The Holy Quran recounts numerous extraordinary events and phenomena performed by individuals other than prophets. Below are examples of such occurrences:
In the story of Maryam (peace be upon her), it is mentioned that she would eat various fruits out of season: “Whenever Zakariya entered the sanctuary to [visit] her, he found with her provision. He said, ‘O Maryam, where is this from?’ She said, ‘It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without account.’” (Surah Aal-e-Imran, 3:37)
The miracles (Karamat) of Awliya are evident and proven through clear signs and reasoning. Some examples of these are outlined below:
The Evident Proof of Karamat Through Reason and Shariah: The conception of Maryam (peace be upon her) and the provision of fruits out of season for her are extraordinary events. However, as they do not fulfill the specific criteria for miracles (mu’jizat), they are not categorized as such. The abundant provision granted to Maryam (peace be upon her) is an unusual phenomenon and serves as evidence of the miracles of saints.
The Story of the Companions of the Cave (Ashab al-Kahf): The author of Karamat al-Awlya, Abu al-Fida’ Abd al-Raqib bin Ali, discusses this topic on page 25.
Allah Almighty recounts the story of a group of faithful, monotheistic youth in Surah al-Kahf, stating: «أم حسبت أن أصحاب الكهف والرقيم كانوا من آياتنا عجبا إذ أوى الفتية إلى الكهف فقالوا ربنا آتنا من لدنك رحمة وهيئ لنا من أمرنا رشدا فضربنا على آذانهم في الكهف سنين عددا ثم بعثنهم لنعلم أي الحزبين أحصى لما لبثوا أمدا…» Translation: “Do you think that the companions of the ‘Cave’ and ‘Raqim’ were among Our signs something astonishing? When those young men took refuge in the cave and said, ‘Our Lord! Grant us mercy from Yourself and provide for us guidance in our affair.’ So, we caused them to sleep in the cave for several years. Then We awakened them to know which of the two groups could better determine the length of their stay.”
Allama Al-Ju’ayl al-Din al-Iji, writes in Kitab al-Mawaqif: “The Companions of the Cave (Ashab Kahf), whom Allah Almighty kept alive for 300 or more years without any harm befalling them, are unanimously not considered prophets. This is because the events mentioned in their story are not miracles, as one of the conditions of a miracle is that it be accompanied by a claim to prophethood and a challenge (tahaddi), which is absent here.”
Ahl al-Sunnah, by referencing the story of the Companions of the Cave and other narratives in the Holy Quran, assert that the Karamat of Awliya are indeed established.
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