M.A. MUSAEV, SH.SH. SHIKHALIEV | MIRACLE-WORKING OF SAINTS IN DAGESTANI ARABIC-SPEAKING SUFI...

183

M.A. Musaev, S.Sh. Shikhaliev

The Miraculousness of Saints in the Dagestani
Arabic-language Sufi biographical work by
Shuaib al-Baghini, Tabaqat
al-khwajakan al-Naqshbandiyya
wa sadat masha'ikh al-khalidiyya
al-mahmudiyya".

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, writing biographies of theological
scholars became widespread in Dagestan. One of such works is "Tabaqat al-
hwajakan al-Naqshbandiyya wa sadat masha'ikh al-Khalidiyya al-
Mahmudiyya" ("Generations of Naqshbandiyya preceptors and sheikhs of
Khalidiyya-Mahmudiyya brotherhood") by Shuay-ba, son of Idris from
Baginub village. The work was completed by the author on November 16, 19111
and was written in Arabic in the genre of tabaqat, a genre common in the East,
in this case Sufi tabaqat, which is a chronologically ordered description of
biographies of sheikhs from the sacred chain of spiritual succession of the
Hadilidiyya-Mahmudiyya brotherhood.
The few manuscript copies of Shuaib's Tabaqat indicate that it did not
spread and was circulated in limited Sufi circles. This may be related to the
anti-Russian content of the text of the work, the familiarization of which by
the authorities could lead to repressive actions against the author. In the post-
Soviet era, Tabaqat was published in Syria by Dar an-nu'man li-l-'ulum in its
original language. The author of the preface of the edition Abd al-Jalil al-
Atta al-Bakri writes: "This book was published from a manuscript list, which
was given to the editorial office by a Dagestani Shazili sheikh, chairman of
the Dagestani Alim Council.

* The study was supported by a grant from the Council for Grants of the President of the Russian Federation for State Support of Young
Russian Scientists and State Support of Leading Scientific Schools of the Russian Federation (MK- 64544.2010.6).
1 | The following date is given in the colophon of the manuscript: "the twenty-fifth day of the month of zu-l-qa'd one thousand three
hundred and twenty-ninth year of Hijrah. It should be noted that the printed edition contains an editor's error caused by a misreading of the
date from the autograph text.
184 PAX ISLAMICA 2(7)/2011

Arslanali-Afandi through the Deputy Mufti of Dagestan". The book was

published in three editions in 1996, 1999 and 2003 and has become a
bibliographic rarity. The author of the preface writes that the book was prepared
for publication on November 7, 1996.
We do not know the fate of the original manuscript, but our search for
it has allowed us to obtain a digital copy of the manuscript text of the work.
The peculiarities of the writing of the preface and the unwan of the
manuscript, facsimiles of which are given in the edition, allow us to conclude
t h a t we are dealing with the copy from which the edition was made. This is
also supported by the fact that the brief description of the manuscript given in
the preface to the edition coincides with the copy of the manuscript at our
disposal. A comparison of Shuaib's handwriting s a m p l e s , i n particular
with the manuscript transcribed in his hand and in our possession, allows us
to conclude that this copy is an autograph. It should be noted that there are
additions in the text of the manuscript, probably made by Sheikh Hasan
Hilmi al-Qahi. He is also the author of the text written on a single sheet
pasted in the manuscript.
The essay consists of three chapters, the first two of which (125
manuscript pages) are compilation. The third chapter (92 manuscript
pages) is the most independent. Shuaib begins this chapter with biographies
of the Caucasian sheikhs of the tariqat, then divides it into three paragraphs: In
the first of them, al-Baghini writes about scholars who were not sheikhs but
whose level of knowledge allows them to be elevated to this rank; the
second paragraph talks about sheikhs who did not possess profound
knowledge and, having no mentors, by virtue of their unrestrained divine
love achieved a degree of sainthood; the third is devoted to those who
claim to be sheikhs but have neither knowledge nor a mentor to guide
them on the right path, and at the same time mentor others in the tariqat. It
should be noted that the third chapter of the work includes biographies of
the tariqat mentors from the sacred chain of spiritual succession, beginning
with Ismail-afandi al-Shir'wani al-Kurdamiri and ending with Ahmad-
afandi al-Talali.
It is noteworthy that Sufi oral and written traditions are characterized
by claims of miracle-working by sheikhs. Oral traditions and descriptions of
miracles performed in Dagestan may not always refer directly to Sufism and
Sufis. The most representative are the descriptions of Sufi miracles in
written works authored not by ordinary Sufis but by sheikhs.
The miracles of the sheikhs described in the works are referred to by
the term karamat (or karama). In the Muslim tradition, the word karamat is
used to refer to the miracles of the "saints," the "friends of God" (awliya) to
whom Allah grants the ability to perform them. The term karamat is to be
distinguished from mu'jizat (or mu'jizat).
M.A. MUSAEV, SH.SH. SHIKHALIEV | MIRACLE-WORKING OF SAINTS IN DAGESTANI ARABIC-SPEAKING SUFI... 185

