In this era, the number of people inquiring about karāma (a saintly wonder) has increased. Is karāma established by the sharia (the sacred law)? Is there evidence for karāma in the Book and the sunnah? What is the wisdom behind its occurrence at the hands of the awliyāʾ (friends of God) and the God-conscious? Waves of disbelief and materialism, currents of doubt and misguidance have proliferated in this era. This situation has affected the minds of most of our children. It has led many of our educated people astray, making them deniers, skeptics, and dismissive regarding karāma. This is a result of the weakness of their iman (faith) in Allah and His power, and their lack of affirmation of Allah’s awliyāʾ and friends.
We have no choice but to address this topic in order to manifest the truth and support Allah’s sharia.
A. Establishing Karāma
Indeed, the karāmas of the awliyāʾ have been established in Allah’s Book, the sunnah of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), the reports of the Companions (ṣaḥāba), and the works of people from their time until ours. The majority of scholars from the people of the sunnah and the community have also affirmed them. Furthermore, the works compiled by jurists, hadith scholars, scholars of legal theory, and Sufi shaykhs discuss these matters. Upon careful examination, we see that the topic of karāma has been established in various eras of Islam. Even if the details are transmitted through solitary reports, the meaning is established by mass transmission (tawātur). Only those whose iman in Allah, His attributes, and acts is weak—namely, the people of innovation and misguidance—deny all this.[1]
a. Evidence for the Karāmas of the Awliyāʾ from Allah’s Book
1. In the story of the Companions of the Cave, they slept for years (309 years), remaining alive and safe from all harm. Allah states, clarifying that He protected them from the sun’s heat, in Sūrat al-Kahf 18:17:
“And you would see the sun when it rose, inclining away from their cave on the right, and when it set, passing away from them on the left...”
Again, in Sūrat al-Kahf 18:18:
“And you would think them awake, while they were asleep. And We turned them to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched his forelegs at the entrance...” And again, in Sūrat al-Kahf 18:25:
“And they remained in their cave for three hundred years and exceeded by nine.”[2]
2. The story of Maryam (may Allah be pleased with her) shaking a dry date palm branch, causing it to bear ripe dates out of season. Allah, the Exalted, says in Sūrat Maryam 19:25:
“And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe, fresh dates.”
3. Allah, the Exalted, relates to us about Zakariyya (peace be upon him): Whenever Zakariyya entered Maryam’s (may Allah be pleased with her) chamber, he found provision with her, though no one but Zakariyya had entered. He asked her, “O Maryam, from where is this for you?” She replied, “It is from Allah.” Allah says in Sūrat Āl ʿImrān 3:37:
“Every time Zakariyya entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found with her provision. He said, ‘O Maryam, from where is this [coming] to you?’ She said, ‘It is from Allah.’”
4. In the story of Asaf b. Barakhyā with Sulaymān (peace be upon him), according to the majority of exegetes, in Sūrat al-Naml 27:40:
“He who had knowledge from the Book said, ‘I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you.’” Thus, he brought the throne of Bilqīs (may Allah be pleased with her) from Yemen to Palestine in the blink of an eye.
b. Authentic Evidence for the Karāmas of the Awliyāʾ from the Sunnah
1. The story of the devout Jurayj (may Allah be pleased with him) speaking with a small child in the cradle. This is an authentic hadith narrated by Bukhari and Muslim.[3]
2. The story of the child who spoke in the cradle.[4]
3. The story of the three men who entered a cave: after a rock blocked the entrance, it was moved aside. This hadith is agreed upon.[5]
4. The story of a cow speaking with its owner: this hadith is authentic and well-known.[6]
c. Evidence for Karāma from the Reports of the Companions
Many things have been transmitted regarding their karāmas:
1. The story of Abū Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him): when he ate with his guests, the food increased, and after eating, there was more than before. (This hadith is found in Sahih Bukhari.)[7]
2. In the story of ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him): while he was on the pulpit in Medina, he called out to his commander, “O Sāriyya! Head for the mountain, head for the mountain,” and his voice was heard at a great distance. This hadith is hasan.
3. The story of ʿUthmān (may Allah be pleased with him): he spoke with a man who entered his presence and informed him that he had looked at a woman unlawfully on the road.
