On Kashf & Mukashafat

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

Kashf, unveiling, is a reality which refers to the miraculous knowledge of the awliya’.  Such knowledge is of a higher level than that of any other knowledge of humankind and jinn.  This includes, in certain cases, the knowledge of prophets such as Musa (a.s.) with Khidhr (a.s.), who is described in the Qur’an as: 

سُوۡرَةُ الکهف

... عَبۡدً۬ا مِّنۡ عِبَادِنَآ ءَاتَيۡنَـٰهُ رَحۡمَةً۬ مِّنۡ عِندِنَا وَعَلَّمۡنَـٰهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلۡمً۬ا (٦٥) 

… one of Our servants on whom We had Bestowed Mercy from Ourselves and whom We had Taught Knowledge from Our Own Presence. (Surah al-Kahf:65) 

Such knowledge is also described as: 

سُوۡرَةُ النَّمل

... عِلۡمٌ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ ... (٤٠) 

… knowledge of the Book … (Surah an-Naml:40) 

This may take the form of mastery over time and space.  The Qur’an Extols the rank of the awliya’ with the affirmation: 

سُوۡرَةُ یُونس

أَلَآ إِنَّ أَوۡلِيَآءَ ٱللَّهِ لَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ (٦٢) 

Behold!  Verily on the friends of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve; (Surah Yunus:62) 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “The true vision is one-forty sixth part of prophecy.” 

Shaykh Muhyi ad-Din Abu Muhammad ibn Abu Swalih ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (q.s.) was recorded in Futuh al-Ghayb to have said, “To awliya’ and abdal are disclosed such Workings of Allah as in the course of kashf and mushahadah as to overwhelm the reasoning power of man and shatter into pieces all habits and customs.” 

These phenomena fall under the category of khawariq, extraordinary matters, to which belong the karamah, the gifts or miracles of awliya’.  The belief in this is an obligation of each and every Muslim.  The Mu’taziliyyah did not believe in the miracles of the awliya’ and some today even say that the awliya’ are unknown. 

The swahabah of the Prophet (s.a.w.) were familiar with such disclosures, chief among them the two shuyukh of Islam, Sayyidina Abu Bakr ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utsman asw-Swiddiq (r.a.) and Sayyidina Abu Hafsw ‘Umar ibn al-Khaththab al-Faruq (r.a.).  The first announced to his wife that she was pregnant with a boy.  The second miraculously saw Sayyidina Sariyah ibn Zunaym al-Jabal (r.a.) and his army in Persia while he was in Madina, and he cried out to Sayyidina Sariyah (r.a.) and Sayyidina Sariyah (r.a.) heard him.  And the Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “In the nations before you were people who were inspired other than the prophets.  If there is anyone such as this in my community, it is ‘Umar ibn al-Khaththab.” 

That kashf is an opening Granted by Allah (s.w.t.) that is completely independent of one’s own exertion or capacity for learning.  This is clear from the saying of Sayyidina Abu Hurayrah ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Sakhr ad-Dawsi az-Zahrani al-Azdi (r.a.): “The Prophet (s.a.w.) poured into my breast two large vessels of knowledge.”  He did not say, “taught me,” which would suppose the activity of learning on his part, but “poured into me,” which indicates a state of passive receptivity. 

The reality of kashf is established in the shari’ah, as is stated in Imam Shibab ad-Din Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hajr al-Haytsami’s (r.a.) fatwa on the subject and Imam Abu Zakariya Yahya ibn Sharaf an-Nawawi’s (r.a.) before him, in Fatawa al-Haditsiyyah.  Shaykh Taqi’ ad-Din Ahmad ibn ‘Abd al-Halim ibn Taymiyyah (r.a.) said, in al-Furqan, “It is established that the awliya’ possess spiritual communications and unveilings.” 

Many sayings of the Prophet (s.a.w.) mention the various types and ranks of the saints, as Imam Abu al-Fadhl ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuthi (r.a.) has shown in his collection of them in his article, al-Khabar al-Dalal ‘ala Wujud al-Quthb wa al-Awtad wa al-Nujabah wa al-Abdal, “The Reported Matter That Indicates the Existence of the Pole, the Pillars, the Leaders, and the Substitutes”: “These and other types of perfected individuals form the khawwasws, whom the Qur’an also Calls ‘swiddiqin’ and ranks after the prophets and before the martyrs.  Their position in relation to Allah on the Day of Judgement is described as an object of desire for the prophets in the hadits.” 

