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Advice of Scholars - MU’JIZA, KARÂMAT, FIRÂSAT and SIHR

Sayyid ’Abdulhakîm bin Mustafâ Arwâsî ‘rahmatullâhi ’alaih’ says in one of his letters:

All of the wâridât-i ilâhiyya happens within the ’âdat-i ilâhiyya. That is, Allâhu ta’âlâ creates everything under some causes. He has given these causes the effect, the power to act. We call such powers natural forces, laws of physics, chemistry and biology. For doing something, for obtaining something, we have to hold fast to these causes. For example, to obtain wheat it is necessary to plough the field, to sow the seeds and to reap. All the actions of men happen within these laws of Allâhu ta’âlâ. In order to do favours, to bestow gifts upon His beloved slaves and to dupe His unbridled enemies, Allâhu ta’âlâ suspends His laws and creates through them (wonders called)  hâriq-ul’âda events without causes. For example:

  1. Extraordinary events that happen through Prophets ‘’alaihimussalâm’ beyond the Divine laws of causation but within the Divine power are called mu’jiza. Prophets have to exhibit mu’jizas.
  2. Extraordinary events which happen beyond the laws of causation through the Awliyâ among the ummats of Prophets ‘’alaihimussalâm’ are called karâmat. Ibni ’Âbidîn says in the chapter dealing with murtadds (renegades, apostates, people who have abandoned Islam): (Heretical groups called) Mu’tazilas and Wahhâbîs reject karâmât (pl. form of karâmat). (’Abd-ul-Melîk bin ’Abdullah Nishâpûrî [419 – 478 (1085 A.D.), Nishâpûr], who was called) Imâm-ul-Harameyn and also many other Islamic scholars, such as Imâm-i ’Umar Nasafî ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’alaihim ajma’în’, prove that karâmat is something jâiz (possible)” The Awliyâ do not have to exhibit karâmats. They do not want to exhibit karâmats. Rather, they feel embarrassed towards Allâhu ta’âlâ.
  3. Among any ummat, wonders that happen beyond the laws of causation through Believers who are not Awliyâ are called firâsat.
  4. If they happen through fâsiq people, through drastically sinful people, they are called istidrâj, which means to degrade, demote them gradually.
  5. Wonders that happen through disbelievers are called sihr, that is, magic.