mu'jizah). They have an identical general meaning - an extraordinary

event that breaks the "divine custom" (Sunnat Allah). But mu'jizat has a
specific meaning - it is a public act, followed by a proclamation, by which the
prophet demonstrates the undeniable "powerlessness" of the observers of
miracles. Karamat, on the other hand, is to be kept secret and is in no way
a sign of a prophetic mission. There is a risk of ambiguity if one translates both
terms by "miracle" or "miracle-working". It seems more correct to be more
specific, distinguishing "miracle-working of a prophet" from "miracle-
working of a saint" [Gardet, 1997, p. 615].
In the work of Shuaib al-Baghini, sheikhs are often characterized as
having the gift of miracles. The following quotations may be cited as an
example: "And [Mahmud al-Almali] manifested amazing karamat" [al-
Baghini, p. 182]; "[Jabra'il-afandi al-Tsahuri] manifested numerous
amazing miracles" [al-Baghini, p. 184] and others.
When describing miracles, reference is often made to a specific
person, a witness to the karamat, who is usually a God-fearing person with
knowledge of Islamic sciences. For example, describing the miracles of
Sheikh Mahmud al-Almali, whom the author never met, he refers to a
person who told Shuaib personally: "This is what his close mureed, hafiz Yu-
suf-afandi al-Almali, told about him..." [al-Baghini, p. 182]. In other cases, the
description of the karamat is transmitted by a chain of transmitters: "I was told
about it by his dear son Muhammad-afandi from the mouth of his father Sheikh
Haji Ahmad-da-afandi, who said..." [al-Baghini, p. 182]. [al-Baghini, p. 194]; "It
was narrated to me by Sheikh Qusay-afandi al-Jinigi from the mouth of [his
sheikh Isma- il al-Sivakalli]." [al-Baghini, p. 185].
The examples of miracles are diverse. Typologizing them is quite
difficult. We will limit ourselves to specific examples. There are several
stories in the work that claim supernatural movement of certain persons in
space.
About the famous scholar of theology Damadan al-Muhi, who was not
a Sufi sheikh but is equated with him by Shu'ayb al-Baghini because of his
excellent knowledge of Shariah, it is said: "The truth-finding sheikh al-
Quduqi was one evening in the village of Qudutl. When he came home after
evening prayer, he found his wife preparing delicate delicious chudu
(adrifah), and said:
"Our brother Damadan is very fond of these chudu," he said three times.
As soon as he finished saying it for the third time, Damadan came to them.
Shaykh al-Quduqi asked: "Why are you late, brother?" He replied, "When
you said the first time, I was performing the prayer in my house in Meheb
and reciting tashahud; when you said the second time, I was putting on
my shoes; when you said the third time, I arrived at your place."
186 PAX ISLAMICA 2(7)/2011

