Can we call someone a Wali?

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind

Short Answer

Yes, that is correct. Only Allah (Most High) knows who is a Wali and who is not. We can not make definitive statements regarding such matters. Doing so is tantamount to claiming knowledge of the unseen, which is strongly condemned in the Holy Quran.

Explanation

فَلَا تُزَكُّوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقَى

Do not attribute purity to yourselves. He knows best who is truly pious. (Surah al-Najm, 32).

 

The blessed verse of the Holy Quran above makes it clear that we should not unduly praise ourselves. It also highlights the fact that Allah (Most High) is the One who truly knows the pious amongst us. Calling someone a Wali is an extreme example of undue praise. Since a Wali is someone who has a special rank with Allah (Most High) Therefore, it must be avoided.

A greater issue still, is speaking about Allah (Most High) without evidence. The knowledge of who is a Wali and who is not, is with Allah (Most High). We do not have access to it. Therefore, we cannot speak about it. To do so would be to speak about Allah (Most High) without knowledge. And that is repeatedly rebuked in the Holy Quran. Rather it is considered to be the way of the disbelievers (Kufar).

Hanafi Imams

Obviously, we cannot dictate or decide who is or is not a Wali. Only Allah (Most High) decides that. So, unless we have evidence from the Quran or Sunnah regarding a particular individual, then we should not make definitive statements regarding his or her rank with Allah (Most High). Unfortunately, this is a widespread error people fall into. Leading Hanafi Imams warned against this practice.

لَا يَنْبَغِي الْجَزْمُ بِهِ فِي حَقِّ شَخْصٍ مُعَيَّنٍ مِنْ غَيْرِ شَهَادَةِ الشَّارِعِ لَهُ بِهِ، وَإِنَّمَا يُقَالُ هُوَ صَالِحٌ فِيمَا أَظُنُّ أَوْ فِي ظَنِّي خَوْفًا مِنْ الشَّهَادَةِ بِمَا لَيْسَ فِيهِ. (امداد الفتاح شرح نور الايضاح)

It is not correct to confirm (piety) regarding a specific person without the testimony of the Lawgiver for him. Rather it should be said that he is pious according to my estimation or my conjecture. This is due to the fear of bearing witness to something that is not correct. (Imam al-Shurunbulali 1069H, Imdad al-Fataah p304).

 

لَا يَنْبَغِي الْجَزْمُ بِهِ فِي حَقِّ شَخْصٍ مُعَيَّنٍ مِنْ غَيْرِ شَهَادَةِ الشَّارِعِ لَهُ بِهِ، وَإِنَّمَا يُقَالُ هُوَ صَالِحٌ فِيمَا أَظُنُّ أَوْ فِي ظَنِّي خَوْفًا مِنْ الشَّهَادَةِ بِمَا لَيْسَ فِيهِ. (البحر الرائق شرح كنز الدقائق)

It is not correct to confirm (piety) regarding a specific person without the testimony of the Lawgiver for him. Rather it should be said that he is pious according to my estimation or my conjecture. This is due to the fear of bearing witness to something that is not correct. (Imam Zayn al-Deen Ibn Nujaym 970H, al-Bahr al-Raiq).

 

لَا يَنْبَغِي الْجَزْمُ بِهِ فِي حَقِّ شَخْصٍ مُعَيَّنٍ مِنْ غَيْرِ شَهَادَةِ الشَّارِعِ لَهُ بِهِ، وَإِنَّمَا يُقَالُ هُوَ صَالِحٌ فِيمَا أَظُنُّ أَوْ فِي ظَنِّي خَوْفًا مِنْ الشَّهَادَةِ بِمَا لَيْسَ فِيهِ. (حاشية الطحطاوي على مراقي الفلاح)

It is not correct to confirm (piety) regarding a specific person without the testimony of the Lawgiver for him. Rather it should be said that he is pious according to my estimation or my conjecture. This is due to the fear of bearing witness to something that is not correct. (Imam Ahmad bin Muhammad al-Tahtawi 1231H, Haashiyah ala Maraaqi).

In the Nusoos (texts) above, we find great Hanafi scholars warning against affirming piety for someone. That is because only Allah (Most High) knows the true state of a person. Therefore, definitively affirming piety is effectively a claim to knowing the decree of Allah Most High. Thus, if definitively calling someone pious is not permitted, how could calling someone a Wali be permitted. Since that is a far greater rank with Allah (Most High).

