Who Was Ahmad al Rifai rahimahullah

Al-Rifāʿī:

He is Abū al-ʿAbbās Aḥmad ibn Abī al-Ḥasan ʿAlī ibn Abī al-ʿAbbās Aḥmad, known as Ibn al-Rifāʿī, the shaykh of the Aḥmadiyyah, Rifāʿiyyah, and Baṭāʾiḥiyyah orders, so called because he lived in Umm ʿUbaydah, one of the villages of the Baṭāʾiḥ (marshlands), which lie between Baṣrah and Wāsiṭ.

He lived in that region, and many people gathered around him. It is said that he memorised al-Tanbīh in jurisprudence. Ibn Kathir said: I have mentioned him in Ṭabaqāt al-Shāfiʿiyyah. End quote from al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah (16/559).

Al-Dhahabī رحمه الله تعالى said:

وتفقه قليلا على مذهب الشافعي

“He studied jurisprudence for a short time according to the Shāfiʿī school.”
End quote from al-ʿIbar (3/75).

Among the people of knowledge, he is well known for righteousness, and they supplicate for mercy upon him.

Ibn Khallikān رحمه الله تعالى said:

 كان رجلاً صالحا فقيها شافعي المذهب

“He was a righteous man, a jurist, following the Shāfiʿī school.”
End quote from Wafayāt al-Aʿyān (1/171).

Al-Dhahabī رحمه الله تعالى also said:

 الإمام، القدوة ، العابد، الزاهد، شيخ العارفين…

وكان كثير الاستغفار، عالي المقدار، رقيق القلب، غزير الإخلاص.

توفي: سنة ثمان وسبعين وخمس مائة، في جمادى الأولى، رحمه الله

“The imām, the exemplar, the devout worshipper, the ascetic, the shaykh of the gnostics…
He was abundant in seeking forgiveness, of high rank, soft-hearted, and rich in sincerity.
He passed away in the year 578 AH, in Jumādā al-Ūlā. May Allah have mercy upon him.”
End quote from Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ (21/77–80).

Ibn Kathīr رحمه الله تعالى said:

 توفي يوم الخميس الثاني والعشرين من جمادى الأولى من هذه السنة – سنة ثمان وسبعين وخمس مائة-، رحمه الله

“He died on Thursday, the twenty-second of Jumādā al-Ūlā of that year — the year 578 AH. May Allah have mercy upon him.”
End quote from al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah (16/560).

However, despite his fame for righteousness, he was not known for scholarship in the Sunnah or the sciences of the righteous predecessors (al-salaf al-ṣāliḥ). We have not come across anything definitive that establishes the soundness of all his beliefs. As for the books attributed to him that have reached our time, there is nothing that conclusively proves that he authored them. Allah knows best regarding their reality.

As for the group that attributes itself to him and claims Sufism in this era and in past eras, they are people of misguidance and false beliefs.

A number of books and treatises have been attributed to al-Rifa‘i, including the book “Al-Burhān al-Mu’ayyad” and the book “Ḥālatu Ahl al-Ḥaqīqah ma‘a Allāh” (The State of the People of Reality with Allah). These two books are regarded by the Rifa‘is as among the most reliable works attributed to the shaykh. They say about Al-Burhān al-Mu’ayyad:

“This is the book whose composition has reached a level of excellence unmatched by any equivalent. It was compiled from his sermons by Sharaf al-Dīn ibn ‘Abd al-Samī‘ al-Hāshimī al-Wāsiṭī. Our shaykh al-Qūṣī said: ‘This book is never read in a gathering except that the breezes of gnosis, sincerity, and spiritual firmness become manifest to those present.’”

As for the book “Ḥālatu Ahl al-Ḥaqīqah ma‘a Allāh”, there is no authentic evidence establishing its attribution to Ahmad al-Rifa‘i. Rather, his followers merely asserted that it is authentically his. Al-Mazīdī said:

“It consists of forty hadiths with connected chains of transmission, which Sayyid Ahmad al-Rifa‘i delivered in forty gatherings, and which were compiled by the Shafi‘i jurist Abu Shuja‘ al-Shafi‘i.”

This book consists of commentary on hadiths which it narrates with special chains attributed to Ahl al-Bayt from the Prophet ﷺ chains that are not mentioned in the recognized hadith collections such as al-Bukhari and Muslim.

From it, a lack of strong grounding in the science of hadith becomes apparent, as it contains many narrations that are not authentic. Examples include the hadith:

مَن وُلِد له وَلَدٌ فسَمَّاه مُحَمَّدًا، كان هو ومَولودُه في الجَنَّةِ

“Whoever is given a child and names him Muhammad, he and his child will be in Paradise,”

and the hadith:

نَظَرُ الولدِ إلى والدَيه عِبادةٌ

“A child’s looking at his parents is an act of worship.”

