Selected Excerpts on the Concept of Karāmah from Al-Tibyān fī Tafsīr Umm al-Qur’ān by Shaykh ʿAbd al-Salām al-Rustamī (d. 1436 AH / 2014 CE)

مقتطفات من مبحث الكرامة من كتاب: التبيان في تفسير أم القرآن لشيخ القران عبد السلام الرستمي رحمه الله المتوفى (1436 هـ - 2014 م)

Abstract

This article presents a focused analytical study of the concept of karāmah (saintly miracles) through selected excerpts from Al-Tibyān fī Tafsīr Umm al-Qur’ān, a Qur’anic exegesis of Sūrat al-Fātiḥah authored by the renowned scholar and exegete Shaykh ʿAbd al-Salām al-Rustamī (d. 1436 AH / 2014 CE). The study begins with a concise introduction to the author’s scholarly life, intellectual legacy, and methodological approach to Qur’anic interpretation. It then examines karāmah from both linguistic and technical perspectives, clarifying its definition within Sunni Islamic theology. Drawing upon Qur’anic verses, Prophetic traditions, and authoritative statements of classical scholars, the article establishes that karāmah is an extraordinary occurrence granted solely by Allah to His righteous servants, without their choice or independent power. The paper further outlines the essential conditions and wisdom behind karāmah, distinguishes it from prophetic miracles (muʿjizāt), and critically evaluates divergent theological positions regarding its nature, particularly those of extremist affirmation and outright denial. The study concludes that true karāmah lies not in supernatural feats but in steadfast adherence to divine law, moral integrity, and spiritual uprightness, thereby reaffirming the balanced position of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah on this foundational doctrinal issue.