How are genuine karamat distinguished from deceptive or satanic extraordinary events?
2026-09-21
T80 · Ibn Taymiyyah
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah
شيخ الإسلام أحمد بن تيمية
Selected explanation · Selected source passage(s) — fully translated
Selected passage distinguishing the source and use of extraordinary occurrences. The example of war spoils belongs to the historical legal argument and is not an instruction for private action. The English translates every displayed Arabic paragraph; this selection is not the complete surrounding work. Square brackets identify translator-supplied clarification.
النص العربي
المقتطف
وَأَكَابِرُ الْأَوْلِيَاءِ إنَّمَا يَسْتَعْمِلُونَ هَذِهِ الْكَرَامَاتِ بِحُجَّةِ لِلدِّينِ أَوْ لِحَاجَةِ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ. وَالْمُقْتَصِدُونَ قَدْ يَسْتَعْمِلُونَهَا فِي الْمُبَاحَاتِ. وَأَمَّا مَنْ اسْتَعَانَ بِهَا فِي الْمَعَاصِي فَهُوَ ظَالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ مُتَعَدٍّ حَدَّ رَبِّهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ سَبَبُهَا الْإِيمَانَ وَالتَّقْوَى. فَمَنْ جَاهَدَ الْعَدُوَّ فَغَنِمَ غَنِيمَةً فَأَنْفَقَهَا فِي طَاعَةِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَهَذَا الْمَالُ وَإِنْ نَالَهُ بِسَبَبِ عَمَلٍ صَالِحٍ فَإِذَا أَنْفَقَهُ فِي طَاعَةِ الشَّيْطَانِ كَانَ وَبَالًا عَلَيْهِ فَكَيْفَ إذَا كَانَ سَبَبُ الْخَوَارِقِ الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ وَهِيَ تَدْعُو إلَى كُفْرٍ آخَرَ وَفُسُوقٍ وَعِصْيَانٍ.
English translation
English translation reviewed against the displayed Arabic by SalafAlSalih editorial preparation (AI-assisted); explanatory additions appear in square brackets or separate notes.
Selected explanation
The foremost allies of Allah use these extraordinary gifts only as a proof for the religion or for a need of the Muslims. Those who take a middle course may use them for permissible matters. Someone who uses them to help him commit sins wrongs himself and transgresses his Lord’s limit, even if faith and mindfulness of Allah were their cause. If someone fought the enemy and obtained spoils, then spent them in obedience to Satan, that wealth—even though he obtained it through a righteous deed—becomes a source of harm to him when he spends it in obedience to Satan. What, then, if the cause of the extraordinary occurrences is unbelief, wickedness, and disobedience, and they lead to further unbelief, wickedness, and disobedience?
Source and editorial notes
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 1/177
مجموع الفتاوى
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā
Arabic passage checked against the cited volume and printed page. English reviewed against every displayed Arabic paragraph on 14 October 2026.