It also frequently includes statements such as: “Allah said in some of His books…” and then relies upon rare and strange Isra’iliyyat narrations.

Both of these books show a tendency to transmit Sufi maxims and statements, including matters that are not befitting for a Muslim to believe, such as calling lovers [of Allah] to be content with the Fire and to praise Allah for entering it on the Day of Resurrection, on the claim that it is part of Allah’s decree. For example, the statement:

إنَّ اللهَ أمر جِبريلَ أن يُخبرَ أحَدَ العابدينَ أنَّه من أهلِ النَّارِ، فلمَّا أخبَرَه خَرَّ ساجدًا يَشكُرُ اللَّهَ ويَقولُ: لك الحَمدُ يا مَولايَ على قَضائِك وقدَرِك حَمدًا يَعلو حَمدَ الحامِدينَ

“Allah commanded Jibril to inform one of the worshippers that he would be among the people of the Fire. When he informed him, he fell into prostration thanking Allah and saying: ‘All praise is Yours, O my Master, for Your decree and Your destiny praise that surpasses the praise of those who praise.’”

Likewise, it reports statements expressing trivialization of the Fire, such as the saying of one of them:

“My God, do not enter me into the Fire, for it will become cool upon me due to my love for You!”

However, there is nothing that conclusively establishes the authentic attribution of these two books to al-Rifa‘i, and Allah the Exalted knows best.

There are also other books that were compiled by those who affiliated themselves with him after his death, such as “Al-Majālis al-Rifa‘iyyah,” “Rahiq al-Kawthar,” and “Ḥikam al-Rifa‘i.”

Al-Zirikli mentioned some lines of poetry that were attributed to him, and stated that the correct view is that they are not actually his.

In any case, even if the authenticity of these books were to be established, they contain material that contradicts many of the beliefs held by those who later affiliated themselves with him especially those who seek help from other than Allah.

Al-Rifa‘i’s Position on Seeking Help from Other Than Allah.

In fact, in the book “Ḥālatu Ahl al-Ḥaqīqah ma‘a Allāh”, there is repeated prohibition against seeking help from other than Allah. For example, it mentions that Allah became angry with one of the ascetics when he intended to seek help from someone other than Him, and said to him:

أتَستَغيثُ بغَيري وأنا غِياثُ المُستَغيثينَ؟

“Do you seek help from other than Me, while I am the One who gives aid to those who seek aid?”

Likewise, his stance against innovations was far stronger than that of those who affiliate themselves with him today. He used to say:

مَن لم يَزِنْ أقوالَه وأفعالَه وأحوالَه في كُلِّ وقتٍ بالكِتابِ والسُّنَّةِ، ولم يَتَّهِمْ خَواطِرَه لم يَثبُتْ في ديوانِ الرِّجالِ

“Whoever does not weigh his statements, actions, and states at all times by the Book and the Sunnah, and does not suspect his inner thoughts, will not be recorded among the ranks of men.”

So does this state of his agree with what those who later affiliated themselves with him are upon?

This text clearly indicates that al-Rifa‘i regarded seeking help from saints as shirk that contradicts pure monotheism. He is not even talking about saints who have passed away rather those who are living, that is because right after that he said:

Furthermore, al-Rifa‘i viewed remaining at the graves of shaykhs and seeking blessings from them as a form of idolatry, and he referred to the grave in such a case as an “idol.” He said:

يا سادة: لا تجعلوا رواقي حرما، ولا قبري بعد موتي صنما، عليكم به سبحانه، لا يضر وينفع ويصل ويقطع ويفرق ويجمع ويعطي ويمنع إلا هو

“O people: do not make my hospice a sanctuary, nor my grave after my death an idol. Turn to Him alone; none causes harm or benefit, none connects or severs, none separates or gathers, none gives or withholds except Him.” (Al-Burhān al-Mu’ayyad, p. 52; Ḥikam al-Rifa‘i, p. 12; Al-Kulliyyāt al-Ahmadiyyah, p. 115 (compiled by al-Ṣayyādī, collecting all of al-Rifa‘i’s statements))

These statements are found in the very books whose attribution to their shaykh the Rifa‘is strongly affirm. In them, it is mentioned that Allah says:

ما من عبد نزلت به بلية فاعتصم بمخلوق دوني إلا قطعت أسباب السماء من يديه ووكلته إلى نفسه، وما من عبد نزلت به بلية فاعتصم بي دون خلقي إلا أعطيته قبل أن يسألني