Hadith

عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ: أَنَّ رَجُلًا ذُكِرَ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ خَيْرًا، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:  وَيْحَكَ، قَطَعْتَ عُنُقَ صَاحِبِكَ – يَقُولُهُ مِرَارًا – إِنْ كَانَ أَحَدُكُمْ مَادِحًا لاَ مَحَالَةَ فَلْيَقُلْ: أَحْسِبُ كَذَا وَكَذَا، إِنْ كَانَ يُرَى أَنَّهُ كَذَلِكَ، وَحَسِيبُهُ اللَّهُ، وَلاَ يُزَكِّي عَلَى اللَّهِ أَحَدًا

Abdal Rahman bin Abi Bakrah narrated from his father that a man was mentioned in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ, so another man praised him. The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Mercy be upon you. You have cut the neck of your friend. He ﷺ said it repeatedly. If any one of you must praise someone, then he should say: I presume such and such, if he truly deems that he is as such, and his Judge is Allah (Most High). He must not speak about a person’s piety before Allah (Most High).’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, 6061).

In the above Hadith narration, we find the blessed Prophet ﷺ implementing the Quranic verse.  He ﷺ prevented the praise of a person unequivocally. That is because it is tantamount to claiming knowledge of the unseen. Since only Allah Most High knows the true state of people. Therefore, the person praising is required to be speculative in his praise. This was clarified by Imam Ibn Hajr in his commentary of the Hadith.

لَا تُزَكُّوا أَحَدًا عَلَى اللَّهِ لِأَنَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ مِنْكُمْ. (فتح الباري شرح صحيح البخاري)

Meaning, do not speak about a person’s piety before Allah (Most High). Rather He (Most High) knows better than you. (Imam Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani, Fath al-Bari).

How could someone else know

The Quran and Sunnah are both clear on the fact that one cannot unequivocally assert piety for someone. Therefore, calling someone a Wali unequivocally should be out of the question. One of the major concerns with this is that the individual making such assertions is claiming knowledge of the unseen regarding another person. That is a frightening claim and the Quran has taught us that it is the way of the disbelievers.

In the following text (Nass) we see that the scholars differed over whether a person can know that he himself is a Wali or not. So if there is serious doubt regarding the person knowing this about himself, how can people have the audacity to claim knowledge of it regarding another person?

 

اخْتَلَفَ النَّاسُ هَلْ يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَعْلَمَ الْوَلِيُّ أَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ أَمْ لَا؟ عَلَى قَوْلَيْنِ: أَحَدُهُمَا- أَنَّهُ لَا يَجُوزُ، وَأَنَّ مَا يَظْهَرُ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ يَجِبُ أَنْ يُلَاحِظَهُ بِعَيْنِ خَوْفِ الْمَكْرِ. (الجامع لأحكام القرآن)

People disagreed about whether it is possible for a Wali to know that he is a Wali or not? There are two opinions. The first of them is that it is not possible, and that which appears on his hands must be seen with an eye of fear of being deceived. (Imam Shams al-Deen al-Qurtubi 671H, al-Jami li Ahkam al-Quran). 

This above is a snippet from a long discussion Imam al-Qurtubi has regarding this issue. However, there is something incredibly important that neither he nor others who discussed this issue focused upon. That is the issue of how would he definitively know in the first place.

Meaning the person who suspects that he may be a Wali does not receive revelation so how can he definitely know that he is a Wali of Allah Most High. This is incredibly important to raise, because as Muslims we do not believe that people who are not Prophets can know the unseen (Ghayb). Rather the unseen is restricted to that which has been revealed in Quran and Sunnah. 

Legal rulings

لِلشَّكِّ فِي مَشِيئَةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى الطَّلَاقَ لِعَدَمِ الِاطِّلَاعِ عَلَيْهَا. (رد المحتار على الدر المختار)

Due to doubt about the will of Allah Almighty regarding divorce, because we lack knowledge of it. (Imam Ibn Abideen 1252H, Radd al-Muhtar).

The fact that people do not know the unseen is so well established in Islam that we have based legal rulings upon it. In the Nass above Imam Ibn Abideen explained that saying in sha Allah (if Allah wills) when pronouncing a divorce renders the divorce invalid. He explains, that is because we do not know the will of Allah (Most High). Despite the clarity of this issue in Islam, there are so many Muslims who will regularly call someone a Wali.

Conclusion

If someone is praised in Quran or Sunnah then we have evidence to say the person is pious or even a Wali. However, when that is not the case then we have no right to call someone a Wali. Doing so implies that we have knowledge of the unseen (Ghayb). Claiming such knowledge is the way of the Kufar. A Muslim must never fall into this grave error.

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (24.07.24)