4. In a hadith narrated by al-Bayhaqī: ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with him), the son of Abū Ṭālib, heard a dead person speak.[8]
5. In the stories of ʿUbāda, son of Bishr, and Usayd, son of Ḥudayr (may Allah be pleased with them): “When they left the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) on a dark night, each of their staffs illuminated the way for them like a lamp.” This hadith is authentic; Bukhari recorded it.[9]
6. The story of Ḥubayb (may Allah be pleased with him) and the grape clusters: he had grapes out of season and ate them. This hadith is authentic.[10]
7. The stories of Saʿd and Saʿīd (may Allah be pleased with them): “These individuals supplicated against those who denied them, and their supplications were answered.” This is established by hadiths recorded by Bukhari and Muslim.[11]
8. The story of Alāʾ b. al-Ḥaḍramī (may Allah be pleased with him): he crossed the sea on his horse, and a water spring gushed forth by his supplication. Ibn Saʿd recorded this in his “Ṭabaqāt.”[12]
9. The story of Khālid b. al-Walīd (may Allah be pleased with him) drinking poison. Al-Bayhaqī, Abū Nuʿaym, al-Ṭabarānī, and Ibn Saʿd recorded it with an authentic chain.[13]
10. The story of Ḥamza al-Aslamī (may Allah be pleased with him): his fingers gave off light on a dark night, illuminating the surroundings. Bukhari recorded this in his “Tārīkh.”[14]
11. The story of Umm Ayman: how she became thirsty on the migration journey, a bucket descended from the sky, and she drank from it until she was satisfied. Abū Nuʿaym narrated this in his book “Ḥilya.”[15]
12. The story of some Companions who, unknowingly pitching a tent over a grave, heard the recitation of Sūrat al-Mulk from the grave. Al-Tirmidhī narrated this.[16]
13. The story of Salmān al-Fārisī and Abū al-Dardāʾ (may Allah be pleased with them): they heard the sound of glorification (tasbīḥ) from the vessel in which they were eating, and both heard it. Abū Nuʿaym narrated this.[17]
14. The story of Safīna (may Allah be pleased with him), a freedman of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), and the lion. Al-Ḥākim recorded this in “al-Mustadrak” and Abū Nuʿaym in “Ḥilya.”[18]
These karāmas we have mentioned are but a small drop from an overflowing sea. They are only a small part of the many karāmas reported from the Companions of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). Then, from the time of the Successors and their followers until today, reports of many karāmas at the hands of the awliyāʾ have come in succession. It is very difficult to enumerate them all, and it is impossible to limit or confine them.[19] Great scholars have compiled books to establish the karāmas of the awliyāʾ. Some of these scholars include:
Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, Abū Bakr al-Bāqillānī, Imām al-Ḥaramayn, Abū Bakr b. Fūrak, Ḥujjat al-Islām Imām al-Ghazālī, Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Bayḍāwī, Ḥāfiẓ al-Dīn al-Nasafī, Tāj al-Dīn al-Subkī, Abū Bakr al-Ashʿarī, Abū al-Qāsim al-Qushayrī, al-Nawawī, ʿAbd Allāh Yāfiʿī, Yūsuf al-Nabhānī, and many other verifying scholars. Thus, karāma is a firm, certain, and established knowledge, admitting no doubt.
Some, however, ask: Why, though the Companions were so numerous, are their karāmas few, while the karāmas of the awliyāʾ after the era of the Companions are more numerous? To this, Tāj al-Dīn al-Subkī (may Allah have mercy on him) responds in “Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā” with the answer given by Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (may Allah have mercy on him): “Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was asked about this. The great Imām Aḥmad replied: ‘Their (the Companions’) iman was strong. They did not need karāma to strengthen their iman. Others, whose iman is weaker and cannot reach the level of the Companions, have their iman strengthened by the manifestation of karāmas.’”[20]
B. The Wisdom Behind the Manifestation of Karāma by the Awliyāʾ
The divine wisdom of Allah necessitated bestowing various extraordinary things upon His friends and awliyāʾ. These karāmas are a gift to their iman and ikhlas (sincerity), a support for their striving, an aid to them in Allah’s religion, a manifestation of Allah’s power, a means to perfect the iman of the believers, and a clarification to people that the laws of nature and the daily events of the universe occur only by Allah’s creation and decree. For causes alone have no independent effect; Allah creates outcomes independently of causes, as is the doctrine of the people of the sunnah and the community.