The distance between their villages is two days' journey, or more than that." [al-
Bagini, p. 158].
Another example of a story with supernatural movement in space
refers to the person of the famous sheikh Mamma-dibir al-Ruchi. It is said
that he used to leave his house on the day of Arafat and travel with pilgrims
to hajj. And one of the Dagestanis who could not leave Mecca because he
had been robbed, he brought him back to his homeland by putting him on his
back. The process itself is described as follows: "Then he took off and flew
over the mountains and seas. I heard the noise of flight, like the noise of an
eagle's wing soaring on the hunt. Thus it went on for several hours. Then he
came down and said to me: 'Now take off the blindfold from your eyes'". [al-
Baghini, pp. 137-138].
One of the miracles often mentioned in the work is the ability of
certain individuals to see what others cannot see.
"Once Ahmad-afandi al-Khuruhi's mother poured wheat on the roof of the
house to dry it in the sun. He looked at this wheat with his inner gaze and
saw that the grains of wheat were eating each other. Then he called his
mother and said: "Mother, give me my staff, my scarab, I am leaving you."
The mother exclaimed: "What are you saying, son! How can you leave us
when you have lived here o n l y a few days! After all, you have been so
long separated from us, is it befitting that you should leave us now!" He
replied, "Mother, how can I stay among people who do not pay zakat, who
do not distribute sadaqa from their property." His mother asked: "How so?
What did you see, son?" He replied, "I saw the wheat that you spread on the
roof eating each other. That is the property from which you have not paid
zakat, thus failing to fulfill the command of Allah Most High." [al-Ba-ghini,
p. 163]. There are two more karamat about al-Khurukhi, where he "described
amazing things hidden from human eyes" [al-Baghini, p. 163]. [al-Baghini,
p. 164].
The peculiarity of this type of miracles is that they cannot be verified
by testimony, since only the narrator himself is an observer of them. For
example: "Once, when Sheikh Sufi al-Jinigi and Sheikh Haji Yusuf al-
Hanawi were traveling, they saw an old grave near the road. Sheikh Haji
Yusuf said: "The man buried here used to smoke a lot. His grave has a
strong, persistent tobacco smoke. I asked: "How do you know?" He replied,
"How can you not know? Don't you see the tobacco smoke rising from his
grave? And don't you smell the tobacco smoke?" I said: "No." He said:
"Indeed, I see tobacco smoke and smell its odor". May Allah Almighty keep
us safe from tobacco smoke, ameen!" [al-Baghini, p. 140].
Another example of miracle-working, when a wali sees what others do
not see, is a case described by the author from eyewitnesses: "...the Sheikh
[Mahmud al-Almali] went to a stone which is known for being-
M.A. MUSAEV, SH.SH. SHIKHALIEV | MIRACLE-WORKING OF SAINTS IN DAGESTANI ARABIC-SPEAKING SUFI... 187

and said [to his mureeds]: "Be silent until I ask this stone about its
essence. Was it really turned [into a stone], as it is said to be, or is it a
lie?" He struck the stone with his staff and asked about its inner essence.
At that moment the stone moved and a great smoke with an unpleasant odor
came from it. Then Sheikh [Mahmud al-Almali], may his soul be holy,
said: "This stone told me that it used to be a huge snake and used to eat
the sheep of Sheikh Baba Rathm. He used to say to the snake: "O animal of
Allah, do not eat my sheep, for they are my sustenance. He said these words
to the snake over and over again in a mild manner, but it did not stop eating
his sheep, stealing one of them every day. One day, when the snake went
out to hunt to steal a sheep as usual, and this happened in this lowland,
[Sheikh Baba Ratma] shot at the snake with his bow, so that [the arrow]
went into one side of it and out the other. Then he approached the s n a k e ,
stood on it with his heel and addressed it saying: "By the permission of
Allah Most High, become a stone!" - and the snake turned to stone. [al-
Baghini, p. 184].
The above-mentioned example of miracle-working can be typologically
referred to karamat related to the transformation of one material object
into another. The example of karamat demonstrated by Hadith al-
Machadi, when he "stood on the roof of his house and flew like an eagle
from one mountain to another" [al-Ba'gini, p. 158].
Miracles are not always supernatural. It is described that Sheikh Haji
Yusuf, who lived in the village of Khnov, had no feet, walked on his ankles,
and could only cover short distances. "In spite of this ...[at the call of the
sheikh] he walked from his village until he came to Sheikh Jamaluddin [al-
Gazigumukhi] without getting tired in doing so. The distance between his
village and the place where Sheikh Jamaluddin was at that time was about six
days [ of travel]..." [al-Baghini, p. 139].
In the stories described by al-Baghini, there are indications t h a t
sheikhs could transmit information at a distance. The above-mentioned
Sheikh Haji Yusuf, while still a Murid, saw in a dream Sheikh Jamaluddin al-
Ghazigumuqi, who kicked him and exclaimed: "Until when will you stay in
your village in carelessness! Hurry, hurry, h u r r y !" [al-Baghini, p. 139].
Then it follows from the context that al-Gazigumuki waited for Haji Yusuf.
An example of the problematic nature of typologizing karamat is the
story of the miracle-working of Sheikhs Mahmud al-Almali and Ahmad al-
Ta'lali. This example of miracle-working may indicate that Awliya can
transmit information at a distance, see what others do not see. It can probably
be associated with the exteriorization of the shaykh (existence outside the
physical body) or with the supernatural
188 PAX ISLAMICA 2(7)/2011

