“Unquestionably, the allies of Allah shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve—those who believed and were mindful of Him” (Yūnus 62–63).

Therefore, everyone who believes in Allah and keeps his duty to Him is a wali of Allah. This walāyah (divine friendship) rises or falls in proportion to its bearer’s faith and piety: the stronger the faith and piety, the stronger the walāyah; the weaker the faith and piety, the weaker the walāyah. It is not an exclusive privilege granted to one person over another.

Furthermore, we do not issue a definitive judgment that any particular individual is a wali of Allah unless the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) himself testified to that person’s walāyah. Regarding those about whom the Messenger (peace be upon him) gave no such testimony, we cannot be certain; rather, we entertain hope for the believing, God-fearing servants and fear for the sinners and the disobedient. Even those to whom the Prophet (peace be upon him) did bear witness—such as the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, the ten who were promised Paradise, and other Companions, the noble leaders among the Muhājirūn and the Anṣār—none of them ever made the claim now advanced by this impostor. Not one of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, nor any Companion from the preferred generations, ever said to the people, “Pledge yourselves to me so that I may be your wali and your intercessor in this world and the Hereafter.” Such words have never been uttered by people of faith; they are voiced only by the ṭāghūts (rebellious false deities) who seek to corrupt the Muslims’ creed and to devour people’s wealth unjustly. It is therefore obligatory to restrain them: either they repent to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, from these superstitions and satanic impulses, or they are to be executed so that Muslim society may be spared their harm.

Question: Does this ruling cover only the claimants themselves, or does it also include those who believe them in their claim?