Karamat of Allah’s Awliya: Faith, Evidence, and Understanding
By Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله) — Sharh al-‘Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah
وَمِنْ أُصُولِ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ: التَّصْدِيقُ بِكَرَامَاتِ الأَوْلِيَاءِ وَمَا يُجْرِي اللهُ عَلَى أَيْدِيهِمْ مِنْ خَوَارِقِ الْعَادَاتِ...
Among the principles of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah is to affirm the Karamat of the Awliya—the extraordinary things which Allah, out of His favor, may bring about through His righteous servants. These may include extraordinary knowledge, insight, protection, or other matters beyond the normal course of events.
Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله explains that such occurrences are established in the Qur’an and Sunnah and were witnessed among the Companions, the Tabi‘in and the righteous of this Ummah.
Examples from the Qur’an
1. Maryam (عليها السلام)
Allah says:
كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقًا
“Whenever Zakariyya entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found provision with her.”
When he asked where it came from, she replied:
هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ
“It is from Allah.”
(Surah Aal ‘Imran 3:37)
This was an extraordinary provision Allah granted to Maryam without the normal means.
2. The Companions of the Cave
Allah protected the young believers of the Cave in an extraordinary manner. He says:
وَتَرَى الشَّمْسَ إِذَا طَلَعَت تَّزَاوَرُ عَن كَهْفِهِمْ ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ وَإِذَا غَرَبَت تَّقْرِضُهُمْ ذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ
“And you would see the sun when it rose, inclining away from their cave to the right, and when it set, passing away from them on the left.”
(Surah al-Kahf 18:17)
Allah also caused them to remain asleep for many years while preserving their bodies and protecting them from those who might discover them.
3. The man who brought the throne of Bilqis
When Sulayman عليه السلام asked who could bring the throne of the Queen of Saba’, a man
“who had knowledge from the Scripture” said:
أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَن يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ
“I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you.”
And the throne was immediately placed before
Sulayman عليه السلام. Sulayman then said:
هَٰذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبِّي
“This is from the favor of my Lord.”
(Surah al-Naml 27:40)
The Qur’an does not identify this man as a prophet; rather, it describes him as one possessing knowledge from the Scripture. This is therefore among the evidences mentioned by scholars concerning extraordinary occurrences granted to righteous servants of Allah.
Examples from the Sunnah and the Sahabah
4. The angels came near Usayd ibn Hudayr رضي الله عنه
Usayd ibn Hudayr رضي الله عنه was reciting Surah Al-Baqarah during the night. His horse became disturbed, and he saw something resembling a cloud containing lamps.
The following morning he informed the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ explained:
تِلْكَ الْمَلَائِكَةُ كَانَتْ تَسْتَمِعُ لَكَ
“They were angels who came near to you because of your recitation.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 5018.
This is a clear and authentic example of an extraordinary occurrence granted to a Companion رضي الله عنه.
5. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه and divine inspiration
The Prophet ﷺ said:
قَدْ كَانَ فِي مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ مُحَدَّثُونَ، فَإِنْ يَكُنْ فِي أُمَّتِي أَحَدٌ فَإِنَّهُ عُمَرُ
“There were inspired people among those before you, and if there is one among my Ummah, it is ‘Umar.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3469; Sahih Muslim 2398.
This demonstrates the possibility of Allah granting a righteous servant exceptional insight or inspiration, without making that person a prophet.
Another authentic example
The Prophet ﷺ also narrated the story of three righteous men from a previous nation who became trapped inside a cave when a huge rock blocked its entrance. Each of them supplicated to Allah by mentioning a deed he had sincerely performed for Allah's sake. With each sincere supplication, the rock moved until Allah delivered them.
Sahih al-Bukhari 3465; Sahih al-Bukhari 2333.
The Belief of Ahlus-Sunnah
Therefore, Ahlus-Sunnah affirm the Karamat of the Awliya without exaggeration. The karamah is from Allah, not from the independent power of the wali. Allah says regarding the man who brought the throne:
هَٰذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبِّي
“This is from the favor of my Lord.”
(Surah al-Naml 27:40)
A karamah does not make a person a prophet, nor does it give him any independent power over creation. The true wali is distinguished primarily by Iman and Taqwa, as Allah says:
أَلَا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَ
“Indeed, the allies of Allah will have no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve—those who believed and were mindful of Allah.”
(Surah Yunus 10:62–63)
Thus, the position of Ahlus-Sunnah is balanced: we affirm authentic Karamat, attribute them entirely to Allah, and do not use extraordinary claims as a substitute for the Qur’an and Sunnah.
Allah knows best.
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