Title: Do all Waliyullahs and Buzrughs Have Good Knowledge About Islam? Question: Some People talk about the greatness and virtues of Wali Allah's and Buzrughs and obey them blindly and think that they possess great knowledge about Islam. One client was sitting in our office and when we brought a cup of tea for him, he did not drink it because their was a crack on the cup, when I asked him what is wrong if their is a crack on the cup, he said in reply that according to the sayings of Buzrughs we should not drink in a cup with crack on it. I did not understand what is the logic behind it? I asked about this superstitious opinion on www.studying-islam.org and Brother Mr. Tariq replied by saying that he does not find any information regarding this in any authentic sources of Islam. What I would like to know is that if any Buzrugh says anything, should we believe him blindly or should we check the authentic sources for further information? And my other question related to this is that do all Wali Allah's and Buzrughs have correct knowledge of Islam? If not, then on what basis should we call them Wali Allah's and Buzrughs? We should call them Wali Allah's and Buzrughs just because they have spiritual connection with God? Does a person become knowledgeable about Islam just by having spiritual connection with God? I hope you understand my concern, if my questions are not clear then please write me back, I'll try to make myself more clear. Regards, Answer: There is no such thing as " Waliyullah " or " Buzrugh " as an official title in Islam. As such there is no such concept as saints in Islam either. These people that claim they have some sort of metaphysical insight and hand out knowledge based on this are not doing so according to Islam. The "sayings of the Buzrughs " have no religious basis, thus, it is meaningless to drink from a cracked cup; unless of course the fluid is seeping out of it and one is unable to drink correctly. I agree that I cannot see any logic in such a thing but more importantly it is not of a religious matter. Even the very Word of God, the Qur'an, does not ask us to follow blindly. It persistently asks us to use our intellect. Moreover, the Qur'an tries to appeal to our minds to grasp the realities we witness to lead us to a connection with the Almighty. Hence, it is every individual's duty to bring themselves closer to God by following His guidance. One may take into consideration the different interpretations by scholars however; no one should be followed blindly. No one person has all the answers or some infallible mystic knowledge of Islam, they are all humans; imperfection of being. With that in mind, it should be appreciated that unless a person's name is " Waliyullah " or " Buzrugh " then there is no obligation to call them by such titles. Another thing to appreciate is that no one can measure the "spiritual connection" of another person. Only God has this knowledge. All the outer appearances of holiness and goodness are merely just that. What is in the soul and its connectivity to the Almighty is the privy of God's knowledge. The only knowledge that one man or woman may have over another is that which is studied for, and that all depends on the capacity of the individual. We should seek refuge in God and put our faith in Him not in self-proclaimed holy men. I hope I have clarified the issue. God knows best. Ronnie Hassan March 6, 2005