Imam Ar-Rifa^iyy combats the assimilation of Allah with His creatures

والصَّلَاةُ والسَّلاَمُ عَلَى سَيّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ أَشْرَفِ اْلمُرْسَلِيْنَ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ الطَّيّبِيْنَ الطَّاهِرِيْن

It is well known that the disciples of Shaykh Ahmad Ar-Rifa^iyy, may Allah accept his deeds, possessed remarkable abilities. They were capable of entering blazing furnaces and lying down side by side while the baker continued to bake his bread at the other end.

They could also walk into immense pyres. This is not due to any satanic practices, as claimed by those who deny tawassul and the followers of Ibnu Taymiyah Al-Harraniyy, but rather a testament to their exalted status.

It is indeed established that the immense pyre ignited by An-Numrud had no effect on 'Ibrahim Al-Khalil ﷺ, and this is regarded as a miracle. The principle is that any miracle granted to a Prophet can manifest for a saint as a karamah, except those miracles specifically tied to prophethood. For instance, 'Abu Muslim Al-Khawlaniyy, whom the self-proclaimed prophet Al-'Aswad Al-^Ansiyy cast into the fire three times, emerged unscathed each time, and this is considered a karamah from him.

Furthermore, it was through the guidance of the Rifa^ites shaykhs that Sultan 'Ahmad Ibnu Hulaku, the ruler of the Mongol Tartars, embraced Islam.

And know, my Muslim brother, that Ibnu l-Mulaqqin included at the end of his book "Tabaqatu l-'awliya'" a laudatory poem in praise of Imam Ar-Rifa^iyy and the Rifa^iyyah :

Undoubtedly, the Rifa^ites are exemplars of generosity,
-Towards the needy child, huddled in his garments- and loyalty
How many scholars among them, with resolute will,
Or sincere in their purpose, their resolve unshaken still.

Among the merits of this path over others is its superiority in combating the belief in absolute unity and incarnation. The adherents of this tariqah inherited this from its initiator, Shaykh Ahmad Ar-Rifa^iyy, and all his successors have followed suit up to our time. Therefore, they hold a merit over other paths, as these two beliefs are among the most abhorrent of impious beliefs. Furthermore, Imam Ar-Rifa^iyy, may Allah accept him, did not merely reject this belief, but he also disavowed the words uttered by some ignorant individuals who spoke without even comprehending the significance of the terms "incarnation" and "absolute unity."

Imam Ar-Rifa^iyy combats the assimilation of Allah with His creatures

Imam 'Abu l-Qasim Ar-Rafi^iyy, may Allah have mercy on him, reported from Imam Ar-Rifa^iyy that he said about Al-Hallaj: "I do not consider him a knowledgeable man; rather, I believe he heard a cry here or a whistle there. He is the weathervane of his imagination: one who claims to strengthen his heart in faith but has not increased in fear is someone who has been deceived. It is reported that he said: 'I am Al-Haqq [meaning Allah]'; his blindness misled him; if he were on the truth (al-haqq), he would not have said, 'I am Al-Haqq!'"

The Imam Ar-Rifa^iyy remarked: "Two expressions are detrimental to the faith [i.e. open a breach in the religion, and cause its destruction]: claiming absolute unity and asserting to be exempted by Allah from performing certain duties or being exempted from certain judgments." This declaration is unequivocal in its assertion that professing absolute unity leads to the downfall of the one who utters it, as this group believes that the world is Allah.

The Imam Ar-Rafi^iyy, may Allah have mercy on him, recounted: "He (Imam Ar-Rifa^iyy, may Allah accept his deeds) sent a correspondence to the eminent scholar ^Abdu s-Sami^ Al-Hashimiyy Al-Wasitiyy to caution him. He said: 'Beware of the doctrine of absolute unity propagated by certain self-proclaimed Sufis, and do not succumb to excess and exorbitance.'"

Shaykh and scholar 'Abu l-Huda As-Sayadiyy, may Allah have mercy on him, one of the Rifa^ites from the early fourteenth century of the Hijri calendar, stated in an epistle: "Warning: Anyone who says 'I am Allah' or 'Nothing exists except Allah' or 'Allah is the only one to exist' or 'He is everything' has committed apostasy if he is of sound mind."

His Students and Those Who Follow His Tariqah

The students of Imam 'Ahmad Ar-Rifa^iyy Al-Kabir were exceedingly numerous, both during his lifetime and after his passing. Ibnu l-Muhadhdhib recorded in his book "^Aja'ib Wasit": "The number of successors of the master Ahmad Ar-Rifa^iyy, may Allah accept his deeds, and their own successors during his lifetime reached one hundred and eighty thousand. Among the merits that Allah granted to the honourable master 'Ahmad Ar-Rifa^iyy is that there was not a single city, town, or village in the Muslim lands without people who loved him or knowledgeable students in their nooks and corners."

Moreover, the majority of renowned Qutb (spiritual leaders) in Islamic regions affiliated with him through the Sufi path that their masters allowed them to follow. Hence, Imam 'Ahmad, may his deeds be accepted by Allah, has earned epithets such as the "Shaykh of Sufi Paths," the "Guide of Sufis," the "Grand Shaykh," and other distinguished appellations.

Among those who claim affiliation with him are Shaykh Hafidh Izzu d-Din Al-Faruthiyy, Shaykh 'Ahmad Al-Badawiyy, ‘Abu l-Hasan Ash-Shadhiliyy, known for his profound knowledge of Allah, Shaykh Najmu d-Din Al-'Asfahaniyy who was the mentor of Imam Ad-Dusuqiyy, Shaykh 'Ahmad ^Alwan Al-Yamaniyy, Hafidh Jalalu d-Din As-Suyutiyy, Shaykh ^Aqil Al-Manbijiyy, Shaykh ^Aliyy Al-Khawwas, and many others among the Qutb, scholars, and shaykhs of Sufi paths.

The master Imam 'Ahmad Ar-Rifa^iyy authored numerous works. However, most of them were lost during the war against the Tatars. Nevertheless, among those that have reached us are: " Halatu 'ahli l-haqiqah ma^a l-Lah ", "As-Siratu l-mustaqim", "Al-Hikam" (a commentary on the book "at-Tanbih" dealing with Shafi^iyy Jurisprudence), "Al-burhana l-mu'ayyad ", "Ma^ani bismi l-Lahi r-Rahmani r-Rahim", ″ Tafsiru surati l-Qadr″, ″ Al-Bahjah ″, ″An-nidhamu l-khas li 'ahli l-ikhtisas″, ″ Al-Majalis al-'ahmadiyyah″ and ″At-Tariqu 'ila l-Lah″.

His passing

When Imam 'Ahmad Ar-Rifa^iyy reached the age of sixty-six, he was afflicted with dysentery, which lasted for a month. Despite the severity of his illness, he endured intense pain without complaining or groaning, persevering in the performance of acts of obedience and worship according to his abilities until death overtook him. He passed away on Thursday, the twelfth of the month of Jumada l-'Ula in the year five hundred and seventy-eight of the Hijri calendar (578 AH). May Allah accept him. He was buried beneath the dome of his maternal grandfather, Shaykh Yahya An-Najariyy, in the village of 'Ummu ^Abidah . It was a solemn day.

May Allah have mercy on Imam 'Ahmad Ar-Rifa^iyy ! May He elevate his status in Paradise, strengthen us through his example, and enable us to persevere on his honoured path!

 [1]            - Qutb  Al-Ghawth : He was the leader of the saints of his time.