What is the meaning of *istidraj* for the open sinner? And what is the meaning of *karamah* for the close friend of Allah?
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The questioner : The questioner says: What is the meaning of *istidraj* for the open sinner? And *karamah* for the close friend of Allah?
The Shaykh : This question is incorrect; there is no *istidraj* for the close friend of Allah.
Another questioner : No, for the open sinner.
The questioner : What is the meaning of *istidraj* for the open sinner? And *karamah* for the close friend of Allah?
The Shaykh : Yes, what is the meaning of *istidraj* for the open sinner? And *karamah* for the close friend of Allah?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Do you mean this is a separate sentence?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : What is the meaning of *karamah*, meaning for the close friend of Allah?
The questioner : Yes, *karamah*.
The Shaykh : *Istidraj* for the open sinner is that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) causes extraordinary matters to occur through his hands, so he is deceived by them, becomes arrogant, and transgresses. This is among the meanings of the statement of our Lord (Blessed and Exalted is He):[Al-A'raf 7:182-183].
As for *karamah* for the awliya (close friends of Allah), it differs, of course, from *istidraj* for disbelievers and open sinners; in that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) causes an extraordinary matter to occur through his hands so that he increases in faith because of it, and he does not become arrogant over people or look down upon them because of the *karamah* that emanated from him, which he does not possess and does not have control over; rather, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) caused it to occur through his hands for a benefit that relates to him, or relates to the righteous people around him.
Therefore, the Muslim scholars, the Salaf (the earliest generations) and the Khalaf (the later generations) who followed them, are in agreement on dividing extraordinary matters into three categories: a prophetic miracle for a Prophet or Messenger, a *karamah* for a believing, righteous close friend of Allah, and *istidraj* for an open sinner or disbeliever.
All of this, and this, and this falls under the category of breaking the custom; so breaking the custom, in itself, does not indicate that it is a good thing, i.e., a *karamah*; it may be, and it may be; therefore, it came in the authentic hadiths that the major Dajjal (the false messiah), about whom the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us by saying: "Between the creation of Adam and the Hour, there is no trial greater than the trial of the Dajjal"; this is because Allah (Mighty and Majestic) causes extraordinary matters to occur through his hands; so whoever is not firmly rooted in faith in his heart, and does not understand the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) of his Lord, if he looks at this Dajjal and the extraordinary matters surrounding him, he will be among the first of the misguided to believe in him; because he says to the sky: "Rain," and it rains, and he says to the barren, dry earth: "Sprout your vegetation," and it sprouts, and he says to the ruin: "Bring out your treasures," and they come out walking behind him like swarms of bees, what are they? Bees; this is a trial, and he kills a man, cutting him into two pieces, and he displays this as being among the proofs and signs of his being the deity; where he says to his companions: "Shall I kill this man and then bring him back to life for you?" They say: "Yes." So he slaughters him and cuts him into two pieces, then he passes between them and says: "Rise as you were," and he rises, and Allah (Mighty and Majestic) intends to test the Dajjal and his group from one side, and this sincere believer from another side; so after he brings him back to life, he says to him: "Did you not believe in me?" He says: "I have only increased in faith that you are the major Dajjal about whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us," then he tries to kill him again, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:.
So a trial like this has no parallel in the world at all; therefore, it is not important for the Muslim to see a *karamah* occurring from a person as much as it is important for him to see from this person faith, righteousness, and mindfulness of Allah; if he then sees from him a *karamah*, he considers it a *karamah* for a close friend of Allah, and if he does not see from him a *karamah*, his being a sincere believer is the very *karamah*; therefore, He (the Exalted) said:[Yunus 10:62-63]; the sign of true wilayah (friendship with Allah) is faith and mindfulness of Allah, and it is not that an extraordinary matter emanates from him, so every close friend of Allah is required to have faith and mindfulness of Allah, and it is not required for him that an extraordinary matter appear.
So every believing, mindful person is a close friend of Allah, and not everyone from whom an extraordinary matter emanates is a close friend of Allah; we should hold fast to this universal statement which says: Every believing, mindful person is a close friend of Allah, as long as it is not required for him that a *karamah* or more than one *karamah* has emanated from him; but at the same time, we do not deny at all that Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) may cause a *karamah* to occur through the hand of a righteous, sincere close friend of Allah from among His awliya (close friends of Allah); provided that this *karamah* is truly a *karamah*, and not like those *karamahs* that are narrated in some printed books repeatedly, such as "Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra" by al-Sha'rani; therefore, some people of knowledge say:
"If you see a person who can fly *** And can walk upon the sea
But does not stand upon the limits of the Shari'ah *** Then he is one who is being led astray and an innovator"
And based on this, it is narrated from some of the famous close friends of Allah in the past that when a man heard news of this close friend of Allah, he took some of his companions and intended to visit that close friend of Allah; when he approached the place where he was, and the close friend of Allah was informed of the one coming to him, he came out to greet him, then a phlegm came out of him and he spat it in the direction of the qiblah (the direction of prayer), so he said to those around him: "Let us return; for if this were a close friend of Allah, he would have been mindful of Allah; where it is forbidden to spit in the direction of the qiblah; how can you spit in the direction of the qiblah to which you pray?" And he refused to complete his journey to him, and he returned the way he came; because the decisive sign that he is a close friend of Allah was not present in him, no matter what is said about him that miracles or *karamahs* emanate from him.
Therefore, *karamah* then emanates from a sincere believer, and it may not emanate; so sincere faith is the true *karamah*, and not the extraordinary matter; because it may emanate from a person who may be among the most disbelieving of disbelievers; like the major Dajjal, whom the Messenger (peace be upon him) commanded us to seek refuge from the evil of his trial at the end of every prayer.
