“Karâmat is something bestowed by Allah upon those
believers who fear Allah. He grants karâma when one prays or worships. It does
not occur as a result of the walî’s wish or power. The one who says that he is
a walî and knows the ghaib is not a walî but a satan.”
Here the author has not dared to deny the truth.
However, it is a lie that awliyâ’ make a show of their karâmât. He dares to lie
shamelessly so that he may write against the awliyâ’ and tasawwuf. Because he
does not know what wilâya and karâma mean, he tries to smear great mutasawwifs
with the corrupt, filthy words of zindîqs and of the irreligious. Let us see
how the superiors of tasawwuf explained wilâya and karâma. Imâm Muhammad Ma’sűm
(rahimah-Allâhu ta’âlâ), a great scholar of Islam and a source of karâmât and a
leading walî, who passed away in Sirhind, India, in
“Knowing Allâhu ta’âlâ is more valuable than
possessing kashf and karâma, because being an ’ârif of Allâhu ta’âlâ is the
comprehension of the secret knowledge about His Person and Attributes. As for
marvels and karâmât, they manifest secret knowledge about creatures. The
difference between obtaining ma’rifa by knowing Allâhu ta’âlâ and a marvel or
karâma is like the difference between the Creator and the
creature. Ma’rifa is to know Allâhu ta’âlâ, whereas a
marvel and karâma consists of understanding creatures. True ma’ârif strengthen
and mature îmân. Marvels and karâmât cannot do so. The progress of a man does
not depend on karâmât. Yet it is true that karâmât have been witnessed from
most of the beloved servants of Allâhu ta’âlâ. The superiority of awliyâ’ to
one another is to be measured not with their karâmât but with regard to their
spiritual qurb and ma’ârif towards Allâhu ta’âlâ. If marvels and karâmât were
more valuable than ma’ârif, then the Indian priests called Jukiyya (Yogis) and
Brahmins would have to be superior to awliyâ’. Because they undertake
austerities (riyâdât) and go against what the nafs’s wishes, they obtain
marvels; as for awliyâ’, qurb and ma’ârif have been granted, and they do not
want marvels. They do not want the knowledge about creatures while there is the
virtue of knowing Allâhu ta’âlâ. Marvels or miracles may be displayed by any
person who undertakes hunger and austerities. They have nothing to do with
being qarîb (close) to Allâhu ta’âlâ or with knowing Allâhu ta’âlâ. A desire
for kashf and karâma is a desire to keep oneself busy with creatures. Poem:
From
the ominous, damned Satan,
marvels occur
every moment.
Comes in through a door and chimney
to settle in the
flesh and heart.
Beware talking of tasawwuf!
Nor boast about
nűr or karâmât!
Karâmât should make one His slave!
Otherwise a
stupid hypocrite!
“Man gains perfection and virtue by attaining fanâ’
and by disconnecting the heart from everyhing. Performing ’ibâdât, following
the way of tasawwuf, and putting the nafs into austerity are all intended for
man’s realization of his utter insignificance and for understanding that
existence and attributes of existence belong to Allâhu ta’âlâ alone. If someone
wants to be known as superior to others, works marvels and extraordinary acts
and thus gathers people around him, he is conceited and arrogant and he will be
deprived of the recompense for his ’ibâdât, sair, sulűk and riyâdât. He cannot
attain the ma’rifa of Allâhu ta’âlâ. Hadrat
Shihâb ad-dîn as-Suhrawardî[1]
(rahimah-Allâhu ta’âlâ), a great mutasawwif, wrote in his book ’Awârif al-ma’ârif, ‘Marvels and karâmât are of no value in comparison
with the heart’s dhikr of Allâhu ta’âlâ.’
“Shaikh al-Islâm ’Abdullâh al-Hirawî[2]
(rahimah-Allâhu ta’âlâ) said, ‘The firâsa (intuition, sagacity) or karâma of
the one who has ma’rifa is the ability to distinguish those hearts which are
suited for attaining the ma’rifa of Allâhu ta’âlâ from those which are not
suited. As for those who undertake hunger and austerity, their firâsa covers
the secret knowledge about creatures; they cannot attain Allâhu ta’âlâ’s
ma’rifa. Awliyâ’ who possess ma’rifa always talk about Allâhu ta’âlâ. However,
people think that the one who tells secrets about creatures is a walî.[3]
People do not believe the words of awliyâ’ about the ma’ârif of Allâhu ta’âlâ.
