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And since it has been established that a miracle (mu'jiza) or saintly wonder (karama) is impossible at the hand of a liar, there must inevitably be a more manifest distinction so that it becomes clear and evident to you. So know that the condition of miracles is manifestation (izhar) and that of saintly wonders is concealment (kitman); the fruit of a miracle returns to another, whereas a saintly wonder is particular to its possessor. Also, the possessor of a miracle can decisively affirm that this is a miracle, but the saint cannot decisively affirm whether this is a saintly wonder or a divine lure (istidraj). Also, the possessor of a miracle exercises authority in the religious law (shar') and, in the ordering of negation and affirmation, speaks and acts by God's command, whereas the possessor of saintly wonders has no path in this except submission and acceptance of the rulings; for in no way does the saintly wonder of a saint contradict the ruling of the prophet's law.

And if someone says: 'Since you said a miracle is a breaker of custom and a proof of the prophet's truthfulness, if you permit its kind for the saint, this becomes customary, and the very argument you make for establishing the miracle nullifies the establishment of the saintly wonder' —

We say: This matter is contrary to the picture you have formed and believed; for miraculousness (i'jaz) is a breaker of the customs of created beings, and since the saintly wonder of the saint is the very miracle of the prophet and shows the same proof that the prophet's miracle showed, miraculousness does not nullify miraculousness.

Did you not see that when the unbelievers of Mecca crucified Khubayb, the Messenger, peace be upon him, was in Medina sitting in the mosque, and he saw him and told the Companions what they were doing to him; and God Most High also lifted the veil from before Khubayb's eyes so that he too saw the Prophet, peace be upon him, and gave him salutation. God Most High conveyed his salutation to the ear of the Messenger, and the Messenger's reply, may God bless him, was made audible to Khubayb, may God be pleased with him, and he prayed so that Khubayb's face turned toward the qibla. So the Prophet's seeing him from Medina while he was in Mecca was an act breaking custom and a miracle, and Khubayb's seeing the Prophet from Mecca was also an act breaking custom and his saintly wonder.

And by consensus, the seeing of an absent thing breaks custom; so there is no distinction between absence of time and absence of place — whether the saintly wonder of Khubayb during absence of place from the Prophet, or the saintly wonder of the later ones during absence of time from him. This distinction is very evident, and the proof clear and manifest for the impossibility of contradiction between saintly wonder and miraculousness; for a saintly wonder is established only in the state of affirming the possessor of a miracle, and appears only at the hand of a believing, affirming, obedient one; for the saintly wonder of the community is the miracle of the Prophet, peace be upon him, for since his law endures, his proof too must endure.

So the saints are witnesses to the truth of the Messenger's mission; it is not permissible that a saintly wonder appear at the hand of a stranger. And in this meaning they relate a story from Ibrahim Khawwas, may God's mercy be upon him, and it is very fitting here.

Ibrahim said: I went down into the desert in solitary detachment (tajrid) according to my custom. When I had gone a while, someone rose from a corner and asked for my company. I looked at him. From seeing him a repulsion came into my heart. I said, 'What could this be?' He said to me: 'O Ibrahim, do not be troubled in heart, for I am one of the Christian monks. I have come from the far reaches of Rum in hope of your company.' He said: When I knew that he was a stranger my heart was set at ease, and the way of companionship and fulfilling his right became easier for me. I said, 'O monk of the Christians, I have no food or drink with me; I fear that you will suffer hardship in this desert.' He said: 'O Ibrahim, so much clamor and your name in the world, and you still grieve over food and drink?!' He said: I was astonished at his expansiveness, and I accepted his company as a test to see where he stood in his claim.

When seven days and nights passed, thirst overtook us. He stopped and said: 'O Ibrahim, so much beating of your drum around the world — bring forth what you have of boldness upon this Threshold, for I have no more strength from thirst.' He said: I put my head to the ground and said: 'O Lord, do not disgrace me before this unbeliever who, in his very strangeness, holds good opinion of me, and fulfill his opinion of me.' He said: I raised my head and saw a tray with two loaves and two draughts of water placed upon it. We ate them and went on from there.

When another seven days passed, I said to myself: 'Let me test this Christian so that he sees his own lowliness, before he tests me with something else.' I said: 'O monk of the Christians, come, for today is your turn — what do you have of the fruit of striving (mujahada)?' He put his head to the ground and said something. A tray appeared with four loaves and four draughts of water. I was greatly astonished at that and became troubled in heart and despairing of my own state, and I said to myself: 'I will not eat of this, for it appeared for the sake of an unbeliever and would be his aid. How can I eat this?' He said to me: 'O Ibrahim, eat.' I said: 'I will not eat.' He said: 'For what reason will you not eat?' I said: 'Because you are not worthy, and this is not of the kind of your state, and I am amazed at your affair. If I attribute this to a saintly wonder, a saintly wonder is not permissible for an unbeliever; and if I say it is aid (ma'una), you are a claimant, and doubt falls upon me.' He said: 'Eat, O Ibrahim, and two glad tidings for you: one, my acceptance of Islam — I bear witness that there is no god but God, alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger — and the other, that you have great standing near God Most High.' I said: 'How so?' He said: 'Because we have nothing of this kind. Out of shame before you I put my head to the ground and said: O Lord, if the religion of Muhammad is true and pleasing, give me two loaves and two draughts of water; and if Ibrahim Khawwas is Your saint, give me two loaves and two draughts of water. When I raised my head, the tray had been made present.' Ibrahim ate of it, and that chivalrous monk became one of the great ones of the religion.

And this was the very miraculousness of the prophet joined to the saintly wonder of the saint; and it is very incorrect that in the absence of the prophet a proof be shown to another, or that in the presence of the saint another than him have a share of his saintly wonder. And in truth, none knows the utmost of sainthood except its initiate.

And that monk was among the concealed ones (maktuman), like the sorcerers of Pharaoh. So Ibrahim was affirming the truth of the prophet's miracle, and the other was seeking both the truth of prophethood and the glory of sainthood. God Most High, by His excellent care, made his aim attained; and this is a manifest distinction between saintly wonder and miraculousness. And there is much in this discourse; this book bears no more than this.

And the manifestation of a saintly wonder upon the saints is another saintly wonder, and its condition is concealment, not manifestation by affectation. And my master, may God's mercy be upon him, said: 'If a saint manifests his sainthood and by it claims the soundness of his state, it does no harm; but his affectation in manifesting it is arrogance (ru'unat).' And God knows best.