[Q 154] Ruling on the Superiority of Prophets Over Awlia (Saints) in Islamic Theology

Question

What is the ruling on someone who says that the rank of a saint can be higher than that of a prophet?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الجواب بعون الملك الوهاب اللهم هداية الحق والصواب

Answer

The rank of the saints is very high in the sight of Allah, and whoever harbors enmity towards them, Allah declares war against them. However, despite all of their virtues and perfections, no saint, not even all of the saints combined, can ever attain the rank of even one noble prophet. If someone gives preference upon a prophet, then that person is an apostate and a disbeliever, because this is a form of disrespect to the Prophet عليه السلام. Therefore, the belief that a saint can be better than a prophet is kufr.

Allah has granted superiority to  the prophets over all the worlds, as Allah عزوجل has said:

‎كُلًّا فَضَّلْنَا عَلَى الْعٰلَمِیْنَ

Translation: “And We granted them excellence over all in the world.”

(Al-Anam, V.no 86)

He عزوجل has even granted them superiority over the angels, as is stated in the interpretation of this verse:

ويستدل بهذه الآية من يقول إن الأنبياء أفضل من الملائكة لأن العالم اسم لكل موجود سوى الله تعالى فيدخل فيه الملك فيقتضي أن الأنبياء أفضل من الملائكة

“And this verse is used as evidence by those who say that the Prophets are better than the angels because ‘Aalam’ (عالم) is the name of all the existents other than Allah, and the angels are included in it, so it requires that the prophets are better than the angels.”

(Tafsir al-Khazin, Surah al-An’am, verse 86, vol. 2, p. 131, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah)

No saint can attain the rank of a prophet, as is stated in Sharh al-‘Aqaid:

ولا يبلغ ولي درجة الانبياء لان الانبياء معصومون مامونون عن خوف الخاتمة مكرمون بالوحي ومشاهدة الملك ومامورون بتبليغ الاحكام وارشاد الانام بعد الاتصاف بكمالات الاولياء

“A saint cannot attain the rank of the prophets because the prophets are infallible(معصوم), protected from a bad end, honored with revelation and the sight of the angels, and commanded to convey the rulings and guide the people after being characterized with the perfections of the saints.”

(Sharh al-‘Aqaid, p. 347, Maktabat al-Madinah)

In fact, even one prophet is better than all of the saints in the world, as is stated in Bariqah Mahmudiyyah:

وقد ذكر الشريف العلامة في شرح المواقف و ذكر السعد العلامة في شرح المقاصد۔۔۔أن الإجماع منعقد على أن الأنبياء أفضل من الأولياء بل نبي واحد أفضل من جميع الأولياء

“The noble scholar al-Shaykh al-Jurajani رحمة اللّٰه عليه mentioned in his book Sharh al-Mawaqif, and the scholar al-Sa’d al-Taftazani رحمة اللّٰه عليه mentioned in his book Sharh al-Maqasid… that there is consensus that the prophets are better than the saints, but rather even one prophet is better than all of the saints.”

(Bariqah Mahmudiyyah fi Sharh Tariqat Muhammadiyyah, al-Fasl al-Awwal fi Tashhih al-‘Aqaid, vol. 1, p. 240, Matba’at al-Halabi)

In addition, it is stated in al-Mu’taqid al-muntaqid:

إنّ نبیاً واحداً أفضل عند اللّٰه من جمیع الأولیاء، ومن فضل ولیا علی نبي یخشی الکفر بل ہو کافر

“Indeed, one prophet is better in the sight of Allah than all of the saints. And whoever gives preference to a saint over a prophet, there is fear of kufr,  but rather, he is a disbeliever.”

(Al-Mu’taqid al-muntaqid, p. 219, Dar Ahl al-Sunnah)

Giving preference to a saint over a prophet is kufr, as is stated in Tafsir al-Nasafi:

وقد زال أقدام أقوام من الضلال في تفضيل الولي على النبي وهو كفر جلي

“Some people’s feet have slipped into error in giving preference to a saint over a prophet, and this is clear kufr.”

(Tafsir Al-Nasafi, Surah Al-Kahf, Verse 82, Volume 2, Page 315, Dar Al-Kalam Al-Tayyib).

It is stated in Sharh al-Aqaid:

فما نقل عن بعض الكرامية من جواز كون الولي افضل من النبي كفر وضلال

(Sharh al-Aqaid, page 347, Maktab al-Madinah)

It is mentioned in Al-Hadiqah al-Nidya:

في شرح العقائد ان تفضيل الولي أي اعتقاد أنه أكثر فضيلة عند الله وجاها ورفعة على النبي مرسلا كان او لا كفر وضلال كيف وهو أي التفضيل تحقير للنبي بالنسبه إلى الولي وخرق للاجماع أي حيث اجمع المسلمون على فضيله النبي على الولي

(Al-Hadiqah al-Nidya, Volume 2, Page 95, Dar Al-Kutub Al-ilamiya)

Answered by: Mufti Sajid Attari

Translated by: Arslan Attari