Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (2/345)

—all of them—and that we must not set any of them apart, believing in some while rejecting others. The Exalted says:

“Indeed, those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers and seek to make a distinction between Allah and His messengers, saying, ‘We believe in some and reject others,’ and who wish to take a middle way—such people are the true disbelievers, and We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment.” [al-Nisāʾ: 150]

This privilege belongs to no one but the prophets, even if a person were an emissary of the prophets and ranked among the greatest of the foremost siddīqs (eminently truthful).

The error of those who go astray in this matter is built on two premises:

That the occurrence of a karāmah proves its possessor is a walī (friend) of Allah.
That a walī of Allah cannot make mistakes; consequently, everything he reports must be believed and every command he gives obeyed, whereas no human being merits such unquestioning acceptance and obedience unless he is a prophet.

Either of these premises may be false, and sometimes both are false. A particular individual might not be one of Allah’s awliyā’; his extraordinary feats could be produced by devils. Or he may indeed be one of Allah’s awliyā’, yet he is not infallible and may err. Or he may be neither a walī of Allah nor possess any genuine wonders—what he offers are merely tricks and fabrications.

كُلُّهُمْ وَأَنْ لَا نُفَرِّقَ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ، فَنُؤْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَكْفُرُ بِبَعْضٍ قَالَ - تَعَالَى -: {إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَ اللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيَقُولُونَ نُؤْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَكْفُرُ بِبَعْضٍ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَتَّخِذُوا بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ سَبِيلًا أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ حَقًّا وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُهِينًا} [النساء: ١٥٠] وَلَيْسَ هَذَا لِأَحَدٍ غَيْرِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ رُسُلِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَكَانُوا مِنْ أَعْظَمِ الصِّدِّيقِينَ الْمُقَدَّمِينَ. فَضَلَالُ الضُّلَّالِ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ مَبْنِيٌّ عَلَى مُقَدِّمَتَيْنِ. إِحْدَاهُمَا: أَنَّ هَذَا لَهُ كَرَامَةٌ فَيَكُونُ وَلِيًّا لِلَّهِ. وَالثَّانِيَةُ: أَنَّ وَلِيَّ اللَّهِ لَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُخْطِئَ بَلْ يَجِبُ تَصْدِيقُهُ فِي كُلِّ مَا أَخْبَرَ، وَطَاعَتُهُ فِي كُلِّ مَا أَمَرَ، وَلَيْسَ لِأَحَدٍ مِنَ الْبَشَرِ أَنْ يُصَدَّقَ فِي كُلِّ مَا أَخْبَرَ بِهِ وَيُطَاعَ فِي كُلِّ أَمْرٍ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ نَبِيًّا. وَالْمُقَدِّمَتَانِ الْمَذْكُورَتَانِ قَدْ تَكُونُ إِحْدَاهُمَا بَاطِلَةً وَقَدْ يَكُونُ كِلَاهُمَا بَاطِلًا، فَالرَّجُلُ الْمُعَيَّنُ قَدْ لَا يَكُونُ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاءِ اللَّهِ تَكُونُ خَوَارِقُهُ مِنَ الشَّيَاطِينِ وَقَدْ يَكُونُ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاءِ اللَّهِ، وَلَكِنْ لَيْسَ بِمَعْصُومٍ بَلْ يَجُوزُ عَلَيْهِ الْخَطَأُ وَقَدْ لَا يَكُونُ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاءِ اللَّهِ وَلَا يَكُونُ لَهُ خَوَارِقُ، وَلَكِنْ لَهُ مِحَالَاتٌ وَأَكَاذِيبُ.