Can one be among the awliya (close friends of Allah) while not acting upon the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and not implementing it?

Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner asks: Can one be among the awliya (close friends of Allah) while not acting upon the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and not implementing it?

Answer:
This varies depending on what act of worship is left off, for a person may have a side of closeness to Allah and a side of enmity. The sinners and those who commit major sins have closeness to Allah through the two testimonies, tawhid (the oneness of Allah), and soundness of creed, but they have enmity through their disobedience and major sins. Thus, closeness and enmity coexist in a person. As previously mentioned to you, some are pure awliya of Allah, some are pure enemies of Allah, and some are in between. This varies according to what acts are left off and what sins are committed. As you know, faith increases and decreases; it increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience. Yes.