“There is no servant upon whom a calamity befalls who seeks refuge in a created being instead of Me, except that I sever the means of the heavens from his hands and leave him to himself. And there is no servant upon whom a calamity befalls who seeks refuge in Me instead of My creation except that I grant him [his need] before he even asks Me.” (Ḥālatu Ahl al-Ḥaqīqah ma‘a Allāh, p. 124 (attributed to al-Rifa‘i))

It is also narrated that ‘Isa (peace be upon him) said:

طوبى لعبد سأل الله ولم يسأل إلا الله

“Blessed is the servant who asks Allah and asks none but Allah.” (Ḥālatu Ahl al-Ḥaqīqah ma‘a Allāh, p. 68)

It is further reported that one of the righteous fell into a well, and when a caravan passed by, he intended to call for help. A voice then called out to him:

أتستغيث بغيري وأنا غياث المستغيثين؟

“Do you seek help from other than Me, while I am the One who gives relief to those who seek relief?” (Ḥālatu Ahl al-Ḥaqīqah ma‘a Allāh, pp. 121–122)

And it is narrated that Allah, the Exalted, said to one of His servants:

لا تسأل غيري فأمقتك

“Do not ask anyone other than Me, lest I detest you.” (Ḥālatu Ahl al-Ḥaqīqah ma‘a Allāh, p. 134)

When a Sufi presented a hadith to argue against al-Ālūsī regarding istighāthah and the alleged omnipresence of Aḥmad al-Kabīr al-Rifāʿī, a debate took place between Maḥmūd Shukrī al-Ālūsī and a heretical follower of the Rifāʿī ṭarīqah. Shukrī al-Ālūsī said:

وقد تكلمت يوماً مع أحد غلاة الرفاعية الزنادقة ومشركيهم، إذ استغاث بالرفاعي قبل الشروع في ذكرهم،
فقلت له: هل يسمع الآن نداءك الرفاعي وهو في قبره في «أم عبيدة» ويمدك؟
قال: نعم.
قلت: فإذا اتفق مثلك في بلاد كثيرة ومواضع متعددة ألوف مؤلفة، وإن كانوا في أقطار شاسعة، هل يسمعهم أحمد الرفاعي ويمدهم ويغيثهم؟
قال: نعم.
قلت: هذا هو الغلو الذي نهى الله عنه في كتابه الكريم.
قال: ليس هذا من الغلو، بل هو مقتضى الدين؛ ألم تسمع حديث الأولياء؟ وهو قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم، الذي رواه البخاري:
«وما زال عبدي يتقرب إلي بالنوافل حتى أحبه، فإذا أحببته كنت سمعه الذي يسمع به، وبصره الذي يبصر به، ويده التي يبطش بها، ورجله التي يمشي بها» الحديث.

I once had a discussion with one of the extremist heretics—who are effectively polytheists—among the followers of the Rifāʿī ṭarīqah.

I asked him: Do you believe that al-Rifāʿī hears your call at this very moment while he is lying in his grave at Umm ʿUbayd, and that he is able to help you?

He said: Yes.

I then asked: Do you also believe that if thousands of people like you, in many different lands and distant regions across the world, were to call upon him, Aḥmad al-Rifāʿī would hear all of them, assist them, and come to their aid?

He said: Yes.

I said: This is precisely the exaggeration (ghulūw) that Allah has forbidden in His Noble Book (the Qur’an).

He replied: This is not exaggeration; rather, it is required by the religion. Have you not heard the hadith concerning the awliyāʾ? He then cited the narration recorded by al-Bukhārī in which the Prophet ﷺ said that Allah says:

“My servant continues to draw closer to Me through supererogatory acts until I love him. When I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he grasps, and his foot with which he walks.”

Al-Ālūsī then stated that the interpretation adopted by these heretics is false, and he responded by citing the commentary of Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī on this hadith. He said that Ibn Ḥajar explained it as follows:

1. This expression is metaphorical, meaning: I become his hearing and sight due to his preferring Me and complying with My commands. He loves obedience and service to Me, just as these limbs love to function.

2. The meaning is that the servant becomes wholly absorbed in obedience to Me; thus, he hears nothing except what I am pleased with, and he sees nothing except what I permit him to see.

3. I direct his goals, which he then achieves through his hearing, sight, and other faculties.

4. I become his support—like hearing, sight, hands, and feet—in aiding him against his enemies.

5. Al-Fākihānī and one of his predecessors, Ibn Hubayrah, stated that an implied word (muḍāf) is omitted in the text. When supplied, the meaning becomes: I become the guardian of his hearing with which he hears, and the guardian of his sight with which he sees, so that he does nothing except what I allow.

