Said Shaykhul Islâm Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah show him pardon, in Al-Aqeedah Al-Wâsitiyyah:
'From among the fundamentals of the Ahlus-Sunnah Wal-Jama'ah is the belief in the karamaat (the wonders) of the Auliyâ, and the uncommon things Allâh allows to occur in their hands such as display of knowledge, discoveries, different abilities and effects. An example is the report from the past nations in Sûrah Khahf and others.
So also was what occurred in the beginning of this Ummah among the Companions, the Taabioon and the generations that followed. [The wonders] are still there and will be there till the Day of Resurrection.'
In Al-Fur'qân Bayna Auliyâ Ar-Rahmân Wa Auliyâish-Shaytân ['the Criterion between the True Friends of Allâh and the Friends of the Devil'] pp. 167-172, Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah – may Allâh pardon him – mentioned some of those wonders in the lives of some of the Companions and those who followed them in goodness, after he had mentioned some of the Mu'jizât (miracles) of the Messenger of Allaah – salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam.
Among the wonders in the lives of the Companions were the following:
Angels used to send salutation (that is, the greeting of 'Salaam Alaykum') upon Imrân bn Husayn – may Allâh be pleased with him.
Salmaan Al-Faarisee (the Persian) and Aboo Ad-Dar'daa – may Allâh be pleased with him - used to eat from a plate and the plate or the meal it contained would say the words of remembrance such as 'Sub'hânaLlâh' – Glory be to Allaah.
Ubaad bn Bushr and Usayd bn Hudayr – may Allâh be pleased with him -, both left the presence of the Messenger of Allâh – salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam, one dark night but on their way, a light like the tip of a rod was made for them and that illuminated their path. When they got to where they would part, the light broke into two, and each of them was led by his light. Al-Bukhaaree recorded it.
The story of Aboo Bakr As-Sideeq – may Allâh be pleased with him, is another one as recorded in both Saheeh Al-Bukharee and Muslim. He had some three guests in one night, when they were eating that night, as they took the morsels, more morsels replaced what they had eaten until they had their fill. After the meal, the food they left uneaten was much than what they ate. Aboo Bakr and his wife took the remaining food to the Messenger of Allâh – salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam the following day, in amazement. More people were called and they ate the food and got satisfied.
The story of Khubayb bn Adiyy – may Allâh be pleased with him, who was held as a captive by some pagans in Makkah is another one. Fresh grape fruits would be found with him while there were no such in Makkah then.
Aamir bn Fuhaurah was killed as a martyr – may Allâh be pleased with him. His killers wanted to carry his corpse but could not do so later his remains were miraculously taken up. Aamir bn At-Tufayl (one of the Companions that died late) saw the corpse being raised up. Ur'wah (bn Az-Zubayr) reported that indeed people saw the angels carrying him.
Another one was that of Umm Ayman – may Allâh be pleased with him - who was coming to Madinah as an emigrant but there were no provisions nor water with her. She was about to die and it was time for her to break her fast – because she had been fasting, then she heard some water drops above her head. Suddenly she saw a container of water hung up, she drank from it and her thirst was quenched and as a result of that, she did not suffer any thirst until her death.
Safeenah – may Allâh be pleased with him -, a former slave of the Messenger of Allâh – salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam, was sent on an errand by the latter then he was stopped by a lion on his way but when he told the lion that he was running an errand for the Messenger of Allaah – salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam, the lion served as his guard to where he was sent.
Khaalid bn Al-Waleed – may Allâh be pleased with him - led an army of the Muslims to lay a siege on a strong fortress. The people in the fortress said they would not surrender unless if he drank some poison to show that he was leading an army of righteous people. Khaalid drank the poison and nothing happened to him.
Sa'd bn Abee Waqqaas – may Allâh be pleased with him - was a person if he made a supplication – positive or negative, Allâh, the Mighty Lord, would grant it. It was in his hands the great army of Persia was brought in its knees. He also led the army that liberated Iraq.
Umar bn Al-Khattaab – may Allâh be pleased with him - sent an army on an expedition; he made Saariyah the commander of the army. Umar was delivering a Khutbah one day in Madeenah when he said: 'O Saariyah, seek the mountain, O Saariyah, seek the mountain.' A messenger later came from the army to Madeenah and informed what the army encountered in the hands of the enemy but he said in the thick of the battle they heard a voice saying, 'O Saariyah, seek the mountain, O Saariyah, seek the mountain.' He said they sought the mountain as a stratagem of defence and counter-attack and they won the battle.
Az-Zaneerah – a woman – was punished for accepting Islam such that she lost her eyesight. The pagans then said: 'Al-Laat and Al-Uzza had caused the loss of your eyesight.' She replied: 'Never; they can't.' As a result of that, Allaah restored her eyesight.
Al-A'laa bn Al-Hadar – may Allâh be pleased with him - was a representative of the Messenger of Allâh – salaLlâhu alahy wa sallam - in Bahrain. He was such that whenever he made supplications too, Allâh would grant them. He once supplicated to Allâh for water when there was an acute shortage of water, and water came. He was the one that supplicated when he and his companions ran into a deep sea while there was a danger behind them, and they were on horsebacks. He supplicated to Allâh that He should make them to proceed in the sea with their horses and they did so such that water did not touch the upper legs of their horses.
