Assalam u Alaikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakaatuh, May Allah raise preserve you, and raise your status! I have a question regarding the karaamaat (miracles) of awliyaa. If we read in a book about some karaamaat of awliyaa, is there some way to determine which karaamaat are true and which are false? Are there some types of karaamaat which cannot occur? What are the limits on karaamaat? Below are some examples I have come across: i) It is said that a wali once accepted the invitation of several people in one night and all of the people gave testimony that he was at each of their houses … in more than one place at the same time. ii) being able to tell what it is in someones heart. For example, many pirs (Shaykhs of tasawwuf) claim that they have this power, so peer into the heart of the murid or anyone. For example, one Shaykh saw a person who was clinging to the Kaabah crying and making dua … he used tawajjuh to see what is in his heart and found that he is actually ghaafil. iii) that the souls of dead awliyaa can travel, and they are able to attend majaalis spiritually. All I want to know is if these things are within the realm of possibility, and if it would be right to reject these things. What are the views of the akaabir of Deoband on these issues? Jazak Allah Khair, Wassalam u Alaikum.
Answer:
(Fatwa: 528=525/B)
It is the unanimous belief of Ahl-e-Sunnat wal-Jamaat that the Karamah (supernatural act) of Awliya (the pious personalities) is true: کرامات الاولیاء حقKaramah means a supernatural act. The unusual and supernatural acts of pious persons who follow Sunnah and act upon the Shariah are called Karamah. The examples mentioned above if come from a pious person who follow Sunnah are possible.
As far as the matter of traveling of souls of Awliaya and attending the meetings is concerned, we could not find any authentic Hadith regarding the same.
Allah (Subhana Wa Ta’ala) knows Best
Darul Ifta,
Darul Uloom Deoband