There is no partnership in this matter. When the walī (friend of God) of Allah is in agreement with Him regarding what He loves, is pleased with, detests, is angry about, commands, and forbids, then whoever becomes an enemy to His walī also becomes an enemy to Him. As Allah says: "Do not take as allies those against whom Allah has become angry, showing affection to them, while they are your enemies and His" (cf. al-Mumtahina 60:1). Whoever is hostile to the awliyāʾ (friends of God) of Allah has shown hostility to Allah. Whoever is hostile to Him has declared war on Him (cf. al-Furqan 25:6).
Ibn ʿArabi has transmitted a poem with the following meaning:
The station of prophethood is in the isthmus (barzakh),
Beyond the Messenger,
but before the walī.
Wilāya (walāya, sainthood) is Allah's assistance to His servant who has attained the sacred rank, through many things such as the protection He grants to His prophet, tawfīq (divine enabling), firmness, succession (istikhlāf), and tasrīf (disposal of affairs). The walī is equal to the prophet in many respects. Among these are knowledge that is not acquired through effort, and extraordinary acts performed by the body and limbs, which are not attainable by ordinary bodies in the world (see: wilāya-nubuwwa-risāla).
Among these are also acts performed without striving (gayra) in the world, which ordinary bodies cannot accomplish (Ravza, 519).
Qurb (nearness) is built upon seven pillars. These seven pillars are: Islam, iman (faith), righteousness, ihsan (spiritual excellence), shahāda (testimony), siddīqiyya (truthfulness), and as the seventh pillar, the greatest sainthood (al-wilāya al-kubrā). The greatest sainthood has four noble stations: The first noble station is the station of intimacy (khulla), the Maqām Ibrāhīm, where whoever enters is secure.
The second noble station is the station of love (hubb). In that station, a garment bearing the name Habībullāh (Beloved of Allah) appeared for the Prophet.
The third noble station is the station of khitām (seal). There, the banner of praise is raised, which is the Maqām Muḥammadī (the Muhammadan Station).
The fourth noble station is the station of ʿubūdiyya (servitude). In that station, Allah called His servant by the name "servant" and said: "Exalted is He who took His servant by night" (al-Isra 17:1). In that station, the Prophet became a prophet and was sent to creation as a mercy to the worlds (see: al-Insān II, 85).
Wilāya is the name of a special state between the servant and his Lord. Nubūwwat al-wilāya (prophethood of sainthood) is the name of a shared state between the walī and the Real (al-Ḥaqq) and creation. Nubūwwat al-tashrīʿ (legislative prophethood) is the state of independence (freedom and autonomy) in worship, not needing anyone else.
Risāla (messengership) is the state between the servant and other creatures. Thus, it is understood that the wilāya of the prophet is absolutely superior to his prophethood. His nubūwwat al-wilāya is superior to his nubūwwat al-tashrīʿ.
Nubūwwat al-tashrīʿ is superior to his risāla, because nubūwwat al-tashrīʿ pertains to himself, while risāla pertains to others and is general. Acts of worship pertaining to oneself are superior to those pertaining to others (al-Insān II, 86).
Shaykh Ibn ʿArabi said: ...Tashkhīr (subjugation) is divided into two types: Tashkhīr intended by the subjugator is his dominance over the one under his command, making him obedient. In the human realm, this is exemplified by the master's dominance over his slave and the sultan's command over his subjects. If the second example is applied to the human realm, the sultan commands his subjects due to the difference in rank... That is, the sultan has subjugated his subjects.
...The other tashkhīr is by state (ḥāl). It is when the subjects govern their rulers in matters of protection, fighting their enemies, and safeguarding their lives and property. This... mentioned... tashkhīr is entirely by state, originating from the subjects. In this way, they subjugate their rulers. This too, according to ḥaqīqa (inner reality), is called subjugation by rank... According to outward appearance, it is subjugation by state. ...Rank has governed him... That is, the rank of the subjects has governed the ruler.
Wilāya-nubuwwa-risāla 1189 ...Among rulers, there are those who act for their own selves by this rule... These have not understood the rank of their subjects' obedience in the present state. ...Those among the rulers who understand the situation, recognize the rank to which their subjects submit, and observe their rights and values, Allah has rewarded them... That is, Allah has bestowed ihsan (spiritual excellence) upon those rulers who know and act upon their knowledge. ...The reward of the scholars is according to their state... This is according to knowledge and action. ...The reward for such action belongs to Allah in managing the affairs of His servants... This ruler is like Allah's khalīfa (vicegerent), and stands in His place in meeting the needs of his subjects. The reward for this action belongs to Allah.
...The scholar, with all his strength, subjugates by state (ḥāl)... Here it is used as an active participle... The one to whom subjugation cannot be ascribed is the musakhkhar (the subjugated)... According to the people of sharia (the sacred law), it is impossible to ascribe this name (musakhkhar) to Allah. According to the people of ḥaqīqa (inner reality), the existence of the meaning is mujarrad (abstract), and it is possible to ascribe this name to Allah in this sense. That such subjugation is possible between Him and His servants... Allah has said: "Every day He is bringing about a matter" (al-Rahman 55:29). (What is meant here) is the affairs of His servants (Sofyavi, 377).
It should be known: Everything from the rulings of intoxication (sekr) belongs to the station of wilāya. Everything from the rulings of sobriety (ṣaḥw) is connected to the station of prophethood. The most perfect of the awliyāʾ in following the prophets (peace and blessings be upon them) have a share in this station by way of following and through ṣaḥw.
The Bistamis consider sekr superior to ṣaḥw. For this reason, in one of his ecstatic utterances (shaṭaḥāt), Abu Yazid al-Bistami said: "My banner is higher than Muhammad's banner." (By this, he meant) his own banner as the banner of wilāya, and the banner of Muhammad as the banner of prophethood, preferring the banner of wilāya oriented toward sekr over the banner of prophethood oriented toward ṣaḥw. Some Sufis' view that wilāya is superior to prophethood is of this kind. This is because they see wilāya as oriented toward the Real (al-Ḥaqq), and prophethood as oriented toward creation. There is no doubt that what is oriented toward the Real is superior to what is oriented toward creation.
Some Sufis, regarding the orientation in this statement, have said: The prophet's wilāya is superior to his prophethood. In my humble opinion, such statements are far from being correct. For the orientation in prophethood is not only toward creation. Rather, along with this orientation, it is also toward the Real (al-Ḥaqq). For their inward is with the Real, and their outward is with creation. Only that which is oriented solely toward creation...