Yes.
The Shaykh : This question is incorrect; there is no *istidraj* for the close friend of Allah.
Another questioner : No, for the open sinner.
The questioner : What is the meaning of *istidraj* for the open sinner? And *karamah* for the close friend of Allah?
The Shaykh : Yes, what is the meaning of *istidraj* for the open sinner? And *karamah* for the close friend of Allah?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Do you mean this is a separate sentence?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : What is the meaning of *karamah*, meaning for the close friend of Allah?
The questioner : Yes, *karamah*.
The Shaykh : *Istidraj* for the open sinner is that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) causes extraordinary matters to occur through his hands, so he is deceived by them, becomes arrogant, and transgresses. This is among the meanings of the statement of our Lord (Blessed and Exalted is He):
We will progressively lead them [to destruction] from where they do not know. (183) And I will give them time. Indeed, my plan is firm.
سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ * وَأُمْلِي لَهُمْ إِنَّ كَيْدِي مَتِينٌAs for *karamah* for the awliya (close friends of Allah), it differs, of course, from *istidraj* for disbelievers and open sinners; in that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) causes an extraordinary matter to occur through his hands so that he increases in faith because of it, and he does not become arrogant over people or look down upon them because of the *karamah* that emanated from him, which he does not possess and does not have control over; rather, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) caused it to occur through his hands for a benefit that relates to him, or relates to the righteous people around him.
Therefore, the Muslim scholars, the Salaf (the earliest generations) and the Khalaf (the later generations) who followed them, are in agreement on dividing extraordinary matters into three categories: a prophetic miracle for a Prophet or Messenger, a *karamah* for a believing, righteous close friend of Allah, and *istidraj* for an open sinner or disbeliever.
All of this, and this, and this falls under the category of breaking the custom; so breaking the custom, in itself, does not indicate that it is a good thing, i.e., a *karamah*; it may be, and it may be; therefore, it came in the authentic hadiths that the major Dajjal (the false messiah), about whom the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us by saying: "Between the creation of Adam and the Hour, there is no trial greater than the trial of the Dajjal"; this is because Allah (Mighty and Majestic) causes extraordinary matters to occur through his hands; so whoever is not firmly rooted in faith in his heart, and does not understand the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) of his Lord, if he looks at this Dajjal and the extraordinary matters surrounding him, he will be among the first of the misguided to believe in him; because he says to the sky: "Rain," and it rains, and he says to the barren, dry earth: "Sprout your vegetation," and it sprouts, and he says to the ruin: "Bring out your treasures," and they come out walking behind him like swarms of bees, what are they? Bees; this is a trial, and he kills a man, cutting him into two pieces, and he displays this as being among the proofs and signs of his being the deity; where he says to his companions: "Shall I kill this man and then bring him back to life for you?" They say: "Yes." So he slaughters him and cuts him into two pieces, then he passes between them and says: "Rise as you were," and he rises, and Allah (Mighty and Majestic) intends to test the Dajjal and his group from one side, and this sincere believer from another side; so after he brings him back to life, he says to him: "Did you not believe in me?" He says: "I have only increased in faith that you are the major Dajjal about whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us," then he tries to kill him again, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
So he will not be allowed to harm him
فلا يُسلَّط عليهSo a trial like this has no parallel in the world at all; therefore, it is not important for the Muslim to see a *karamah* occurring from a person as much as it is important for him to see from this person faith, righteousness, and mindfulness of Allah; if he then sees from him a *karamah*, he considers it a *karamah* for a close friend of Allah, and if he does not see from him a *karamah*, his being a sincere believer is the very *karamah*; therefore, He (the Exalted) said:
(62) Unquestionably, [for] the allies of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve (63) Those who believed and were fearing Allah
أَلَا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ * الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَSo every believing, mindful person is a close friend of Allah, and not everyone from whom an extraordinary matter emanates is a close friend of Allah; we should hold fast to this universal statement which says: Every believing, mindful person is a close friend of Allah, as long as it is not required for him that a *karamah* or more than one *karamah* has emanated from him; but at the same time, we do not deny at all that Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) may cause a *karamah* to occur through the hand of a righteous, sincere close friend of Allah from among His awliya (close friends of Allah); provided that this *karamah* is truly a *karamah*, and not like those *karamahs* that are narrated in some printed books repeatedly, such as "Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra" by al-Sha'rani; therefore, some people of knowledge say:
"If you see a person who can fly *** And can walk upon the sea
But does not stand upon the limits of the Shari'ah *** Then he is one who is being led astray and an innovator"
And based on this, it is narrated from some of the famous close friends of Allah in the past that when a man heard news of this close friend of Allah, he took some of his companions and intended to visit that close friend of Allah; when he approached the place where he was, and the close friend of Allah was informed of the one coming to him, he came out to greet him, then a phlegm came out of him and he spat it in the direction of the qiblah (the direction of prayer), so he said to those around him: "Let us return; for if this were a close friend of Allah, he would have been mindful of Allah; where it is forbidden to spit in the direction of the qiblah; how can you spit in the direction of the qiblah to which you pray?" And he refused to complete his journey to him, and he returned the way he came; because the decisive sign that he is a close friend of Allah was not present in him, no matter what is said about him that miracles or *karamahs* emanate from him.
Therefore, *karamah* then emanates from a sincere believer, and it may not emanate; so sincere faith is the true *karamah*, and not the extraordinary matter; because it may emanate from a person who may be among the most disbelieving of disbelievers; like the major Dajjal, whom the Messenger (peace be upon him) commanded us to seek refuge from the evil of his trial at the end of every prayer.
Yes.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.