Among The Taabi'oon
The likes of the above occurred to Aboo Muslim Al-Khaulaanee – may Allâh bestow mercy on him -. He was once thrown into a blazing fire and he walked there unhurt. He and his army once walked over the River Tigris while the enemy were hurling all sorts of dangerous weapons at them yet they escaped. It also occurred that Al-Aswad al-'Anasee – the false prophet – sought to kill him. He and Aboo Muslim met one day and he asked him: 'Do you testify that I am a messenger of Allâh?' Aboo Muslim said: 'I can't hear.' But when Al-Aswad said: 'Do you testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah.' Aboo Muslim replied, 'Yes.' That angered Al-Aswad who orderd that fire should be prepared and Aboo Muslim was thrown inside. But when he got there, he began to observe prayers standing. The fire was comfort and peace for him! Aboo Muslim entered Madeenah and met the death of the Messenger of Allâh – salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam. When Umar and Aboo Bakr and Umar – may Allâh be pleased with both - heard about his feat, Umar said, 'Praise to Allâh Who made me to see someone in the Ummah of Muhammad who suffered the like of what Prophet Ibraahim suffered and was unhurt.'
Aamir bn Abd Qays - may Allâh bestow mercy on him - would make some earning about two thousand dir'ham and kept it in his sleeve. If he was going back home and met a needy person on the road who asked for help, he would give him from the earning without counting. If he got back home he would find his money as it was before he spent out of it. He once walked by a caravan on a journey; a lion had blocked the way of the caravan. When Aamir got there, he moved nearer to the lion such that he could touch it with his cloth then he put his leg on its neck and said, 'I know you are just one of the dogs created by the Merciful; I am shy to fear any other creature beside Allâh.' With that, the caravan could continue its journey. Aamir also once supplicated that Allâh should provide him with warm water in the cold season. He used to be have steam water with him always.
Al-Hasan Al-Basree – Al-Imaam - may Allâh bestow mercy on him - – would hide from Hajjaaj bn Yoosuf (the tyrant). Hajjaaj's men sought him more than six times, he would supplicate to Allaah that they should not see him and Allaah would prevent them from seeing him. Al-Hasan Al-Basree - may Allâh bestow mercy on him - once supplicated against a Khaarijee who was tormenting his life, and the Khaarijee fell down dead.
Silah bn Ash'yam's horse died while he was fighting in a battle, then he supplicated thus, 'O Allâh, do not make any creature to have a claim upon me.' He then supplicated to Allâh, and Allaah gave life back to his horse. After the battle, when he got home, he removed the horse seat and the animal fell down dead. He was observing a prayer one night (in the bush) when a lion came his way. When he finished the prayer, he faced the lion and said, 'Get your provision somewhere else.' The lion turned and left.
When Uways Al-Qar'nee died - may Allâh bestow mercy on him -, people saw a number of shrouds with him and found a grave already dug with Lahd (niche) inside a rock. They buried him in the rock after shrouding him with the cloths they found with him.
Amr bn Uqbah bn Farqad - may Allâh bestow mercy on him -, would pray in the heat and some cloud would form and shade him from the sun. Predators used to guard him while guarding his companions because he made an agreement with his companions that he would serve them on their journey.
Mutarrif bn Abdillah bn Ash-Shikheer - may Allâh bestow mercy on him - , was such that any time he entered his house, the vessels in the house would praise Allaah with him.
When Al-Ahnaf bn Qays - may Allâh bestow mercy on him - died and was being buried, a man's cap fell into his grave. The man went inside to take it behold he saw that the grave had been widened in a distance of an eyesight.
Ibraahim At-Taymee - may Allâh bestow mercy on him - would stay for a month or two without eating anything. He once went out seeking food for his family but could not get any. He walked by a plain ground, took some red sand and went back home. When his family opened his bag, they found red wheat inside. Afterwards, if he planted any of the wheat grains, its pant would produce grains from the root to the apex; the bunches used to be massive.
Utbah Al-Ghulâm - may Allâh bestow mercy on him - asked his Lord for three things: Good voice, much blood (in the body) and provisions without much toiling. Thereafter, he was such that any time he recited the Qur'ân, he would shed blood and would go to his house and found provisions from where he had not thought of.
Abdul-Waahid bn Zayd - may Allâh bestow mercy on him - had an open wound in his body and any time he wanted to perform ablution he would pray to Allâh to close the wound for him and after that, the wound would open again.
Said Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah – may Allâh bestow mercy on him:
'There are many other incidents of wonders in the hands of the Auliyâ which we have not mentioned. There are many otters we have witnessed ourselves which we know in this period of ours.'
[Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah also has another voluminous book on wonders of the Auliyâ entitled, Qaa'idah Fil-Karaamaat Wal-Khawaariq. In the book, he laid down principles with which to differentiate true wonders from devil-induced wonders.]
[Translated with minor modifications by Aboo Aamir Al-Atharee].