They say to themselves that if awliyâ’ were really awliyâ’ they would have
known the secrets about creatures and that anyone who cannot know the secrets
about creatures can never know Allâhu ta’âlâ. They, being stuck in this wrong
thought, do not believe awliyâ’ (rahimahum-Allâhu ta’âlâ). Allâhu ta’âlâ,
because He loves His awliyâ’ very much, does not let them be busy with
creatures. He does not even make them remember creatures. Men of Allah do not
like those who are fond of the world, and, likewise, those who are addicted to
the world cannot recognize and do not like men of Allah, who, however, can
comprehend and reveal the secrets about creatures better than others if they
mean to think about them. Because the firâsa of those who undertake austerities
and hunger are of no value, they may occur on Muslims, Jews, Christians or on
any person; firâsa is not particular to men of Allah only.’
“Allâhu ta’âlâ disposes His walî to display karâma
when necessary. An evil person, pretending to be a walî by telling the ma’ârif
he has heard, cannot stain these ma’ârif. A gem will not lose its value when it
falls into rubbish.
“A rehber is a must on the way of tasawwuf, through
whom
[1] He was the disciple of ’Abd al-Qâdir al-Jîlânî (rahimah-Allâhu ta’âlâ) and passed away in Baghdâd in 632 A.H. (1234).
[2] Shaikh al-Islam ’Abdullah al-Ansârî al-Hirawî passed away in Herat in 481 A.H. (1088).
[3] Unfortunately, the lâ-madhhabî author, too, takes such people as walîs and, setting such vile people as examples, blames the Islamic ’ulamâ’ and the great men of tasawwuf.
comes the faid. The way cannot be found if he is not a
real rehber. As-Sahâbat al-kirâm (radî-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhum ajma’în) attained
to high degrees in tasawwuf through the blessings in the suhba of Rasűlullâh (sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam).”[1]
“It is declared in the 56th âyat al-karîma of Sűrat
adh-Dhâriyât, ‘I have
created genies and men so that they should perform ’ibâda [for Me].’ Some great men of tasawwuf understand this
âyat as ‘I have created them to know Me.’ If a deep thought is given, it will
be seen that both statements have the same meaning, because the best ’ibâda is
to perform dhikr. The highest degree of dhikr is that in which one forgets
oneself because of the deep thought of the One remembered. And this is what
ma’rifa is. As it is seen, ma’rifa is attained at the highest degree of
worship. The order in this âyat is that ’ibâda should be performed with ikhlâs,
without the interference of the nafs or Satan. And this cannot be achieved
without attaining fanâ’ and ma’rifa. So, the performance of ’ibâdât cannot be
khâlis without ma’rifa.”[2]
Al-Imâm ar-Rabbânî Mujaddid al-Alf ath-Thânî Ahmad
al-Fârűqî as-Sirhindî (rahimah-Allâhu ta’âlâ) wrote in the ninety-second letter
of the second volume of his Maktűbât:
“It is not a condition for a walî [that is, for a
person whom Allâhu ta’âlâ loves] to display karâmât. As it is not necessary for
the ’ulamâ’ to display karâmât and hâriqas, so it is not necessary for the
awliyâ’ to display karâmât and hâriqas, because wilâya means qurb-i ilâhî. [That is, it means to get closer to Allâhu ta’âlâ, to
become an ’ârif of His, to know Him. Al-Imâm ar-Rabbânî wrote in the 266th
letter that the âyat al-karîma in Sűrat adh-Dhâriyât, ‘I have created men and genies so that they
should perform ’ibâda [for Me],’
means, ‘I have created them so that they should be an ’ârif of Mine.’ As it is
seen, the creation of men and genies is intended for them to attain ma’rifa, to
reach perfection by knowing Him.]
“While qurb-i ilâhî is given to someone, no karâma may
be given to him. For example, he does not know of things concerning the ghaib.
Another person may be given both the qurb and karâmât. A third person is given
not the qurb but the hâriqas and the competence to give information from the
ghaib. This third
[1] Muhammad Ma’sűm al-Fârűqî (rahimah-Allahu ta’âlâ), Maktűbât, I, 50th letter.