Some object, saying: The support of the Truth and the spread of Allah’s religion do not occur through extraordinary things, but rather through rational evidence and logical proof.
We respond: Certainly, the dissemination of Islamic teachings is achieved through sound intellect, correct reasoning, and convincing proofs. Just as Allah’s wisdom requires supporting the Prophets and Messengers with miracles in the face of deniers, so too does it require the awliyāʾ to manifest extraordinary karāmas in the face of obstinate and stubborn people. These serve to demonstrate their truthfulness, support them in their call, and to soften hardened minds and locked hearts, freeing them from rigidity and fanaticism. Thus, one attains certain iman and sound thought. Reflect well on this with a sound and healthy mind and certain conviction, for attaining firm iman. It is thus understood that miracles and karāmas share some purposes and wisdoms. However, a miracle (muʿjiza) is manifested by the Prophets (peace be upon them), while karāma is manifested by the awliyāʾ. All karāmas occur at the hands of the awliyāʾ, but if they occur at the hands of Prophets, they are called miracles. (No walī can call the karāmas he manifests a miracle. They manifest karāma to affirm the truth of Islam; let this be well understood!)
C. The Difference Between Karāma and Istidrāj
It is necessary to warn people to distinguish between karāma and istidrāj (extraordinary occurrences granted to sinners as a form of deception). For we observe that even some sinners who claim affiliation with Islam exhibit extraordinary things, yet they openly commit sins and deviate from Allah’s religion. Karāma, however, only occurs at the hand of a walī. Such a person must have correct belief, persist in obedience, avoid sin, and restrain himself from pleasures and desires. Allah, the Exalted, says in Sūrat Yūnus 10:62–63:
“Unquestionably, [for] the awliyāʾ of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve—those who believed and were ever God-conscious.” But the extraordinary acts performed by heretics and sinners—such as cutting the body with swords, eating fire or glass, and the like—are of the category of istidrāj.
A walī never relies on karāma nor boasts of it. The great scholar Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (may Allah have mercy on him) says in his “Tafsīr al-Kabīr”: “The possessor of karāma does not rejoice in it; rather, when karāma appears, his fear of Allah increases, and he becomes more cautious of Allah’s wrath. He fears that it may be istidrāj. But as for the possessor of istidrāj, he rejoices in what appears from him, thinking himself deserving of it, and looks down on others with arrogance. He becomes secure from Allah’s punishment and does not fear a bad end. If any of these states appear in the possessor of karāma, it is a sign that it is not karāma but istidrāj. For this reason, the verifying scholars say: ‘Many are cut off from the Divine Presence at the station of karāma. Just as the verifying scholars fear afflictions, so too do they fear karāmas. There are many indications that rejoicing in karāmas prevents one from progressing on the path.’ Then Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī enumerated eleven proofs for this; we will mention only one.
Imām Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: ‘Whoever believes that he deserves karāma because of his deeds, a great effect occurs in his heart. Whoever is impressed by his own deeds is considered ignorant. If he truly knew his Lord, he would know that the acts of obedience of all people are deficient in the sight of Allah’s Majesty, that people’s gratitude is lacking in the face of Allah’s blessings, and that all knowledge and maʿrifa (gnosis) of the servant is but bewilderment and ignorance before Allah’s might. I saw in some books that a reciter, the master Abū ʿAlī al-Daqqāq (may Allah have mercy on him), in his gathering, recited Allah’s words in Sūrat Fāṭir 35:10:
‘To Him ascends good words, and righteous work raises it.’ Master ʿAlī al-Daqqāq said: ‘The sign that Allah has accepted a deed is that you do not dwell on it or admire it. If the deed remains in your thoughts, it has not been accepted. But if it does not remain with you, it has been accepted.’[21]
Thus, even if we see an extraordinary karāma at the hand of someone, we hesitate to judge him as a walī, and unless we know that what he manifests is indeed karāma, we look to his conduct and adherence to Allah’s sharia before deciding. Abū Yazīd (may Allah have mercy on him) said: ‘If someone spreads his prayer mat on water or sits cross-legged in the air, do not be deceived until you see how he is in matters of command and prohibition! Only then decide.’[22]
D. The Sufi Perspective on Karāma
Some deviants have claimed that the aim of the Sufis in their spiritual journey (sulūk) is to attain karāma.[23] They thereby reveal their own inner diseases and hidden defects. We see that the Sufis give importance to purifying the nafs (the lower self), freeing themselves from blameworthy traits such as ostentation and hypocrisy, and adorning themselves with noble qualities, ensuring that their spiritual journey with the Sufis is free from ulterior motives and aims. For they seek nothing but Allah’s pleasure. We see that they conceal their karāmas to avoid suspicion of ostentation.