I was told by reliable people in Mahmud al-Almali's entourage that one

day he and some of his relatives were invited to visit the village of
Mukhah. As they approached the village, they stopped at a grove near the
village. One of his companions plucked a fruit from a tree called "Yamishan"
(hawthorn) in Turkic. Sheikh [Mahmud al-Almali], sitting on his horse, suddenly
laughed and said: "Hey, so-and-so, verily, Mullah Ahmad at-Ta-lali, who is
now in the village of Kah, laughed at you and said: "See how this man,
being in front of his shaykh, lost his reverence for him by plucking the fruit and
eating it."" That man who plucked the fruit was surprised at this and said: "O
Sheikh, how can Mulla Ahmad see me now when the distance between us
is three hours' journey by horseback!". The Sheikh said: "Shall I show you the
truth of this?" The one said: "Yes." Then Sheikh Mahmud al-Almali said to him,
"Give me a bone of this fruit." Then the sheikh took this stone, threw it
and exclaimed: "Hey, Mulla Ahmad, catch what I have thrown to you."
And then added: "By Allah, this bone hit Mulla Ahmad's nose and the place
where the bone hit turned red...""" The owner of the bone that was thrown
at Mullah Ahmad wanted to go to him and ask him about the truth of
what had happened. He narrated what happened next: "When I returned
from the journey, I wanted to know the truth of what had happened and
went to the village of Kah. When I approached his room and looked
inside through a small window, Mullah Ahmad called out to me before I
could say anything: "Hey you, who do not believe the sheikhs, don't you know
that the miracles of the sheikhs are the truth?" I looked at him and saw
that the place on his nose where the bone had hit had turned red and that
bone was in his hand. He said: "This bone is the same one that the Sheikh
threw at me." I was amazed at this miracle work of the sheikh and his
m u r e e d [Ahmad at-Talali] and was amazed and broken by it." [al-Baghini,
pp. 182-183].
Curiously, there are stories found in the Sufi tradition,
A similar example is given by Shuayb al-Baghini in describing a story about
Sheikh Isma'il al-Siwakli, which he recounted from his own mouth: "Sheikh
Isma'il al-Siwakli. A similar example is given by Shuayb al-Baghini,
describing a story related to Sheikh Isma'il al-Siwakli, which he recounted:
"When I decided to part with Sheikh Jamaluddinom-Afandi, he said to me:
'O son, Mullah Ismail, I am the last pillar (kutb) in the Dagestani lands. And
till the end of the world after me there will be no kutbahs here. And if you
find a preceptor who has attained a greater degree of kutb, you may go to
him for benefit. If not, there is no need for you to go back to another one.
These words of his took root in my heart, and for a long time I lived in my
home, in my native village.
M.A. MUSAEV, SH.SH. SHIKHALIEV | MIRACLE-WORKING OF SAINTS IN DAGESTANI ARABIC-SPEAKING SUFI... 189