[2] Ibid, 51st letter.
person is not a walî. He is a possessor of istidrâj.
The polishing of his nafs has caused him to know of the ghaib, to fall into
heresy, to deviate from the right path. The first two persons have been
honoured with the gift of qurb; they have become walîs. The superiority of the
awliyâ’ to one another is indicated by the degrees of their qurb.”
Muhammad Ma’sűm-al-Fârűqî (rahimah-Allâhu ta’âlâ)
wrote in the 140th letter of the second volume of his Maktűbât:
“A hadîth qudsî declares, ‘One who bears enmity to one
of My awliyâ’ will have fought against Me. Among the things that bring My servant close to Me, the ones
I love best are the things that I have made fard. When My servant does the
supererogatory (nâfilâ) ’ibâdât, he gets very close to Me so much so that I
love him very much. When I love him, I become his hearing ear, seeing eye,
holding hand and walking foot. I give him whatever he wishes. When he invokes
Me for help, I rescue him at once.’
According to this hadîth qudsî, among the things that make man attain the
blessing of qurb, what Allâhu ta’âlâ loves best is the ’ibâdât that are fard.
[It is fard, too, to refrain from harâms. In fact, it is the most important
fard.] The qurb proceeding from the fards is more perfect and more bounteous.
But for fards to cause qurb and progress requires their being in a’mâl-i
muqarribîn. And this, in its turn, requires doing the supererogatory ’ibâdât on
the way of tasawwuf. As the salât requires an ablution first, so the fards to
cause qurb requires making progress on the way of tasawwuf first. Unless the
heart and the soul are purified [by doing the duties prescribed by rehbers, the
experts of tasawwuf], one cannot attain the qurb of the fards and so the honour
of being a walî.”
Muhammad Ma’sűm al-Fârűqî, in the 17th letter of the
third volume of his Maktűbât, wrote, “The essence of our way is to hold fast to the
Sunna and to refrain from bid’a. [In other words, it is to hold fast to the fards
and sunnas and to avoid the things that have been concocted in the name of
’ibâdât afterwards.]
“A hadîth
sharîf declares, ‘A person who revives a forgotten sunna of
mine will get the thawâb of a hundred martyrs.’ To revive it to others, thus causing them to do it,
too. This second way of reviving Islam is the sublime way. It is more valuable
than the first way, which is common. [Good news to those who revive the Sunna
in the sublime way, that is, to those who write and promulgate the belief of
Ahl as-Sunna, the fards, harâms, sunnas and makrűhs, in short, the books of ’ilm al-hâl, and those who help them financially and who adapt
themselves to them, too! It has
been explained in the books Seâdet-i Ebediyye (Endless Bliss) and in Islâm Ahlâký how zakât
and qurbân are given compatibly with Islam to those who write and promulgate
the knowledge of Ahl as-Sunna.]
“Attaining Allâhu ta’âlâ’s love and making progress in
the stages of qurb is possible only by holding fast to the Sunna [that is, Rasűlullâh]. The command, ‘Say
unto them: if you love Allah, follow me! So Allah will love you,’ which is the 31st âyat of Sűrat Âl’Imrân, proves our
statement. [This âyat karîma shows clearly that the word ’sunna’ in the hadîth ash-sharîf means ‘Islam,’ that is, all the Rules (Ahkâm) of
Islam.]
“We should strictly avoid bid’a. We should not make
friends with holders of bid’a; we should not even talk to them. [That is, we
should not talk to those Muslims with heretical beliefs, the lâ-madhhabî and
those who commit bidâ’. For example, it is bid’a to grow a beard shorter than a
handful and then to claim to carry out the sunna of growing a beard, for,
‘growing a long beard’ was commanded. It is written in al-Barîqa and in other books that this command means not to grow a beard less
than a handful. A handful of beard means that which is grasped from the border
of the lower lip and is trimmed at the lower border of the hand. Bid’a means to do, as an ’ibâda, something which is not a command, or a
command which has been changed. It is not a bid’a not to do a command, but it
is a sin (fisq). A sinner believes not that he is worshipping but that he is
guilty. Shaving a beard without an excuse (’udhr) is not a bid’a but a sin.
