The Albaani Site

So these are two forbidden matters that have come together in these people: beating the daff during the remembrance of Allaah, and stabbing themselves with skewers.  Along with harming oneself, this is something which misguides the Muslims in addition to the fact that they try to deceive the people into thinking that this act is a miracle [karaamah].

Whereas the reality is that, firstly, it is not a miracle but rather indignity. Secondly it is [but] an exercise which the most profligate of sinners can do just like them.  The non-Muslim can do it. The non-Muslim who doesn’t believe in Allaah and His Messenger [can do it], why?

Because it is [acquired by] practice, [just] an exercise. And maybe all of you have heard of some of the strange things the Hindus and idol worshippers do; those who bury themselves alive in plain view of the people and examining doctors, who have gathered specifically to see how this person can be buried underground and then come out alive, [and to see] how he can breathe?

Does this then mean that this idol worshipper who survived underground for days not just hours and then comes out alive is from the major Allies of Allaah [Awliyaa’ullaah]?  How perfect is Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic!/Allaah forbid!

This is practise and exercise, and exercise can result in some strange things. For example you have seen many, many incidents … a rope stretched out on to the sea–if we were to walk on a narrow bridge [it would be something!]–but as for this person he is walking on a rope–so [now] what, this is a miracle?

This has no connection whatsoever to do with miracles.

This is practice.  The righteous and the sinner, the believer and the disbeliever all share in it. And the Muslim’s scholars, both past and present, have experience with these people who do not know anything about their religion except these exercises which they have become accustomed to and by which they then misguide the people, whereas the scholars say:

If you see a person who may fly
And on the ocean does walk
Yet does not stop at the limits of the Legislation
Then an innovator is he
being lead to destruction progressively

Why did they say that? Because supernatural events can be split into three categories:

1) Miracles [Mu’jizah].

2) Miracles of a lesser degree [karaamah].

3) And something which leads to destruction progressively [istidraaj].

Miracles [Mu’jizah] are done by a Prophet. Miracles but of a lesser degree [karaamah] are done by an Ally of Allaah [Waliyullaah]. And istidraaj is performed by the disbeliever and the hypocrite.

You are not in need of us speaking about miracles, they are mentioned in the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah, maa shaa Allaah, extensively, as are karaamaat.

The karaamaat of the true Allies of Allaah and the righteous people, alhamdulillaah, are many. He, the Most High, says, “Everytime Zakariyyaa entered the Mihraab [prayer room] to visit her, he found her supplied with sustenance.” [Aali Imraan 3:37]. This was a karaamah of Maryam عليها السلام. And there are books written about this topic, from the best of them is that of Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy on him, what is it called?

Questioner: …

Al-Albani: Yes?

Questioner: The Maxim of the Miracles of the Allies of Allaah …

Al-Albani: No, no, remind us of its name, O people.

Questioner: Al-Karaamah and the Miracles of the Messengers and Prophets of Allaah.

Al-Albani: No.

Questioner: The Maxim of the Miracles of the Allies of Allaah … [The compiler of the book, Shaikh Shady Noaman said, ‘It appears to me that the Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy on him, meant the book called, ‘The Criterion between the Allies of The Most Merciful and the Allies of the Devil. [Al-Furqaan bayna Awliyaa’ir-Rahmaan wa Awliyaa’ish-Shaitaan].

Al-Albani: In summary, the topic that we should talk about is istidraaj. In many authentic hadiths, rather mutawaatir even, it is mentioned that the greatest Dajjaal at the end of time will say to the sky, ‘Rain.’ And it will.

He will say to the earth, ‘Bring forth your produce.’ And it will.

He will say to some desolate land, ‘Bring out your treasures.’ And it will and will follow him.

He will cut a man into two with a sword and will then bring him back to life–are these miracles of an Ally of Allaah [karaamaat]?

These are extraordinary/supernatural occurrences which Allaah will cause to happen at the hands of this great Dajjaal who the Prophet عليه السلام told us about, saying, “There is not, between the creation of Aadam and the Hour, a trial greater than that of Al-Masih ad-Dajjaal.’ So here is this Al-Masih ad-Dajjaal coming with these supernatural occurrences.

Thus, supernatural events do not show the validity of something, ever.

Validity/goodness is only through righteous actions. For this reason the previously mentioned poet said:

If you see a person who may fly

Namely, he flies without wings, not in a plane, the non-Muslims fly in planes and beat us to it.

If you see a person who may fly
And on the ocean does walk
Yet does not stop at the limits of the Legislation
Then an innovator is he
being lead to destruction progressively

So these people who strike themselves with skewers, these are exercises, and from the greatest proofs of that is that if you were to say to one of them, ‘Come, I’m going to strike you with a small pin, he will say to you, ‘No.’ Why? If he really is a person who can perform miracles, let him bring his miracle to any person who wants to hit him in any place.

[But, no] he will say to you, ‘No.’ Why? Because he’s not trained to have himself struck here in his chest, in the heart, nor here, or here, but only here, where there is muscle, where there is meat, not where the nerves and bones are.

I said to you just now, throughout time the scholars of the Muslims have had a lot of experience with these Dajjaals.

The most famous of them was the Shaikh of Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy on him, who challenged the Shaikh of the Rifaa’ees of his time. [The Rifaa’ees] were known as Battaa’ihiyyah [in attribution to al-Bataa’ih, the village where Ahmad ar-Rifaa’ee, the founder of the Rifaa’eeyah came from].

This Rifaa’ee Shaikh used to make it appear as though he could enter fire without getting burnt.

So Ibn Taymiyyah challenged him.

News of this challenge reached the then Amir of Damascus who accordingly summoned the Shaikh of the [Rifaa’ee Sufi] Tariqah, along with Shaikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, so that he could see how they would debate and what they would do in the end. So Shaikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah spoke with the knowledge he had, [stating] that these people were from the worst of the creation, from the worst of creation, that they have no knowledge nor piety [taqwaa] and no righteousness and that they only deceive the people through matters which both the righteous and the wicked, the believer and the disbeliever, share in.

Part of what he said was that they oil their bodies with a special substance, and their thowbs too, and then enter the oven and the fire does not burn them. And I challenge them with one condition, O Amir, that they take off these thowbs and are given thowbs that have been washed by you, and that you order them to wash their bodies with water and vinegar, then they are to wear those [clean], white thowbs–and at that time I too will enter the fire with them, and whoever from us burns is the liar.

So when the [truth of the] matter concerning that Dajjaal was uncovered, he turned and fled.

[And there are] many, many [such] incidents–and maybe it is beneficial that I mention a very short story about something that happened to me, and I am the poor, needy servant of Allaah …