The exalted status of the knowledge and power of the awliya’ is referred to in the verse: 

سُوۡرَةُ العَنکبوت

وَٱلَّذِينَ جَـٰهَدُواْ فِينَا لَنَہۡدِيَنَّہُمۡ سُبُلَنَا‌ۚ ... (٦٩) 

And those who strive in Our (Cause) ― We will Certainly Guide them to Our Paths ... (Surah al-‘Ankabut:69) 

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

... وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ‌ۖ وَيُعَلِّمُڪُمُ ٱللَّهُ‌ۗ ... (٢٨٢) 

… So recognise Allah; for it is Allah that Teaches you ... (Surah al-Baqarah:282) 

Imam Abu ‘Isa Muhammad ibn ‘Isa as-Sulami at-Tirmidzi (r.a.) in Adab al-Muridin described such striving as a kind of door which leads to Nearness to Allah (s.w.t.).  Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir (q.s.) referred to the knowledge and power that result from it in Futuh al-Ghayb, “And recognise Allah and He will Teach you, then He will Invest you with the power of controlling the universe with a Clear Permission which will have no obscurity in it.”  He continued, “… and He has Done this with many of His prophets and awliya’ and people especially favoured from among the children of Adam.” 

The highest example of such favour is undoubtedly the meeting and true vision of the Prophet (s.a.w.), which is a reality documented through the relations of the trustworthy from the companions to the successors and their successors down to our day.  Some of these relations have been recorded in Imam as-Suyuthi’s (r.a.) Tanwir al-Halak fi Imkan Ru'yat an-Nabi wa al-Malak, “The Illumination of Intense Darkness through the Possibility of Seeing the Prophet and the Angels.” 

The exalted status of the firasat, vision, of awliya’ is referred to in the hadits, “Beware the vision of the believer, for he sees with the Light of Allah.”  Thus, it is related that the firasat of a pious shaykh was at the origin of Imam Shihab ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn ‘Ali ibn Hajr al-‘Asqalani’s (r.a.) decision to take up the study of fiqh rather than devote himself exclusively to hadits.  Imam ibn Hajr (r.a.), in reference to Shaykh Muhib ad-Din al-Wahidi al-Maliki (q.s.), said, “He said to me, ‘Invest some of that energy of yours into fiqh, for I see by way of firasat that the scholars of this country are going to be depleted, and there will be need of you, so do not indulge yourself.’  And his word to me helped me greatly, and I still pray for him for that reason.  May Allah have Mercy on him.” This is recorded by Imam Burhan ad-Din Ibrahim ibn ‘Umar al-Biqa’i (r.a.), in ‘Unwan az-Zaman. 

The possessor of such gifts and powers of vision is in no way exempted from the obligations of religion.  Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn ‘Abdullah ash-Shadzili (q.s.) warned, “If your kashf opposes the Book and the sunnah, leave kashf and tell yourself, ‘Allah has Guaranteed infallibility to the Book and the sunnah, but He has not guaranteed it for kashf.”  This is recorded by Imam Sa’ad ad-Din Mas’ud ibn ‘Umar at-Taftazani (r.a.) in Madkhalun ila at-Taswawwuf. 

Shaykh Muhyi ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Arabi (q.s.) said, “Someone in this ummah who claims to be able to guide others to Allah, but is remiss in but one rule of the shari’ah - even if he manifests miracles that stagger the mind - we do not even turn to look at him, for such a person is not a shaykh, nor is he speaking the truth, for no-one is entrusted with the secrets of Allah (s.w.t.) save one in whom the ordinances of the shari’ah are preserved.”  This is quoted by Imam Yusuf ibn Isma’il an-Nabhani (r.a.), in Jami’ Karamat al-Awliya’. 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (q.s.) said the same thing in Futuh al-Ghayb: “And their leader in this is the Sulthan of the Knowers of Allah, Bayazid al-Bistami who said, ‘If you see him fly in the air and walk on water do not be deluded by him, but see how he stands on the orders and the prohibitions.’”  This was also quoted in Shaykh ibn Taymiyyah’s (r.a.) Fatawa. 

It is evident from the definition of the term kashf that it refers to a hidden knowledge of a tremendous nature, and that is what Shaykh ibn ‘Arabi (q.s.) meant by saying, “The secrets of Allah (s.w.t.),” as is confirmed by the continuation of the hadits of Sayyidina Abu Hurayrah (r.a.), “The Prophet (s.a.w.) poured into my breast two large vessels of knowledge: the first one I disseminated among the people; as for the second, were I to disseminate it, they would cut my neck.”  Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Isma’il al-Bukhari (r.a.) narrated it. 

In conclusion, it is forbidden to deny the reality of kashf and its content is sound on condition that it not contradict the Qur'an and the Sunnah.  It is unfalsifiable and therefore neither obligatorily accepted nor obligatorily rejected, nor can it be obligatory for other than the person directly concerned, the one disclosed to.  He can communicate his disclosure and he may be believed, as many of the pious a’immah have done with their contemporaries who benefited from such disclosures.  Thus it is related by one of the a’immah of hadits whose word lies beyond suspicion, said of Imam an-Nawawi (r.a.), “It is well-known that he used to meet with Khidhr (a.s.)” and he conversed with him among many other mukashafat.  Imam Shams ad-Din Muhammad ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahman as-Sakhawi (r.a.) related this is Tarjimah Shaykh al-Islam Quthb al-Awliya’ Abi Zakariyya an-Nawawi.  The Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “The mark of the believer is trust.”  And Allah (s.w.t.) Knows best.