After some time, I heard that there was a great man in Almalo village,
Mahmud-afandi, who was called a sheikh. I, according to the words of my
first sheikh (Jamaluddin-afandi - M.M., S.S.), did not pay attention to
people's rumors. I was sure that there was no sheikh in our lands greater than
Sheikh Jamaluddin-afandi. One day I received a letter from Sheikh Mahmud-
afandi with the following content: "Come to me," but I did not pay attention
to it. Then some time later I received a s e c o n d l e t t e r from him with the
same content, and again I did not pay attention to it. Then I received a third
letter [from him]: "If you come, come [to me], but if not, I will come to you
myself. If you neglect to visit me, I will not be a stranger to visit you. These
words left a trace in my heart, and I said [to myself]: "What will happen if I
go to him! Will I not be rewarded [by Allah] if I visit a saint, even if there is
no other benefit?"
Then I mounted a white horse and went to the village of Almalo. There I
found at his place a large company of people who were in pious silence as if
birds were sitting on their heads. Then, as I approached their benign group,
[Sheikh Mahmud-afandi] raised his low lowered head and said: "Sit down,
brother, and welcome." When I sat down in their circle, and stepped
beyond the veil of his love, he said to me, "O son, Ismail-afandi! The words of
your Sheikh Jamalud-din-afandi that he is the last Qutb in Daghestan are
true, I confirm it, but I surpass him in the degree of Qutb and stand higher
in the degree of al-jilaniyyah2".
As soon as he uttered these words, I became senseless, caught up in
his inner state, unable to resist it. I [felt] as if he had seized me by my t o e s and
was holding me over a deep a b y s s . I was frightened and called my sheikh
Jamaluddin-afandi. He appeared like lightning and stopped far away from me. I
called him a second time and a third time, asking him to help me out of
what had happened to me. But he did not help me and did not come near
me out of reverence (fear) for Sheikh Mahmud-afandi. And I realized that
Sheikh Mahmud-afandi was above him in rank. Then I called Sheikh
Mahmud-afandi for help and he freed me from it. Then I came to my
senses and felt like a slaughtered bird thrown inside the circle. All my
body parts ached like tortured ones" [al-Baghini, p. 185-186].
Interestingly, another Dagestani sheikh, Tashav-haji of Endiray, noting
his higher degree of sainthood in comparison to sheikh Jamaluddin of
Gazikumukh, wrote that he "saw himself one cubit behind the Prophet
Muhammad, while he was one cubit behind the Prophet Muhammad.

2 | Probably one of the higher degrees of the Qadiri tariqat.

190 PAX ISLAMICA 2(7)/2011

Jamaluddin was in the fifteenth row behind him." [Khanmurza-

ev, 2011, p. 684].
Shuayb gives examples of communication with the spiritual substance
(ru- haniyyah) of the Prophet. Dawud al-Khurukha describes it as follows:
"We entered a room with the window open. Shaykh Mamma-dibir said to us,
'Be ready, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is
about to visit you, and do not do anything that is contrary to ethics'. At that
moment I felt a strong passion and became like an intoxicated man. Our
teacher began to perform loud zikr and continued to do so for some time.
And when he brought the zikr to ten, at that moment the wall in the sheikh's
house split and the spiritual substance of the Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) entered it. It stopped in front of the sheikh,
inwardly p o i n t i n g at him. This I saw with my own eyes. I turned my
soul towards him and felt as if I had been struck in the forehead by a flame. I
remained stunned by this for about three hours, and when I came to my
senses I saw my sheikh Mamma-dibir, who pulled my leg and said: "Get up,
son, it is time for you to stand up!" I stood up, embarrassed that I had not
shown respect towards the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) and my sheikh. And he said to me, 'It is all right, my son, what
happened happened without your will.'" [al-Baghini, pp. 138-139].
The author gives a similar example in a story about Sheikh Mahmud
al-Almali: "This is what his close mureed, Hafiz Yusuf-afandi al-Almali, said
about him. Once Sheikh Mahmud al-Almali, may his soul be holy, had
phlegm in his mouth, but he did not spit it out for about an hour. We were
very surprised at this, as there was nothing around, so we asked him: "O
Sheikh, what is the reason why you do not spit out your phlegm for so long?"
Then he (may Allah be pleased with him) answered us: "O brothers, I did not
find a place to spit it out and so I restrained myself because in front of me I
saw the spiritual substance (ruhaniyyah) of the Messenger of Allah
[Muhammad] (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). On my right I saw
the spiritual substance of Sheikh Khalid [al-Baghdadi], may his soul be holy,
on my left the spiritual sub-station of Sheikh Bahauddin Naqshband, and
around me the community of the spiritual substance of the saints, may their
souls be holy." Thereupon he, may Allah Most High be pleased with him,
raised his right foot a little, bent down, and spat out the phlegm on the place
where his foot stood, and placed his foot on the phlegm." [al-Baghini, p.
182].
Another example of karamat is also very famous in the oral tradition.
"Sheikh Ali Afandi al-Chinawi built a mosque by placing two wooden pillars
close to each other inside and said: "N o sinner will be able to pass
between these two pillars." So it happened. No man could pass between these
two pillars, which compressed them and did not allow them to pass. This is a
striking case for
M.A. MUSAEV, SH.SH. SHIKHALIEV | MIRACLE-WORKING OF SAINTS IN DAGESTANI ARABIC-SPEAKING SUFI... 191