Shaykh ʿAbd Allāh Qurashī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: ‘Just as a person does not wish people to see his sins, so too should he dislike the manifestation of signs and extraordinary karāmas from himself. If he does not, this becomes a veil for him. Concealing them is a mercy for himself. Whoever abandons the habits of his nafs does not desire the manifestation of signs and extraordinary things (karāmas) in himself. Rather, his nafs becomes more humble and lowly. When he abandons all will and desire, looks upon his nafs with contempt and humiliation, he becomes worthy of divine gifts and attains the ranks of the truthful.’[24]
ʿAlī al-Ḥawwās (may Allah have mercy on him) said: ‘The perfect noble ones would increase in fear that the karāmas occurring at their hands might be istidrāj.’[25]
The Sufis prevent the manifestation of karāma unless there is a sound purpose, such as supporting Allah’s sharia in front of disbelievers and obstinate people.[26] It is permissible to manifest karāma to nullify the magic of disbelievers and deviants, or to refute the doubts cast by impostors who seek to mislead people from their religion.[27] Manifesting or revealing karāma for an illegitimate reason is blameworthy, as it involves a share for the nafs, boasting, and self-admiration.
Shaykh Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: ‘It is clear that among the great ones, karāma is considered a triviality of the nafs. Only if it is for supporting the religion or for a benefit is it permissible. For they know well that the true agent is only Allah, and that they possess nothing. Their view is that the only difference is that the extraordinary act occurs at their hands, not at others’. Whenever they revive a ram or a chicken, they know well that this is not from themselves, but by Allah’s power. When this is attributed to Allah’s power, there is nothing to be amazed at.’[28]
The Sufis consider the greatest karāma to be steadfastness in Allah’s sharia.
Abū al-Qāsim al-Qushayrī (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his “Risāla”: ‘Know well that the greatest karāma in the eyes of the awliyāʾ is to persist in obedience with success, and to guard oneself from disobedience and opposition.’[29]
Once, when signs and karāmas were being discussed in the presence of ʿAbd Allāh al-Tustarī (may Allah have mercy on him), he said: ‘What are signs, what are karāmas? Karāmas are things that end instantly. The greatest karāma is to transform blameworthy akhlaq (character traits) within oneself into praiseworthy ones.’[30]
Shaykh Abū al-Ḥasan al-Shādhilī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: ‘True karāma is to be steadfast and attain its perfection. This is due to two things: sound iman in Allah (the Mighty and Majestic), and following the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) outwardly and inwardly. The servant must not be greedy or eager for anything else. Only for these two should he strive. The verifying scholars do not consider extraordinary karāmas as significant, for sometimes those lacking in steadfastness or those of the people of istidrāj are granted them.’ He also said: ‘All karāmas are encompassed by two: one is the karāma of iman, which comes with clear testimony and increased certainty; the other is the karāma of action, which is to follow, imitate, avoid empty claims, and not be deceitful or cunning. Whoever is given these two and then desires anything else is a liar and a slanderer, with no share in sound knowledge or action. This is like someone who, after the king accepts him with pleasure and admits him to his company, abandons this pleasure to go herd animals...’[31]
Shaykh Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: ‘Know that karāma is of two types: sensory and spiritual. The common people only know and understand sensory karāmas, such as inspired speech, knowledge of unseen past or future events, drawing conclusions from occurrences in the universe, possessing certain knowledge of the cosmos, walking on water, flying in the air, the earth being folded (shortened), disappearing from sight, instant acceptance of supplication, and similar things. The common people know no other karāmas. As for spiritual karāma, only the elite among Allah’s servants know it; the common people do not. The real karāma is for the servant to observe the legal etiquettes, succeed in practicing good character, avoid bad character, fulfill obligatory good deeds promptly, remove envy, suspicion, deceit, and rancor from his heart, purify his heart from all blameworthy traits, adorn his heart with vigilance at every breath, observe Allah’s rights in himself and others, monitor the effects of his Lord in his heart, and be mindful with every breath, knowing that he is with Allah, clothed in the garment of presence. All these, in our view, are the spiritual karāmas of the awliyāʾ, free from denial, deception, and istidrāj.’[32]
The Sufi masters do not consider a walī who manifests karāma to be superior to other awliyāʾ. Imām Yāfiʿī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: ‘A walī from whom many karāmas appear is not necessarily superior to another walī from whom no karāma appears.