6. Al-Fākihānī further stated that the hadith carries another meaning that is even more appropriate: samʿ (hearing) here means masmūʿ (that which is heard). In other words, he hears nothing except the remembrance of Allah; he delights in nothing except the recitation of His words; he engages in nothing except intimate supplication (munājāt) with Him; he looks at nothing except the wonders of Allah’s dominion; and he moves his hands and feet only in pursuit of Allah’s pleasure.

(End quote)

[Ghayat al-Amānī, 1/345–347]

These Auliyah are free from what people do at their graves, just as ʿĪsā (peace be upon him) is free from the shirk of the Christians.

Ibn Khaldūn said in his Kitāb al-ʿIbar:

“قد كثر الزغل في أصحاب الشيخ قدس سره وتجددت لهم أحوال شيطانية منذ أخذت التتار العراق من دخول النيران وركوب السباع واللعب بالحيات وهذا ما لا يعرفه الشيخ ولا صلحاء أصحابه فنعوذ بالله تعالى من الشيطان الرجيم”

The companions of Shaykh al-Rifāʿī (may Allah sanctify his secret) have become more deceitful, and after the Tatars took control of Iraq, new satanic practices appeared among them, such as entering fire, riding wild animals, and playing with snakes. Shaykh al-Rifāʿī and his truly righteous companions had no involvement with these un-Islamic practices. We seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shayṭān.
(Quoted by al-Alūsī in his Tafsīr, Rūḥ al-Manī, 9/67)

Al-Dhahabī رحمه الله تعالى said:

وكان إليه المنتهى في التواضع والقناعة، ولين الكلمة والذل والانكسار والإزراء على نفسه وسلامة الباطن، ولكن أصحابه فيهم الجيد، والرديء، وقد كثر الزغل فيهم، وتجددت لهم أحوال شيطانية منذ أخذت التتار العراق: من دخول النيران وركوب السباع واللعب بالحيات.

وهذا ما عرفه الشيخ ، ولا صلحاء أصحابه؛ فنعوذ بالله من الشيطان

“He reached the utmost degree in humility, contentment, gentleness of speech, humility, self-abasement, and inner soundness. However, among his followers were both the good and the bad, and much corruption spread among them. Satanic states emerged among them after the Tatars took over Iraq, such as entering fire, riding wild beasts, and playing with snakes.

This was not known from the shaykh nor from the righteous among his companions. We seek refuge in Allah from Satan.”
End quote from al-ʿIbar (3/75).

Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله تعالى said:

وأما كشف الرؤوس وتفتيل الشعر وحمل الحيات: فليس هذا من شعار أحد من الصالحين؛ لا من الصحابة ولا التابعين ولا شيوخ المسلمين لا المتقدمين ولا المتأخرين ولا الشيخ أحمد بن الرفاعي ولا غيره، وإنما ابتُدع هذا بعد موت الشيخ أحمد بمدة طويلة، ابتدعه طائفة انتسبت إليه ، فخالفوا طريق المسلمين، وخرجوا عن حقائق الدين، وفارقوا طريق عباد الله الصالحين .

وهم نوعان: أهل حال إبليسي. وأهل محال تلبيسي

“As for uncovering the heads, twisting the hair, and carrying snakes: this is not among the symbols of any of the righteous — neither of the Companions, nor the Followers, nor the shaykhs of the Muslims, neither earlier nor later, neither Shaykh Aḥmad ibn al-Rifāʿī nor anyone else. Rather, this was innovated long after the death of Shaykh Aḥmad, by a group that attributed itself to him. They opposed the path of the Muslims, departed from the realities of the religion, and separated from the way of the righteous servants of Allah.

They are of two types: people of satanic states, and people of deceptive false displays…”
End quote from Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā (11/494).

Sayyid Rashid Rida, a descendant of Ḥusayn (radhiyallāhu ʿanhu), said in Tafsīr al-Manār:

“وقد سمعت من كثير من الناس في مصر وسورية حكاية يتناقلونها ربما تكررت في القطرين لتشابه أهلهما وأكثر مسلمي هذا العصر في خرافاتهم ، وملخصها أن جماعة ركبوا البحر فهاج بهم حتى أشرفوا على الغرق فصاروا يستغيثون معتقديهم ، فبعضهم يقول : يا سيد يا بدوي ، وبعضهم يصيح يا رفاعي ، وآخر يهتف : يا عبد القادر يا جيلاني . . . . . إلخ وكان فيهم رجل موحد ضاق بهم ذرعا فقال : يارب أغرق أغرق ، ما بقي أحد يعرفك.”

