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ever used, nor did his Companions. However, the term al-abdāl (the substitutes)(1) was used by some of the early generations. A weak hadith concerning them is narrated from the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—and we have
(1) Ibn Arabī says (same reference and page): “The *budalā* (Substitutes) are seven. If one of the Sufis travels away from his location and leaves behind a body in his own likeness, so that no one realizes he is gone, then he—and no one else—is the *badal* (Substitute). They are ‘upon the heart of Abraham’—peace be upon him.”
The Sufis disagree over the number of the *abdāl* and the other *rijāl al-ghayb* (men of the unseen)—who, according to their claim, are saints unknown to people and who, through the power they possess, participate in preserving the order of the cosmos. Goldziher states in the *Encyclopaedia of Islam*, entry “Abdāl,” that according to the most widespread Sufi view, the *abdāl*, numbering forty, constitute the fifth rank of saints. The *awtād* (Pegs) number five and constitute the third rank, while the *nujabā* (Nobles) number seventy and represent the sixth rank.
Nicholson defines the *badal* in the *Encyclopaedia of Islam* as follows: “*Abdāl* is the plural of *badal*, while *budalā* is the plural of *badīl*. Both terms are associated with a Sufi doctrine dating to the third Islamic century: the order of the world is entrusted to the care of a fixed number of saints, and whenever one of them dies, his place is taken by a *badal* or *badīl*. The plural *abdāl* is commonly used as a singular in Persian and Turkish. Some writers explain the *badal* as a person capable of taking the place of a spiritual personage when the latter leaves his location, or as someone capable of spiritual transformation.
“The accounts plainly differ regarding the number of the *abdāl* and their position in the Sufi hierarchy, which is headed by the *qutb* (Pole). Ibn Hanbal mentions in his *Musnad* forty *abdāl* whom Allah created in al-Shām (vol. [0–9], p. [0–9] 12), and he also mentions thirty of them in the nation of Muhammad (vol. [0–9], 322). Al-Makkī refers to three hundred *abdāl*, comprising the *siddīqūn* (the utterly truthful), the martyrs, and the righteous (*Qūt al-Qulūb*, vol. [0–9], p. [0–9] 8; see Quran 4:71). Al-Hujwīrī says that they number forty and occupy the fourth rank, coming next to the seven *abrār* (Pious Ones); above them are the four *awtād*, followed by the three *nuqabā* (Chiefs) (*Kashf al-Mahjūb*, Zhukovsky ed., p. [0–9] 69; Nicholson trans., p. [0–9] 84). Ibn Arabī fixes the number of the *abdāl* at seven and places them in the rank below the *awtād* (*al-Futūhāt*, vol. [0–9], p. [0–9]). Ibn al-Fārid adopted this view in *al-Tāʾiyya al-Kubrā*.”
See also the definition of the *budalā* in al-Jurjānī’s *al-Taʿrīfāt* and al-Qāshānī’s *Istilāhāt al-Sūfiyya*, as well as Dr. Muhammad Mustafā Hilmī’s commentary on “Badal” in the *Encyclopaedia of Islam*.
تَكَلَّمَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْهَا، وَلَا أَصْحَابُهُ، وَلَكِنَّ لَفْظَ الْأَبْدَالِ
(١)
تَكَلَّمَ بِهِ بَعْضُ السَّلَفِ، وَيُرْوَى فِيهِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - حَدِيثٌ ضَعِيفٌ، وَقَدْ