of any of Allah's creatures. This amazing karamat of his was widely known,
even today. Then, the roof of the mosque collapsed and the two pillars
erected by Sheikh Ali-afandi fell down. After that, an unknown person re-
installed these pillars, but this miracle disappeared, and they, with few
exceptions, no longer clutched the sinners". [al-Baghini, p. 164].
A similar example from the oral tradition is related to the mountain
Shalbuzdag, considered sacred. At the top of this mountain there are two ledges
closely adjoining each other. According to the belief, a person with big sins
passing between these two ledges is squeezed by these rocks, while a
person with small sins can pass between them freely. Here we can draw
an analogy with Muslim eschatology, where the Sirat Bridge, which is "thinner
than a hair and sharper than a sword," serves to test the faithful. According to
Sunni ideas about heaven and hell, the righteous pass over this bridge
"with lightning speed", while sinners fall off it into hell ("the gaping
swamp of hell") [Prozorov, 1991, p. 209].
The examples of miracles cited by al-Baghini are typologically quite
diverse, noting that there were "many karamats ... and the author will not
describe them in this book ... for they are known ... and we cannot tell
about all of them.
It is unlikely that these miracles can be explained from the point of
view of modern science, and we do not set such a task, but it is a fact that it
was questioned at the time of writing. Indirect evidence of the presence of
skeptics are several quotations from Shuayb al-Baghini: "Did not the sheikhs
of the lands of Arabistan say that Dagestani sheikhs do not have karamat and
inner gaze?" (to which the answer was given: "they did"); "If the theological
scholars say that these stories are unreliable, I will answer them as follows:
"What I have narrated about the merits of these sheikhs and saints (awliyaa)
is not the decision of Allah Most High and it is not written in the Qur'an.
However, it is permissible to be guided by weak hadiths when it comes to
meritorious deeds. Allah Almighty knows best!"; "Indeed, what this sheikh
has done is welcomed by the saints, even if it is denied by the unbelievers".
[al-Baghini, p. 164].
The Mu'tazalites were unanimous in denying the authenticity of
qa'ramat, which they branded as "the tricks of charlatans". Ibn Sina and his
school of philosophy recognized the possibility of karamat. At the same time,
noting the difference between mu'jizat and karamat, he pointed out that a
prophet demonstrates mu'jizat by his very character, through the innate
perfection of his intellect, his imaginative power, whereas a saint (wali,
siddiq) acquires this perfection by following the appropriate path of
asceticism. The Shi'i scholars also dos karamat and distinguish it from
mu'jizat. The great Shi'i Imams, being "immaculate" and possessing perfect
knowledge,
192 PAX ISLAMICA 2(7)/2011

could perform miracles. In this case, the possibility of karamat performed

under the influence or mediation of imams is allowed.
The Ash'arites took the study of karamat seriously and considered it
possible on several grounds. 1) Rational probability. Mu'jizat is not the result
of the moral perfection of the prophet, but a freely realized wish of Allah,
who causes this miracle "by the hands of the prophet". Therefore, it is
possible for Allah to create a supernatural event through a saint. 2) The
existence of precedents. These are assured above all by the amazing cases
mentioned in the Qur'an (3:37; 28:9; the story of the Seven Sprouts, which
contains " amazing signs" from Allah; 17:40).
3) Karamat is possible but should not be confused with mu'jizat. Allah grants
karamat to the saints to certify them and confirm their piety and pious
reverence, but He calls mu'jizat "by the hands of the prophet" as proof of
his mission. The former should be kept hidden and the latter declared
before all people. In either case, they must be carefully distinguished not only
from acts of deception (hiyyal) but also from prediction (kihanat), sorcery
(shikhr), etc., which are not only acts of deception (hiyyal) but also acts
of sorcery (shikhr).
The Sufi position on the miracles performed by saints (karamat al-
awliya) is very close to that of the Ash'arites. Sufis distinguish between
mu'jizat and karamat and believe that a saint who performs miracles cannot
be recognized as a prophet and must remain subject to the religious law
established by the Messenger of God. The signs (ayat) of the saints resemble
those of the prophets in appearance, whereas the latter are necessarily public.
Therefore, the awliyas should endeavor to keep the karamat secret. One of
the accusations against the famous al-Hallaj was the "disclosure of miracles"
by means of which, in the eyes of his contemporaries, he could aspire to the
role of a prophet [Gardet, 1997, p. 615-616].
In al-Baghini's work, there are descriptions of miracles that are
public, demonstrative, and proclaimed. For example, the stories with
by "turning into an eagle" or "throwing a hawthorn bone". In the first case, the
miracle was demonstrated to his wife, in the second case to a group of
followers.
On the one hand, Sufis teach that saints should not seek this gift of
karamat and that it can even be a serious obstacle to union with God; on
the other hand, however, Sufi biographies are replete with amazing acts and
supernatural charismatic deeds (Gardet, 1997, p. 615-616). The famous
researcher Annemarie Schimmel notes that Sufi literature contains many
examples of miracles, which may include clairvoyance, the ability to
become invisible, exteriorization, as well as the ability to tame wild animals,
to travel a great distance in a very short period of time, to produce food
with the
M.A. MUSAEV, SH.SH. SHIKHALIEV | MIRACLE-WORKING OF SAINTS IN DAGESTANI ARABIC-SPEAKING SUFI... 193