That is: When some people in Egypt were traveling by ship, a storm arose, and they began calling out, “Yā Rifāʿī, Yā ʿAbdul Qādir, Yā Jīlānī,” seeking help from these figures. Among them was a Muwāḥid (monotheist) who became distressed by their actions. He prayed: “Yā Rabb, let them be drowned, for none among them truly knows You.”
(Tafsīr al-Manār, under Surah Yūnus, verses 21–23)

The descendant of Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib (Radhi Allahu Anhu) commented on the misguided beliefs of some people regarding Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani.

Ali bin Muhammad Saeed al-Suwaidi (Shafi‘i, d. 1237 H) said:

حتى أنِّي رأيت بدمشق الشام أناسًا
ينذرون للشيخ عبد القادر الجيليِّ
قنديلاً يُعَلِّقونه في رؤوس المنابر،
ويَسْتَقْبلون به جهةَ بغداد،
ويبقى موقدًا إلى الصباح؛
وهم يعتقدون أنَّ ذلك من أَتَمِّ القُرُبات إليه؛
كأنهم يقولون بلسان حالهم:
أينما توقدوا فَثَمَّ عبد القادر.
فيا لله العجب!
ما هذه الخرافات؟!
وأين دين الله الذي قد مات؟
بالَ الشَّيْطان في عقولهم وأضلَّهم عن سبيلهم.

Translation:

I once noticed in Damascus, some people vowing to Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani while suspending a chandelier at the top of the minbar. They faced it towards Baghdad, and the candles burned all night until dawn. They believed that by doing so they were seeking nearness to him, as if to say: “Whenever we burn candles for him, there appears Shaykh Abdul Qadir.”

What a strange thing this is! What kind of superstition (khurafat) is this! The religion of Allah is dead! Satan has corrupted their minds, and they are misled from the straight path.
(Ghayat al-Amani 1/369)

He also said:

Allama Ibn al-Qayyim, in his book Al-Kaba’ir, stated:

Some have disbelieved by worshiping others besides Allah—be it the Messenger, the Prophet, jinn, stars, angels, or a Shaykh. This is done by some ignorant people who falsely claim to follow Islam. They venerate the Mashaikh such as Shaykh Ahmad al-Rifa‘i, Shaykh Yunus, Shaykh Adi, and others. They throw themselves over graves, kiss them, make sajdah, ask for help, seek forgiveness, and ask for their needs. This is the beginning of idol worship and constitutes a form of shirk with Allah.

(Suwaidi commented:) Then he described the practices of the mushrikeen in detail, explaining how shaitan influences them even under the guise of piety. Idol worship began with veneration of graves and their associated traces (athar). He added:

Asking help from scholars or Awliya’ is included in shirk if it is done in a way that associates partners with Allah. Taking oaths on their names or calling upon them in veneration—saying, “O my leader, O my Shaykh so-and-so” (Ya Sayyadi, Ya Shaykh Fulaan)—amounts to associating partners with Allah. Allah says:

{So do not attribute to Allah equals while you know [that there is nothing similar to Him].}

This refers to shirk through calling upon others for help or worshiping them alongside Allah.
(Al-‘Aqd al-Thamin, Ali bin Muhammad Saeed al-Suwaidi 1/316–317)

The story attributed to Ar-Rifā‘ī shaking hands with the Prophet ﷺ at his grave is false. Some Sufis have claimed that this story is mentioned by Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī. Below is the clarification:

a) Muftis of Islamweb state:

All perfect praise is due to Allāh, the Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger.

“We have already clarified that the story of Ar-Rifā‘ī shaking hands with the Prophet ﷺ is among the lies and false claims propagated by some Sufis to deceive the public, particularly the stories written by the followers of the Ahmadiyyah Ṭarīqah about their Shaykh Ahmad Ar-Rifā‘ī.

Ibn Taymiyyah said: ‘This group exaggerates, commits shirk [associating partners with Allāh], and deviates from the Sharī‘ah. They share some characteristics with the Rāfiḍah (Shi‘ite sect), and they lie nearly or exactly like them, or even more than them. Indeed, they are among the sects that lie the most. It has even been said about them: “Do not say that someone lies more than the Jews about Allāh; rather, say that he lies more than the followers of the Ahmadiyyah Ṭarīqah about their Shaykh.”’

On the other hand, the paper Ash-Sharaf al-Muḥattam is unlikely to have been authored by al-Suyūṭī, as there is significant doubt regarding its attribution. Shaykh ‘Abdullāh al-Ghumārī al-Ḥasanī wrote a paper entitled An-Naqd al-Mubram li Risālat Ash-Sharaf al-Muḥattam to prove the invalidity of the karāmah (extraordinary event) of the “stretched hand” — i.e., the claim that the Prophet ﷺ extended his hand from his grave to Shaykh Ahmad Ar-Rifā‘ī — as well as the invalidity of attributing the paper Ash-Sharaf al-Muḥattam to al-Suyūṭī.

