Do Not Be Deceived by Miracles: Understanding True Awliyā’ of ALLĀH

The Importance of Discernment: Miracles vs. True Friendship with ALLĀH

DO NOT BE DECEIVED BY MIRACLES

Shaykul Islām Ibn Taymiyyah (may ALLĀH have mercy on him) said:

We find that many of these people merely depend upon the fact that a particular individual was able to unveil certain realities or perform some miraculous feats to prove that he is a Waliyy of ALLĀH. Examples of such feats would be his pointing at a person who subsequently dies, or his flying through the air to Makkah or any other city, or his walking on water, or filling a pot from nothing, or his vanishing in front of people, or some people seeking relief and succour with him while he was absent or dead and they see him coming to them and fulfilling their need, or his telling people the whereabouts of their stolen property, or his telling them of the condition of one who is absent or sick, or other similar matters. None of these matters prove that the one doing them is a Waliyy of ALLĀH, rather the Awliyā’ of ALLĀH are agreed that if a person were to fly through the air or walk on water, none should be deceived by him until his following of the Messenger of ALLĀH (ﷺ) and his conforming to his order and prohibition are confirmed.

The miracles granted the Awliyā’ are greater than the matters mentioned above, for even though these matters may be extraordinary, both the Awliyā’ of ALLĀH and HIS enemies can perform them. They can be performed by many of the disbelievers, polytheists, People of the Book, hypocrites, People of Innovation and the devils. Hence it is not permissible to believe that whosoever performs such feats is a Waliyy of ALLĀH, rather the standard for judging them to be the Awliyā’ of ALLĀH is by comparing their attributes, actions and states to the Book and the Sunnah. They are known by the light of faith and the Qur’an, by actualising the inner realities of faith and the outward laws of Islām.

{Taken from: The Decisive Criterion Between The Friends of ALLĀH and the Friends of Shaytān || Page 180}