāya (seal of sainthood). This is the one through whom the ultimate good of this world and the hereafter and the perfection (kamāl) is attained. With his death, the order of the world is disrupted. This is the Mahdī promised to come at the end of time. (Jāmiʿ, 82)
Walī (friend), in language, is the opposite of ʿaduww (enemy). In the terminology of the people of reality, it has two meanings: The first is on the pattern of faʿīl and in the passive participle sense, like maqtūl (killed) in the sense of qatīl and majrūḥ (wounded) in the sense of jarīḥ. The walī is the one whom the Real, Glorified and Exalted, continually undertakes to protect. In him, the capacity for rebellion (qudra) in the sense of excessive sinfulness or being left to oneself has not been created. As Allah says: "...for He protects the righteous among His servants." (al-Aʿrāf 7:196)
The second is, like karīm and ʿalīm, on the pattern of faʿīl in the intensive active participle sense. The walī is the one who undertakes the work of worship and obedience to Allah, performing continuous worship without any disobedience intervening. Both conditions are among the requirements of walāya. Just as it is a condition for the prophet to be infallible, so it is a condition for the walī to be maḥfūẓ (protected from error and sin). (Jāmiʿ, 227)
What is the reality of the walī? (To this question) we answer: There are two situations here. The first is, like ʿālim and qādir, on the pattern of faʿīl in the intensive active participle sense. In this case, the meaning is one who always obeys without committing a sin.
The second is, like maqtūl (killed) in the sense of qatīl and majrūḥ (wounded) in the sense of jarīḥ, on the pattern of faʿīl in the passive participle sense. In this meaning, the walī is the one whom the Real, Glorified and Exalted, continually undertakes to protect and grants success in obedience. (Nabhānī, I, 7)
The walī is the servant who stands by ʿubūdiyya (servitude or worship). He is truthful, affirming, and in Sufism, a ṣiddīq (utterly truthful one).
Rābiṭ: The walī prefers the poor to the rich, the few to the many, the small to the great. His state is upright among people. Otherwise, (in terms of rank) he is reversed.
Zābit: The walī spends his times in various nearnesses (acts that bring him closer to Allah). For him, time is made blessed, and he in turn blesses space.
walī-nabī-rasūl 1209 Rābiṭ: The one who wastes his time on trivial things is deprived of the blessing of ghayra (zeal) and benefit. He pursues endless desires and is preoccupied with imagined conceptions.
Zābit: The walī does not postpone his work to the future; he benefits from the blessing of the moment, from the ḥāl (spiritual state) in which he is present. By this means, he is saved from the wrath and estrangement of his Lord.
Rābiṭ: According to the community of Sufis, it is not possible to witness the forms of shadows. This is only possible after they have vanished. From the effect...