Ibn Kathīr wrote the biography of Ar-Rifā‘ī in his book Al-Bidāyah wa-an-Nihāyah, but he did not mention this story; likewise, an-Nawawī did not mention it.

Moreover, some researchers have noted that biographies of al-Suyūṭī do not list this paper among his numerous writings. Al-Suyūṭī himself did not mention it in his own biography in Ḥusn al-Muḥādhara.

In addition, this alleged paper contains errors that could never have been made by al-Suyūṭī, such as his comment on the hadith: “I passed by Mūsā (Moses) on the night of my Isrā’ at the red dune while he was standing in his grave praying,” which he claimed was narrated by Ibrāhīm in Al-Ḥilyah, whereas the hadith is in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. Moreover, the author of Al-Ḥilyah is Abū Nu‘aym Aḥmad ibn ‘Abdullāh al-Asbahānī, not Ibrāhīm.

Therefore, it is utterly unlikely that al-Suyūṭī, who is well-known for authoring compilations and books of hadith and takhrīj, such as Al-Jāmi‘ al-Kabīr, Al-Jāmi‘ as-Saghīr, Al-Khaṣā’iṣ, and Ad-Durr al-Manthūr, would refer this hadith to Al-Ḥilyah and even make a mistake about its author.

Allāh knows best.
(End quote from Islamweb)

b) Maḥmūd Shukrī al-‘Alūsī said:

أن أحسن من رواها الإمام السيوطي، وقد أسندها إلى بعض المجاميع، ولم يذكر لها سنداً واهياً فضلاً عن أن يكون صحيحاً، مع أن حاله في الرواية معلوم، فقال في كتابه (تنوير الحلك في رؤية النبي والملك) : وفي بعض المجاميع؛ وذكر القصة والبيتين على وجه الاختصار مع أن هذه القصة لو صحّت لتوفرت الدواعي على نقلها، لأنها حادث عظيم وخارق عجيب، فالشيء الذي تتوفر الدواعي على نقله ولم يذكره أحد من الثقات بل ذكره الدجالون الضالون المضلون فهو لا شك تزوير وبهتان، وكذب من إفك شيطان.

“The best among those who mentioned this story is al-Suyūṭī, who only referred to some collections and did not mention any weak chain of narrators, let alone any authentic chain. He said in his book Tanwīr al-Ḥālik fī Ru’yat an-Nabī wa’l-Malak: ‘It is mentioned in some collections,’ and he briefly mentions the story and a couplet of poetry. If this story were authentic, it would have been mentioned widely, since this is a great event and a strange karāmah. Yet trustworthy scholars did not report it; rather, it was narrated by liars, deviants, and misleading people.’”
(Ghayat al-Īmānī 1/347)

He further said:

أن كثيراً من أهل العلم والأدب نسب البيتين إلى غير أحمد الرفاعي. قال الشيخ صلاح الدين الصفدي في تذكرته: حكي أن ابن الفارض لما اجتمع بالشهاب السهروردي في مكة أنشده
في حالة البعد روحي كنت أرسلها … تقبل الأرض عني وهي نائبتي
وهذه نوبة الأشباح قد حضرت
… فامدد يمينك كي تحظى بها شفتي
وكفى بما ذكره الشيخ صلاح الدين هذا شاهداً على بطلان ما ادعاه غلاة الرفاعية ومبتدعتهم، فإن هذا الشيخ كان إماماً أديباً ناظماً ناثراً، ولد سنة ست وتسعين وستمائة، وقد عقد له ابن السبكي ترجمة مجملة في “طبقاته”.
وممن نقل ذلك الشهاب الخفاجي الشافعي في كتابه (طراز المجالس) وأن البيتين من شعر ابن الفارض لما اجتمع بالسهروردي في مكة قال: “وقد نسب هذا لغيره، ولم يذكر الغير ولم يصرح باسمه “.”

Many scholars and men of literature have attributed these two couplets to someone other than Ahmad ar-Rifā‘ī. Shaykh Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn as-Safadī stated in his Tadhkirah:

It is related that when Ibn al-Fāriḍ met Shihāb al-Suhrawardī in Mecca, he recited:

“In the state of spiritual distance, I used to send it…
The earth would receive it on my behalf as my deputy.
And now this visitation of spirits has arrived…
Stretch forth your right hand so that my lips may receive it.”

What Shaykh Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn mentioned here serves as evidence against the claims made by the extremists and innovators among the Rifā‘ī followers. Shaykh Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn was a learned and literary imam, both a poet and prose writer, born in 696 AH, and Ibn al-Subkī wrote a concise biography of him in Ṭabaqātuh.