In the case of crop failure, healing the sick and helping infertile women to
become pregnant, etc. [Schimmel, 2011]. [Schimmel, 2011]. That is,
miracle-working is characteristic of the Sufi tradition and is not a regional
peculiarity.
The Sufi concept of miracles suggests that the karamat may be a
source of anxiety for the saint, who may fear that the karamat was an
illusion. In addition, when saints receive the gift of karamat, they should
show God more and more humility, submission, pious fear, humiliation and
contempt for themselves. This humility and humiliation is a sign of the
authenticity of the karamat [Gardet, 1997, p. 615-616]. It should also be
noted that in the Dagestani Sufi tradition the manifestation of miracles is not
an end in itself, but a consequence of piety.
Karamat is a sign of holiness, and can only be performed by saints -
awliya (sing. - wali). Wali is "a person who is the object of special protection, a
friend of Allah". The Shi'ites use this word to refer to the caliph Ali - Ali waliyu-
Llah. Kushayri indicates that a Wali is one whose affairs are guided
(thuwallah) by Allah, and, one who performs (thuwallah) creed and
obedience. Awliyaa- Llah, "friends of God," are mentioned several times
in the Qur'an (the most famous of the ayat is 10:63). The concept of
wilaya developed during the first centuries of Sufism. The early tenth-
century authority Abu Abdullah al-Salimi, defined the saints as "those who are
recognized by the charm of their speech, fine manners, submission,
magnanimity, acceptance of the excuse of all who apologize to them, and
an exquisite gentleness to all beings." Thus, the ideal Sufi is here called
wali (Schimmel, 2011).
The nature of karamat is demonstrated in the best possible way by the
quote of al-Baghini: "Thanks to the help of Allah Almighty and the grace of
sheikhs" [al-Baghini, p. 139].
The Sufi tradition insists on the recognition of miracles, elevating
skeptics and those who deny the miracles of awliya to the rank of an
impostor (fasik). Shu'ayb wrote: "This act of his is known and it is not
questioned by anyone except those who deny Allah and do not recognize the
saints of Allah... The karamatis of the saints are the truth, and no one except
the impostors denies it". [al-Baghini, p. 137].
194 PAX ISLAMICA 2(7)/2011

List of sources and references

Gardet, 1997 - Gardet L. Karama // The Encyclopaedia of Islam. 2nd Ed. Vol. IV. Leid., 1997.
Schimmel, 2011 - Schimmel, Annemarie. Saints and Miracles // Sufism Journal, V. 1, № 3. URL: http://
www.sufismjournal.org/history/history.html Date of address: 27.07.2011.
al-Baghini - al-Baghini Shu'ayb b. Idris. Tabaqat al-hwajakan al-Naqshbandiyya wa sadat masha'ikh al-
Khalidiyya al-Mahmudiyya // copy of hand. from the personal archive of Sh.Sh. Shikhaliyev
(Makhachkala).
Prozorov, 1991 - Prozorov S.M. Sirat // Islam: Encyclopedic Dictionary. М., 1991. Khanmurzaev, 2011 -
Khanmurzaev I.I. Tashav-hajji: Some Facts of Biography // Science and E d u c a t i o n in the
Chechen Republic: State and Prospects of Development. Grozny, 2011.