On the contrary, some awliyāʾ who do not manifest karāma are superior to those who do. For karāma sometimes occurs to strengthen the certainty of its possessor and is a sign of his truthfulness and virtue, but it does not indicate superiority over other awliyāʾ. Superiority is according to the strength of certainty and the perfection of maʿrifa (gnosis) of Allah.’[33]
The Sufis do not consider the absence of karāma at the hand of a righteous walī as significant, nor do they regard it as proof that he is not a walī.
Imām al-Qushayrī (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his “Risāla”: ‘If a walī does not manifest an open karāma in this world, it does not detract from his being a walī.’ Shaykh al-Islām Zakariyyā al-Anṣārī (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on the “Risāla al-Qushayriyya”: ‘On the contrary, the one who does not manifest karāma is often superior to the one who does, for superiority is by increased certainty, not by the occurrence of karāma!’
Notes
- Allāma Yāfiʿī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: ‘Those who deny karāma are of various types. Some deny all karāmas of the awliyāʾ. Some, who are distant from divine success, belong to well-known schools. Some deny the karāmas of the awliyāʾ of their own time, but affirm those of earlier figures such as Maʿrūf al-Karkhī, Imām Junayd, and Sahl al-Tustarī (may Allah have mercy on them). As Ḥasan al-Shādhilī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “By Allah, these are nothing but Isra’iliyyat. They affirm Mūsā (peace be upon him), but deny Muḥammad (peace and blessings be upon him) whom they have met in their own time.” Others affirm the awliyāʾ and their karāmas, but do not affirm the karāma of a known person in their own time. See Imām Yāfiʿī, Rawḍ al-Rayyāḥīn, p. 18.’
- On Sūrat al-Kahf 18:25: Imām Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (may Allah have mercy on him) in his “Tafsīr al-Kabīr” on the story of the Companions of the Cave: ‘The fact that our Sufi friends use these verses as evidence is a clear proof of the soundness of their statements regarding karāmas. We also say: The permissibility of the karāmas of the awliyāʾ is indicated by the Qur’an, reports, traditions, and reason.’ See Tafsīr al-Kabīr, vol. 5, p. 682.
- From Abū Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘No one spoke in the cradle except three: one was ʿĪsā (peace be upon him). The second was a man named Jurayj among the Children of Israel. He was praying when his mother came and called him. Jurayj wondered, “Should I answer my mother or continue praying?” His mother said, “O Allah, do not take my son’s soul until he sees the faces of prostitutes.” Jurayj was in his place of worship when a woman came to him and tried to seduce him, but he refused. She then went to a shepherd and gave herself to him, and bore a son. She claimed the child was Jurayj’s. The people came to Jurayj, brought him down from his place of worship, destroyed it, and insulted him. Jurayj performed ablution and prayed, then came to the child and asked, “O child, who is your father?” The child replied, “My father is the shepherd.” The people then asked Jurayj if they should rebuild his place of worship in gold. He replied, “No, build it of clay...”’
- The full hadith above continues: A woman from the Children of Israel was nursing her son when a handsome horseman passed by. She said, “O Allah, make my son like him.” The child left his mother’s breast, turned to the horseman, and said, “O Allah, do not make me like him.” Then he returned to nursing. Abū Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “It is as if I see the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) sucking his fingers.” Then a slave girl passed by, and the mother said, “O Allah, do not make my son like her.” The child again left the breast and said, “O Allah, make me like her.” The mother asked, “Why did you say that?” The child replied, “The horseman was a tyrant, and the people accused the slave girl of theft and adultery, though she was innocent.” Narrated by Bukhari in Kitāb al-Dhikr, Bani Isra’il, and by Muslim in Kitāb al-Birr wa’l-Wālidayn.
