The Delusions of the Sufis

Question:
In some countries, there are people who sit around graves for a number of years, and then they claim that the deceased has given them permission to come out and call people to the worship of Allah. Nevertheless, they have customs where they let people stab themselves with daggers, claiming that this is a miracle (karamah) for them, and they claim to be close friends of Allah (awliya). What is your opinion, Your Eminence, about such people?

Answer:
These are called the Sufis. They have many paths and types of sorcery. They may sit around graves, seek aid from the people in them, make vows to them, slaughter animals for them, and believe that they control the universe, that they come out of their graves, that they speak to them, and that they teach them things. This is the work of the ignorant Sufis, who are the least of people in share of knowledge and the farthest from knowledge. We ask Allah for safety.
It is not permissible to obey these people or to act upon their opinions. Their stabbing themselves with daggers or knives is part of their ignorance and misguidance. Indeed, stabbing oneself with a knife is an abomination and is not permissible. Killing oneself is not lawful for a person to do, neither with a knife nor with anything else. Whoever kills himself, the Fire is more deserving of him. We ask Allah for safety.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And Allah says: [Al-Nisa: 29]. So killing oneself is among the greatest abominations. These Sufis, who are active in Egypt, the Levant, Iraq, Yemen, and many other lands, are among the ignorant. They are ignorant of the matter of Allah and ignorant of the religion of Allah. The devils have lured them, and they have made their evil deeds attractive to them. They think that by sitting around graves, or by sitting in their houses, or in their secret gatherings, they have become close friends of Allah (awliya)—even if they do not pray, do not fast, and do not worship Allah. This is part of their ignorance and misguidance. They cause fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) among people and say to them: "If you do such and such, then such and such will happen, and such and such will happen, and such and such will happen." Some of them may stay for many nights without praying, fasting, or performing purification. We ask Allah for safety.
So these are ignorant and misguided. Some of them are disbelievers who associate partners with Allah. Some of them do not worship anything but the devils and the people of the graves, and they do not care about the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) or what Allah has commanded. They say: "I do not follow the Messenger; I receive the religion directly from my Lord." They say: "My heart has told me about my Lord." They do not turn to the Qur'an, nor to the Sunnah, nor to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). These are the most disbelieving of people and the most evil. We ask Allah for safety.