The so-called Awliya who are impervious to pain!

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Imam Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy upon him, was asked about a people who hit themselves with metal objects and weapons, and it does not have any effect on them, and they claim that they are Awliyaa of Allah!

The Shaikh responded: Just because these people hit themselves with metal objects or other things and it does not have any effect on them is neither a proof that they are truthful nor that they are Awliyaa of Allah, nor that this is a miracle of theirs; rather this deed of theirs is a type of magic through which they deceive the eyes of the people. Magic  can occur through this and other ways. When the Pharaoh’s magicians threw their ropes and sticks, it appeared as if they moved fast and that they were snakes, just as Allah said: [سَحَرُوٓاْ أَعۡيُنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَٱسۡتَرۡهَبُوهُمۡ وَجَآءُو بِسِحۡرٍ عَظِيمٍ- They bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck terror into them, and they displayed a great magic]. [Surah Al-A’raaf. Aayah 116]

There is no doubt that what they did was a type of magic and it was not a miracle. Therefore, know – may Allah have mercy upon you – that miracles do not occur except at the hands of Allah’s true Awliyaa – those who truly fear Allah and are steadfast upon the religion ordained by Allah. Allah described them in His statement:

 أَلَآ إِنَّ أَوۡلِيَآءَ ٱللَّهِ لَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ

ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَڪَانُواْ يَتَّقُونَ

No doubt! Verily, the Awliya’ of Allah [i.e. those who believe in the Oneness of Allah and fear Allah much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which he has forbidden), and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)], no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve, – those who believed [in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism), and used to fear Allah much (by abstaining from evil deeds and sins and by doing righteous deeds]. [Yunus. 62-63]

Therefore, not everyone who claims to be a Waliy of Allah is truly a Waliy of Allah, otherwise everyone would make such a claim; rather a claimant is judged by his deeds. If his deeds are based on Iman and piety, he is a Waliy. Merely claiming that he is a Waliy is something that cannot be attributed to true fear of Allah because indeed Allah, The Most High, Said: [ فَلَا تُزَكُّوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡ‌ۖ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰ  – So ascribe not purity to yourselves. He (Allah) knows best him who fears Allah and keep his duty to Him]. [An-Najm. 32]

If a person claims that he is a Waliy, he has praised himself and fallen into an act of disobedience to Allah, and this is in opposition to piety. Due to this,  the true Awliyaa of Allah do not praise themselves, rather they believe in Allah, fear Allah and obey Allah in a perfect manner. Neither do they beguile nor deceive the people with the likes of these claims and thus misguide them from the path of Allah.

An Excerpt from “Fataawaa Fadeelah Ash-Shaikh Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaymeen Fil Aqeedah. 2/855-856