- ʿAbd Allāh, son of ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them), narrated: I heard the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) say: ‘Three men from those before you were overtaken by rain while traveling and took shelter in a cave. A rock rolled down and blocked the entrance. They said to each other, “Nothing will save you from this rock except to supplicate to Allah with your righteous deeds.” Each one then supplicated with a deed he knew to be sincere...’
- Saʿīd b. al-Musayyab (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated from Abū Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him), who narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): ‘A man mounted a cow he had loaded with goods. The cow said, “I was not created for this; I was created for plowing.” The people said, “Glory be to Allah, a cow speaks!” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “I, Abū Bakr, and ʿUmar believe this.”’ Narrated by Bukhari in Kitāb al-Muzāraʿa, Muslim in Kitāb Faḍāʾil al-Ṣaḥāba, and Tirmidhi in Kitāb al-Manāqib.
- Bukhari records: ‘Abū Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) had guests. When food was served, they ate, and the food increased as they ate. After they finished, Abū Bakr asked his wife, “O sister of Firas, what is this?” She replied, “O light of my eyes, the food in the vessel was more after eating than before.”’
- Al-Bayhaqī narrated from Saʿīd, son of al-Musayyab (may Allah be pleased with him): ‘I entered the cemetery of Medina with ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with him). ʿAlī called out, “O inhabitants of the graves! Peace and mercy of Allah be upon you. Tell us your news, and we will tell you ours.” A voice replied, “Peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you! O Commander of the Faithful, tell us what happened after us.” ʿAlī said, “Your wives remarried, your wealth was divided, your children joined the community of orphans...”’
- Al-Ḥākim narrated in Kitāb Maʿrifat al-Ṣaḥāba, and declared the hadith authentic. Al-Bayhaqī, Abū Nuʿaym, and Ibn Saʿd also narrated it. Bukhari recorded it without naming the two men. The hadith: ‘Usayd b. Ḥudayr and ʿUbād b. Bishr (may Allah be pleased with them) were with the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) for a need. They stayed until it was dark. Each had a staff that gave light. They walked under its light, and when they parted, the other’s staff also gave light, and each walked home under the light of his staff.’
- Bukhari, in the chapter on the Expedition of Rajiʿ, narrated from Abū Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him): ‘While Ḥubayb (may Allah be pleased with him) was a captive in Mecca among the sons of Ḥārith (in a long story), he was seen eating fresh grapes, though there was no fruit in Mecca at that time, and he was bound in iron. This was nothing but provision from Allah.’
- One of them: Bukhari, Muslim, and al-Bayhaqī narrated from Saʿd b. Abī Waqqāṣ (may Allah be pleased with him) through ʿAbd al-Malik b. ʿAmr from Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him): Some people of Kufa complained about Saʿd b. Abī Waqqāṣ (may Allah be pleased with him) to ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him). ʿUmar sent a man to investigate. In the mosques, only good was said about the governor, except for one man who accused him of injustice. Saʿd supplicated, “O Allah, if he is lying, prolong his life, increase his poverty, and expose him to trials.” The man became old, poor, and afflicted with fitna, and would say, “I am an old man afflicted by Saʿd’s supplication.” Another: Muslim narrated from Saʿīd b. Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) through ʿUrwa b. al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him): A woman accused Saʿīd of taking her land. Saʿīd said, “I heard the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) say: ‘Whoever wrongfully takes a span of land, it will be hung around his neck to the depth of seven earths.’” He then supplicated against her, and she was struck blind and fell into a well.
- Abū Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) said: ‘I will always love Alāʾ b. al-Ḥaḍramī (may Allah be pleased with him) for three things I saw from him. On the Day of Dārayn, I saw him cross the sea on his horse. When he went from Medina to Bahrain, they ran out of water at Dehna, and he supplicated to Allah, and water gushed from beneath the sand. They quenched their thirst and moved on. One of them left some belongings there, and when he returned, he found them but not the water. When he died at Liyāsin, there was no water to wash him, but Allah sent a cloud and it rained, so he was washed with rainwater. They dug his grave with swords, but could not make a proper niche. When they returned later, they could not find the grave.’ See Ibn Saʿd, Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, vol. 4, p. 363.
- Al-Bayhaqī and Abū Nuʿaym narrated from Abū Safar (may Allah be pleased with him): ‘Khālid b. al-Walīd (may Allah be pleased with him) came to a place called Ḥīrah. He was warned that the Persians would poison him. He said, “Bring me the poison.” He took it, said ‘Bismillah,’ and drank it, but nothing happened to him.’ See Ibn Ḥajar, Tahdhīb al-Tahdhīb, vol. 3, p. 125.