(١) يَقُولُ ابْنُ عَرَبِيٍّ (نَفْسُ الْمَرْجِعِ وَنَفْسُ الصَّفْحَةِ) : " الْبُدَلَاءُ هُمْ سَبْعَةٌ، وَمَنْ سَافَرَ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ عَنْ مَوْضِعِهِ وَتَرَكَ جَسَدًا عَلَى صُورَتِهِ حَتَّى لَا يَعْرِفَ أَحَدٌ أَنَّهُ فُقِدَ فَذَلِكَ هُوَ الْبَدَلُ لَا غَيْرَ، وَهُمْ عَلَى قَلْبِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ - عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ - ". وَيَخْتَلِفُ الصُّوفِيَّةُ فِي تَحْدِيدِ عَدَدِ الْأَبْدَالِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ مِنْ رِجَالِ الْغَيْبِ (وَهُمْ عَلَى زَعْمِهِمُ الْأَوْلِيَاءُ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْرِفُهُمُ النَّاسُ، وَالَّذِينَ يَشْتَرِكُونَ بِمَا لَهُمْ مِنْ قُوَّةٍ فِي حِفْظِ نِظَامِ الْكَوْنِ) . وَيَذْكُرُ جُولْدِتْسِيهَرْ (دَائِرَةَ الْمَعَارِفِ الْإِسْلَامِيَّةِ، مَادَّةَ: أَبْدَالٍ) أَنَّهُ وَفْقًا لِأَكْثَرِ الْآرَاءِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ شُيُوعًا يُؤَلِّفُ الْأَبْدَالُ، وَعَدَدُهُمْ أَرْبَعُونَ، الطَّبَقَةَ الْخَامِسَةَ مِنْ طَبَقَاتِ الْأَوْلِيَاءِ. أَمَّا الْأَوْتَادُ فَعَدَدُهُمْ خَمْسَةٌ وَهُمْ يُؤَلِّفُونَ الطَّبَقَةَ الثَّالِثَةَ، وَالنُّجَبَاءُ عَدَدُهُمْ سَبْعُونَ وَهُمْ يُمَثِّلُونَ الطَّبَقَةَ السَّادِسَةَ. وَيُعَرِّفُ نِيكِلْسُونْ فِي " دَائِرَةِ الْمَعَارِفِ الْإِسْلَامِيَّةِ " الْبَدَلَ بِقَوْلِهِ: " الْأَبْدَالُ جَمْعُ الْبَدَلِ، وَالْبُدَلَاءُ جَمْعُ الْبَدِيلِ يَتَّصِلَانِ بِطَرِيقِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ الَّذِي يَرْجِعُ تَارِيخُهُ إِلَى الْقَرْنِ الثَّالِثِ الْهِجْرِيِّ، وَهُوَ أَنَّ نِظَامَ الْعَالَمِ مُكَلَّفٌ بِحِفْظِهِ عَدَدٌ مُعَيَّنٌ مِنَ الْأَوْلِيَاءِ، إِذَا مَاتَ وَاحِدٌ مِنْهُمْ حَلَّ مَحَلَّهُ بَدَلٌ أَوْ بَدِيلٌ وَالْجَمْعُ أَبْدَالٌ، يُسْتَعْمَلُ عَادَةً فِي الْفَارِسِيَّةِ وَالتُّرْكِيَّةِ مُفْرَدًا. وَيُفَسِّرُ بَعْضُ الْكُتَّابِ الْبَدَلَ بِأَنَّهُ الشَّخْصُ الَّذِي لَهُ قُدْرَةٌ عَلَى أَنْ يَخْلُفَ شَخْصًا رُوحَانِيًّا عِنْدَمَا يَتْرُكُ مَكَانَهُ، أَوِ الشَّخْصُ الَّذِي لَهُ قُدْرَةٌ عَلَى التَّحَوُّلِ الرُّوحَانِيِّ. وَالِاخْتِلَافُ بَيِّنٌ فِيمَا أَوْرَدُوهُ عَنْ عَدَدِ الْأَبْدَالِ وَمَكَانِهِمْ مِنْ سِلْسِلَةِ الْمَرَاتِبِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ الَّتِي يَكُونُ الْقُطْبُ عَلَى رَأْسِهَا. وَقَدْ أَوْرَدَ ابْنُ حَنْبَلٍ فِي مُسْنَدِهِ أَرْبَعِينَ مِنَ الْأَبْدَالِ خَلَقَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي الشَّامِ (ج [٠ - ٩] ص [٠ - ٩] ١٢) وَيَذْكُرُ أَيْضًا أَنَّ هُنَاكَ ثَلَاثِينَ مِنْهُمْ فِي أُمَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ (ج [٠ - ٩] ٣٢٢) وَيُشِيرُ الْمَكِّيُّ إِلَى ثَلَاثِمِائَةٍ مِنَ الْأَبْدَالِ يَضُمُّونَ الصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءَ وَالصَّالِحِينَ (قُوتَ الْقُلُوبِ، ج [٠ - ٩] ص [٠ - ٩] ٨. انْظُرْ سُورَةَ النِّسَاءِ الْآيَةَ ٧١) . وَيَقُولُ الْهَجْوِيرِيُّ إِنَّهُمْ أَرْبَعُونَ وَإِنَّهُمْ فِي الْمَرْتَبَةِ الرَّابِعَةِ، يَلُونَ الْأَبْرَارَ السَّبْعَةَ، وَفَوْقَهُمُ الْأَوْتَادُ الْأَرْبَعَةُ، ثُمَّ النُّقَبَاءُ الثَّلَاثَةُ (كَشْفُ الْمَحْجُوبِ، ط. شُوكُوفِسْكِي، ص [٠ - ٩] ٦٩، تَرْجَمَةُ نِيكِلْسُونْ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٨٤) . وَيُحَدِّدُ ابْنُ عَرَبِيٍّ عَدَدَ الْأَبْدَالِ بِسَبْعَةٍ وَيَضَعُهُمْ فِي الْمَرْتَبَةِ تَحْتَ الْأَوْتَادِ (الْفُتُوحَاتُ، ج [٠ - ٩] ، ص [٠ - ٩] ) . وَقَدْ أَخَذَ بِهَذَا الرَّأْيِ ابْنُ الْفَارِضِ فِي التَّائِيَّةِ الْكُبْرَى ". وَانْظُرْ تَعْرِيفَ " الْبُدَلَاءِ " فِي التَّعْرِيفَاتِ لِلْجُرْجَانِيِّ؛ " اصْطِلَاحَاتُ الصُّوفِيَّةِ " لِلْقَاشَانِيِّ. وَانْظُرْ تَعْلِيقَ الدُّكْتُور مُحَمَّد مُصْطَفَى حِلْمِي عَلَى " بَدَلٌ " فِي دَائِرَةِ الْمَعَارِفِ الْإِسْلَامِيَّةِ ".