This account was also transmitted by Shihāb al-Khafājī al-Shāfi‘ī in his book Ṭarāz al-Majālis, who confirmed that these couplets are indeed the poetry of Ibn al-Fāriḍ when he met al-Suhrawardī in Mecca. He noted:

“This has been wrongly attributed to others; the real author was never explicitly mentioned.”

Many scholars of knowledge and literature attributed the couplets to someone other than Ahmad ar-Rifā‘ī. Shaykh Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn as-Safadī said in his Tadhkirah: ‘It is related that when Ibn al-Fāriḍ met Shihāb al-Suhrawardī in Mecca, he recited the following couplets:

في حالة البُعدِ رُوحي كُنتُ أرسِلُها ** تُقَبِّلُ الأرضَ عَنّي وَهيَ نَائِبَتي
وهذه نوبة الأشباح قد حضرت ** فَامدُدْ يَمينَكَ كَي تَحظَى بِها شَفتي

And Shihāb al-Khafājī in his book Ṭarāz al-Majālis also attributed these couplets to Ibn al-Fāriḍ. The couplets had been incorrectly attributed to others and the actual author was never explicitly mentioned.’”
(Ghayat al-Īmānī 1/348)

There is an important point to note: Sheikh Al-Rifai, may God have mercy on him, was fully aware of what the Sufis attributed to their sheikhs and spiritual masters. Therefore, it was not surprising that he would warn his followers against what he had observed among Sufis in terms of lying about their sheikhs. He said:

وأحذر الفرقة التي دأبها تأويل كلمات الأكابر والتفكه بحكايات وما نسب إليهم فإن أكثر ذلك مكذوب عليهم. وما كان ذلك إلا من عقاب الله للخلق لما جهلوا الحق، فابتلاهم الله بأناس من ذوي الجرأة السفهاء .. وسلط أيضاً أناساً من أهل البدعة والضلالة: فكذبوا على القوم وأكابر الرجال وأدخلوا في كلامهم ما ليس منه. فتبعهم البعض فألحقوا بالأخسرين أعمالا

“And beware of the group whose practice is to interpret the words of the elders and make jokes from stories and what is attributed to them, for most of it is false against them. This only occurs as a punishment from God upon people because of their ignorance of the truth; God tests them with bold and foolish people… He also empowered people of innovation and misguidance: they lied about the people and the great men, and inserted into their words what was not theirs. Some followed them and thus joined their deeds with the losers.” (Qiladat al-Jawahir, p. 147; Tabaqat al-Shahrani, 1/142)

Note: The book Qiladat al-Jawahir is filled with innovations, still we are quoting from it as they believe it to be true.

This is a testimony from Al-Rifai himself, which later Rifa’i texts have transmitted.

We may then ask: Did the Rifa’is adhere to what their sheikh warned them about? Did they follow the example of the Sufis of whom Al-Rifai spoke?

Let us recount the stories attributed to their sheikh in detail to find the answer:

• “Be, and it is”: Does this happen for anyone other than Allah Almighty?

A fully realized saint (wali) in Sufism is called “one who governs the universes.” This governing has no limit, particularly since the accomplished Sufi is said to have access to the word “Be” (Kun) by which God creates things. They reported that Sheikh Ahmad Al-Rifai said:

“أي سادة ” إذا استعنتم بعباد الله وأوليائه فلا تشهدوا المعونة والإغاثة منهم , فإن ذلك شرك , ولكن اطلبوا من الله الحوائج بمحبته لهم ” رب أشعث أغبر ذي طمرين مدفوع بالأبواب , لو أقسم علي الله لأبره ” ( رواه احمد ومسلم عن ابي هريرة رضي الله عنه ) صرفهم الله في الأكوان , وقلب لهم الأعيان وجعلهم يقولون بإذنه للشيء كن فيكون عيسي عليه السلام خلق طيرا من الطين بإذن الله أحيي الموتي بإذن الله نبينا وحبيبنا سيد سادات الأنبياء محمد عليه أفضل الصلاة والسلام حن الجذع إليه وسلمت الجمادات عليه وجمع الله به ماتفرق في الأنبياء والمرسلين من المعجزات وجرت أسرار معجزته في أولياء أمته فهي للأولياء كرامات تمر, وله عليه الصلاة والسلام معجزة تستمر

“O masters, if you seek help from the servants of Allah and His awliya (saints), do not witness assistance or aid from them, for that is shirk (associating partners with Allah). Rather, ask Allah for your needs out of love for them. ‘A disheveled, dusty man with two mounds, pushed against the doors; if he were to swear by Allah, He would fulfill it.’” (Narrated by Ahmad and Muslim from Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him.)