- Bukhari, in his “Tārīkh,” narrated from Ḥamza al-Aslamī (may Allah be pleased with him): ‘We were on a journey with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). On a dark night, I was separated from him. My fingers illuminated the surroundings until I gathered my camels and belongings.’ (Tahdhīb al-Tahdhīb, vol. 3, p. 30.)
- ʿUthmān b. Qāsim (may Allah be pleased with him) said: ‘After the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) migrated from Mecca to Medina, Umm Ayman also migrated, fasting on a very hot day with no provisions. She became extremely thirsty and was about to die. She said: “I heard a rustling above me, and saw a bucket tied with a white rope descending from the sky. I took it and drank until I was satisfied. After that, I never felt thirsty again.”’ (Abū Nuʿaym, Ḥilya, vol. 2, p. 67.)
- Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated: ‘Some Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) unknowingly pitched a tent over a grave. Suddenly, a voice from the grave recited Sūrat al-Mulk.’
- Al-Bayhaqī and Abū Nuʿaym narrated from Qays: ‘Abū al-Dardāʾ and Salmān were eating from a dish when the food in the dish glorified Allah.’
- Muḥammad b. al-Munkadir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: Safīna, the freedman of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), said: ‘I boarded a ship that broke apart. I clung to a plank, which carried me to a forest with lions. A lion approached, and I said, “O Abū al-Ḥārith (lion’s nickname), I am the freedman of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him).” The lion lowered its head, carried me on its shoulder, and took me to a road, then growled as if bidding me farewell.’ (Al-Ḥākim, al-Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 606; Abū Nuʿaym, Ḥilya, vol. 1, p. 368; Ibn Ḥajar, Tahdhīb, vol. 4, p. 125.)
- Allāma Tāj al-Subkī (may Allah have mercy on him) in “Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā” classified karāmas into many types: 1. Reviving the dead. 2. Speaking with the dead. 3. Walking on water. 4. Transforming matter. 5. The earth being folded (shortening long distances). 6. Speaking with animals or objects. 7. Healing the sick (by Allah’s permission). 8. Animals obeying. 9. Shortening time. 10. Lengthening time. 11. Preventing speech or causing speech, etc.—up to twenty-five types. He mentioned the karāmas of scholars, Sufis, and shaykhs. For details, refer to his book.
- Shaykh Yūsuf al-Nabhānī al-Bayrūtī, Jāmiʿ Karāmāt al-Awliyāʾ, vol. 1, p. 20.
- Tafsīr al-Rāzī, vol. 5, p. 692.
- Al-Tūsī, al-Lumaʿ, p. 400.
- Among those deviants is ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Wakīl, who, out of hostility, covers the truth and belittles the Sufi masters with blameworthy traits, attacking them in his book.
- Ḥāmid Sakar (may Allah have mercy on him), Nūr al-Taḥqīq, p. 127.
- ʿAbd al-Wahhāb al-Shaʿrānī (may Allah have mercy on him), al-Yawāqīt wa’l-Jawāhir, vol. 2, p. 113.
- As in the story of Shaykh Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī (may Allah have mercy on him) and the philosopher who denied miracles. In winter, a fire was burning before them, and the philosopher challenged him...
- For this reason, Ibn Ḥajar al-Haythamī (may Allah have mercy on him) said in “Fatāwā Ḥadīthiyya”: ‘A Sufi debated a Brahmin, a people known for showing wonders through asceticism. The Brahmin flew in the air, but the shaykh’s shoe rose and struck the Brahmin’s head until he fell face down before the shaykh.’ (Fatāwā Ḥadīthiyya, p. 222.)
- Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya, chapter 185; al-Shaʿrānī, al-Yawāqīt wa’l-Jawāhir, vol. 2, p. 117.
- Risāla al-Qushayriyya, p. 160.
- Al-Tūsī, Kitāb al-Lumaʿ, p. 400.
- Nūr al-Taḥqīq, p. 128.
- Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya, vol. 2, chapter 184, p. 369.
- ʿAbd Allāh Yāfiʿī (may Allah have mercy on him), Kitāb Nashr al-Maḥāsin al-Ghāliyya, p. 119.