for it may simply coincide with what Allah has decreed and predestined, or it may coincide with a trial and test for the doer. Thus the mere occurrence of the result does not establish the authenticity of that report.
***
Meaning of the ḥadith: “Indeed Allah has servants …”

Question: What is the meaning of the noble ḥadith—assuming it is authentic—in which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Indeed Allah, exalted and sublime, has servants whom He has singled out for people’s needs; the people turn to them for their needs; such ones are safe from the punishment of Allah”?

Answer: Al-Suyūṭī marked this ḥadith in al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaghīr as ḥasan (good in authenticity).

Its meaning is clear: Allah, mighty and majestic, has chosen certain individuals to fulfil the needs of those who are in want, granting them the ability to do so through their wealth, their social standing, or their knowledge. That is a bounty from Allah which He bestows upon whom He wills among His servants. These servants whom Allah has favoured with this special quality are intended while they are alive in this worldly life and living among the people—not after their death, as the deluded folk who cling to the dead imagine. Allah knows best.