Allah scattered them across the worlds, reversed the forms of creation for them, and made them say, by His permission, “Be,” and it is. Jesus, peace be upon him, created a bird from clay by Allah’s permission and revived the dead by Allah’s permission.

Our Prophet and beloved, the master of all prophets, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, leaned toward the trunk, and the inanimate obeyed him. Allah, through him, gathered all the dispersed miracles of the prophets and messengers, and the secrets of his miracle flowed to the awliya of his nation. These are like karamat (special favors) for the awliya, while for him, peace be upon him, it remains an ongoing miracle.

(Irshad al-Muslimin, 124–125; Rawdat al-Nazirin, p. 85)

Even though the book is not fully authenticated, He clearly forbade people from seeking help directly from the Awliya and instructed them to ask Allah for their needs out of love for the Awliya. This is the recommended form of tawassul—i.e., seeking nearness to Allah through good deeds, including love for the Awliya.

As for those Awliya who are alive, he said that if you ask them for help, you should believe that the assistance ultimately comes from Allah. He was not referring to Awliya who have passed away, because he was giving examples of those who were living, such as the miracles of Jesus and Muhammad, peace be upon them. He did not claim that, even after their death, Jesus resurrected the dead.

As for the karamat of giving a Wali the word “Kun,” it is true that karamat (miracles) are a legitimate matter in which every Muslim must believe. However, they do not reach a level that is impermissible for anyone other than God Almighty, such as the word “Be” (Kun), which some claim to possess or attribute to their sheikhs.

At most, this can be understood in the context of the Day of Judgment, as attributed to Sheikh Ahmad Al-Rifai, who said:

“يا بني آدم أطيعوني أطعكم، وراقبوني أراقبكم، وأجعلكم تقولون للشيء: كن فيكون”
“O children of Adam, obey Me and I will obey you; watch Me and I will watch you; and I will make you say to a thing: ‘Be,’ and it is.”
(Jami’ Karamat al-Awliya’, Al-Nabhani, 2/158)

The full Athar states:

“وقد جاء في الأثر : ” {يا عبدي أنا أقول للشيء كن فيكون أطعني أجعلك تقول للشيء كن فيكون يا عبدي أنا الحي الذي لا يموت أطعني أجعلك حيا لا تموت}”
“O My servant, I say to a thing, ‘Be,’ and it becomes. Obey Me, and I will make you say to a thing, ‘Be,’ and it becomes. O My servant, I am the Ever-Living Who does not die. Obey Me, and I will make you alive and never die.”
(Majmu Fatawa)

This quote refers to the people of Jannah, in the sense that they will receive what they wish for, not that they will possess this power in this world.

Regarding the use of this Athar as evidence for false claims that a Wali can say to a thing, “Be,” and it becomes: it is already clear that this concerns the Hereafter, not this worldly life.

Allah has decreed death for everyone. As He says:

{Every soul will taste death, and We test you with evil and good as a trial; and to Us you will be returned.} [Al-Anbiya: 35]

Allah has not granted eternal life in this world to anyone. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

{There is no living soul today that will remain alive after a hundred years have passed over it.}
(Sahih Muslim, hadith of Jabir ibn Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him)

Therefore, when Allah says:

“O son of Adam! Obey Me, and I will admit you to Paradise, so you will have a life there in which there is no death,”
{They will not taste death therein except the first death, and Allah will have protected them from the punishment of Hellfire.} [Ad-Dukhan: 56]

In contrast, regarding the people of the Fire, Allah says:

{Indeed, whoever comes to his Lord as a criminal, for him is Hell; he will neither die therein nor live.} [Ta-Ha: 74]

In Paradise, the believer will say to a thing, “Be,” and it will be, because nothing is desired by a believer there except that it is granted by the grace and favor of Allah. This refers specifically to Paradise: the believer receives gifts from Allah, who is Ever-Living, while the believer in Paradise is alive and will never die.

This is what the scholars meant regarding the claim of a Wali being given the power of “Kun.”

In Mukhtasar Fatawa Misriyah, Ibn Taymiyyah said:

ومن قال إن أحدا من أولياء الله يقول للشيء كن فيكون فأنه يستتاب، فأن تاب و إلا قتل، فأنه لا يقدر أحد على ذلك إلا الله سبحانه وتعالى
“Whoever says: ‘One of the Awliya says about something: be (kun), and it is so (fa yakun),’ repentance should be sought, and either he repents or he is killed, for none is capable of such except Allah Subhanahu wa Taala. The son of Adam will not obtain whatever he wills, whoever he might be, but in the Hereafter, he will obtain whatever he wills…”