Marvel of a saint (karama)

In the lexicon karama is honour. In the terminology it is an extraordinary event that appears at the hand of a person known for righteousness who does not claim prophethood or mission ¹. The word also means distinction and dignity, and hospitality to a guest ¹.

A miracle (mu'jiza) is what defeats an opponent when challenged; it is an extraordinary event linked to a claim of prophethood, and so narrower than a karama ^{1 6}. Irhas is what appears before a prophet's mission and is broader than a karama in this respect ⁶. Istidraj is an extraordinary event that appears at the hand of an unbeliever or a sinner, and it is the opposite of karama in purpose ⁶.

Dignity is a standing that God gave to the children of Adam, preferring them over many of His creatures, as in Surat al-Isra', verse 70 ⁶. The law guards this standing: no one may violate a human being by killing, by assaulting honour, or by mockery, and mutilation is forbidden in life and after death, even of an enemy in war ^{6 2}.

The law urges honouring a guest and counts it among the signs of true faith, on the hadith "whoever believes in God and the last day, let him honour his guest" ². It also urges reverence for scholars, the elderly, those who carry the Qur'an and the people of virtue, on the hadith of Abu Musa that honouring the grey-haired Muslim is part of honouring God, and the hadith of Anas that no young man honours an elder for his age without God appointing someone to honour him when he is old ^{2 3}.

Most Sunni scholars hold that an extraordinary event may appear at the hand of a believer known for righteousness as an honour from God, and that such things have happened; that believer is called a friend of God (wali). The friend of God knows God as far as possible, keeps to obedience and avoids sins, and does not persist in sin without repentance, since only the prophets are infallible ³.

They cite the account of Mary in Surat Al 'Imran, verse 37, where Zakariyya found provision with her; al-Baydawi says this shows that marvels for saints are permitted. They also cite the People of the Cave in Surat al-Kahf, and the one with knowledge of the Book who brought the throne of Bilqis in Surat al-Naml, verse 40 ^{3 4}. Among the Companions' marvels, the book reports that Umar sent an army under Sariya and, while he was preaching, called out to him to turn to the mountain, and the army was saved; and that two men who left the Prophet ﷺ on a dark night had light before them ⁴. It also reports that angels washed Hanzala after he fell in battle ⁴. The qudsi hadith that God helps His servant who draws near by voluntary acts is read as God's support and aid for the righteous ⁴.

Abu Ishaq al-Isfara'ini and Abu Abd Allah al-Halimi denied that a non-prophet can perform an extraordinary act, since such acts are signs of the prophets' truthfulness, and since if they appeared at the hands of saints they would multiply and cease to be extraordinary ⁵.

A claim that is impossible by custom, though possible as a marvel, is not accepted in law. For example, a man who says he mortgaged his house in Syria while he is in Mecca is not believed, and likewise one who married in the west while he was in the east and a child was born after six months is not attributed to him, since such things are not relied on in law. Where the law gives a special ruling to one person, it stays his alone, as in the case of Khuzayma whose single testimony was counted as two ⁵.