water, one should form no judgment about him until it is first seen whether he follows the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and whether his conduct agrees with the Prophet’s commands and prohibitions.

[The Meaning of Karama (saintly miracle)]
The karamat granted to Allah’s true allies are, in fact, far greater than these sensational feats. Those feats that break with ordinary experience—though their performer may indeed be a friend of Allah—may just as well be worked by an enemy of Allah. Many unbelievers, idolaters, People of the Book, hypocrites, innovators, and even devils display such marvels. Therefore, it is impermissible to assume that everyone who produces something extraordinary is automatically a friend of Allah. Rather, Allah’s friends are recognized by the qualities, actions, and spiritual states described in the Book and the Sunnah. They are discerned by the light of faith and of the Qur’an, by the inward realities of iman and the outward ordinances of Islam.

By way of illustration: a person may exhibit those very feats, yet he never performs ablution, neglects the obligatory prayers, lives in a state of impurity, keeps company with dogs, haunts bathhouses, refuse heaps, graveyards, and trash dumps. His odor is repugnant; he never attains the ritual purity prescribed by the Sacred Law, nor does he keep himself clean. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The angels do not enter a house in which there is a person in a state of major impurity or a dog,” and he also said