Shaving because of an excuse is not even a sin. To commit a bid’a is the worst
sin. It is a graver sin than murdering a man. Also, it is bid’a to perform
’ibâda with loudspeakers, to recite the Qur’ân al-karîm, salawât and
ilâhîs or to perform dhikr with musical instruments. We should not consider a
person who commits bidâ’ and who causes others to commit them to be a man of
religious authority; we should not request information from him or read his
books.]
“A hadîth
sharîf declares, ‘Holders of bid’a are the dogs of those who
are in Hell.’ “
Muhammad Ma’sűm al-Fârűqî (rahimah-Allâhu ta’âlâ)
wrote in the 313th letter of the second volume: “There are five kinds of duties
to be done with the heart; the first one is the dhikr of the name of Allâhu
ta’âlâ. Man’s heart contains a latîfa called qalb.[1]
[1] Latifa is something which does not contain matter and is not an object. Soul, too, is a latîfa. Qalb is translated as ‘heart’ in the text.
Without any sound, ‘Allah, Allah....’ is said through
the imagination in the heart. The second duty is to perform the dhikr of the
Kalimat at-tawhîd, again through the imagination. In both kinds of dhikr no
sound should be produced. The third duty is wuqűf-i qalbî. This,
too, is to meditate always upon the heart and to be utterly intent not to
remember anything other than Allâhu ta’âlâ. The latîfa called the heart can
never remain vacant. A heart that has been purified from the thoughts of
creatures will spontaneously turn towards Allâhu ta’lâlâ. [It is like the air’s
automatically filling a bottle while being emptied of its contents.] It has
been said, ‘Empty your heart of the enemy! Then there will be no need to invite
the beloved to the heart.’ The fourth duty is murâqaba, which is
also called jam’iyya or âghâhî. It is to think always that Allâhu ta’âlâ sees and knows
everything every moment. The fifth duty is râbita. It is to
think that one is in front of an exalted person who perfectly follows the
practice of Rasűlullâh (sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam) and that he is
looking at his face. Thinking so ensures one to have permanent adab toward him.
Adab and love attach the hearts to each other. It causes the faid and baraka in
that person’s heart to flow into one’s heart. The easiest and the most useful
of these five duties is râbita. If somebody who does not perfectly obey Rasűlullâh has somebody else perform râbita towards him, it harms both of them.”
Al-Imâm ar-Rabbânî (rahmat-Allâhi ta’âlâ ’alaih) wrote
in the 286th letter of the first volume of his Maktűbât:
“Making progress on the way of tasawwuf requires the
tawajjuh and guidance of a rehber who knows the kâmil and mukammil way. It is a
very great blessing to have found such a true rehber, who gives one a duty
suitable with one’s talents. As well, it is jâ’iz for him to deem it sufficient
for one only to attend his suhba instead of giving a duty suitable with one’s
talents. He commands what he deems suitable with one’s state. The rehber’s
suhba and tawajjuh are more beneficial than other duties.”
The above-mentioned five duties and the suhba are
intended to facilitate following the practice of Rasűlullâh (sall-Allâhu
ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam). Unless one lives up to Islam, these duties and the
suhba do not give any benefits.
As it is understood from the various letters quoted
above, men’s first duty is to attain Allâhu ta’âlâ’s qurb, that is, His
ma’rifa, ridâ’ and love. And its only way is to follow Rasűlullâh and to avoid bida’. Following Rasűlullâh easily and
correctly
requires ikhlâs. ’Ibâdât done without ikhlâs will not be beneficial. They will not be accepted (maqbűl). They will not make one attain the blessing of qurb. And ikhlâs, in its turn, is attainable by striving on the way of tasawwuf. As it is seen, doing the duties prescribed by tasawwuf is intended to do ’ibâdât with ikhlâs so that they will be accepted. ’Ibâdât that are accepted will make one attain Allâhu ta’âlâ’s qurb, ma’rifa and love. All the Sahâbat al-kirâm attained the highest grade of ikhlâs by doing the duties of suhba and râbita. The value of their giving one handful of barley as alms became more valuable than others’ giving gold as big as mountains. As it is seen, the way of tasawwuf is not a bid’a. It is one of the fundamentals of the Islamic religion. The Sahâbat al-kirâm (radî-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhum ajma’în) did the duties on the way of tasawwuf and thus became the highest ones of this umma.