Original content

English translation

Know that the manifestation of miracles (karamat) is permissible for the saint (wali) while the obligation of religious duty remains valid upon him, and both factions of the People of the Sunna and the Community agree upon this, nor is it impossible in reason; for this kind of thing is within the power of God — exalted and sanctified — and its manifestation contradicts none of the principles of the sacred law, and the willing of its like is not severed from the imagination. The miracle is a sign of the saint's truthfulness; its appearance upon a liar is not permissible except to expose the falsehood of his claim. It is an act that breaks the customary course while the obligation of duty subsists; and whoever, by God's making it known through the mode of reasoning, distinguishes truth from falsehood is also a saint.

And a group of the People of the Sunna say: the miracle (karama) is valid, but only up to the limit of the prophetic miracle (muʿjiza) — such as the answering of prayer, the attainment of one's desire, and what resembles these — provided it does not break customary norms.

We say: what corruption do you conceive arising from the appearance of a custom-breaking act at the hand of a truthful saint during the time of religious obligation?

If they say: 'It is not of the kind within God's power,' this is error; and if they say: 'It is of the kind within His power, but its manifestation at the hand of a saint would nullify prophethood and negate the prophet's distinction,' this too is impossible; for the saint is distinguished by miracles (karamat) and the prophet by evidentiary miracles (muʿjizat). 'And the muʿjiza is not a miracle in itself; it is only a miracle by its occurrence, and among its conditions is the coupling of the claim of prophethood with it; so the muʿjizat are proper to the prophets and the karamat belong to the saints.' Since the saint is a saint and the prophet a prophet, there is no confusion between them requiring this precaution; because the honor and ranks of the prophets — peace be upon them — lie in the loftiness of their station and the purity of their infallibility, not merely in a muʿjiza or a karama or in the appearance of a custom-breaking act at their hands. In the root of miraculousness they are all equal, but in degrees and preferment one has excellence over another; and since it is admissible that, with the equality of custom-breaking acts, one of them has excellence over another, why should it not be admissible that the saint has a karama — a custom-breaking act — while the prophets are yet more excellent than they? Since there, among the prophets, a custom-breaking act does not become the cause of the preferment and distinction of one over another, here too a custom-breaking act does not become a cause of distinguishing the saint over the prophet — that is, it does not make him equal to them. And whoever among the rational makes this proof known to himself, this doubt departs from his heart.

And if someone conceives it thus: 'If the saint has a custom-breaking karama, he will claim prophethood,' this is impossible; for the condition of sainthood is the truthfulness of speech, and a claim contrary to its meaning is a lie, and a liar is no saint. And if a saint were to claim prophethood, that would be an impugning of the prophetic miracle, and that is pure unbelief; and the karama belongs only to the obedient believer, and lying is disobedience, not obedience. Since it is thus that the saint's karama accords with the establishing of the prophet's proof, no confusion arises between the karamat and the muʿjizat; because the prophet, by establishing the muʿjiza, establishes his own prophethood, and the saint, by the karama, likewise establishes the prophet's prophethood. So this one, truthful in his sainthood, says the same as that one truthful in prophethood, and his karama is the very miraculousness of the prophet; and for the believer the sight of the saint's karama is an increase of certainty in the prophet's truthfulness, not a doubt about it; for in their claim they are not contradictory such that one negates the other; rather the claim of one is the very proof of the claim of the other. As in the sacred law, when a group of heirs agree in a claim, once the proof of one is established, his proof becomes proof for the others by the rule of agreement and their equality in rank and claim. And if the claim were contradictory, the proof of one would not be proof of the other. So since the prophet is a claimant to the validity of prophethood by the indication of the muʿjiza, and the saint confirms him in his claim, the establishing of doubt in this matter is impossible.