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Fatwa CenterMeaning of Islamic terminology
Question
My question is regarding Wilayah (Sainthood). Please clarify me the difference between the terms "Qutb", "Abdaal", "Ghawth", and "Kalandar". Are these having more spiritual superiority over each other? If yes, then what is the sequence of superiority?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
First of all, we would like to clarify the correct meaning of the term "Awliyaa'" (plural of Wali) as many people use this term to mean a false meaning that is contradictory to the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Prophet 
. Indeed, Allaah clarified to us who are the Awliyaa' as He says (which means): {No doubt! Verily, the Awliyaa' of Allaah [i.e. those who believe in the Oneness of Allaah and fear Allaah much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden), and love Allaah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)], no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve. Those who believed (in the Oneness of Allaah, Islamic Monotheism), and used to fear Allaah much (by abstaining from evil deeds and sins and by doing righteous deeds).}[Quran 10: 62-63]. So a Wali is a pious believer who fears Allaah and abides by His Limits, as Allaah says (which means): {Allaah is the ally of those who believe.}[Quran 2:257].
It is well-known that many Sufis think that a Wali is a person who practically does what a magician does, like eating nails and hitting himself with knives and the like. Some Sufis attribute this word 'Wali' to dervishes who neglect religious obligations and do not avoid impurities, so this is a wrong interpretation of the word Wali.
As regards the other terms that are mentioned in the question, there is no mention of them either in the Book of Allaah or in the Sunnah of the Prophet at the exception of the word 'Abdaal' which is mentioned in a weak narration (linguistically means substitute). However, our righteous predecessors use this word in a correct way, they used it to mean the pious people who substituted their wrong actions with good actions. This word is also used to refer to the scholars as they are substitutes of Prophets by really performing the work of the Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention. It is also said that the scholars are called 'Abdaal' because every time one of them dies, Allaah replaces and substitutes him with another person.
As regards the word Ghawth and Qutb, their use is an innovation even if some people use it in the correct meaning.
Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah
said: 'Even if the best person of all the people of his time existed in a given era, then calling him a [complete] Qutb and Ghawth is an innovation with no authority from Allaah, and no scholar or Imaam from the righteous predecessors
has spoken about it.' He also said: 'As regards the terms Ghawth and Ghiyath (both of which mean rescuer), it is only Allaah who deserves to be called by them.'
With regard to the word Kalandar, if what is meant by it is one of the Kalandarists, then members of this sect are innovators.
Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said: 'These Kalandars who shave their beards are ignorant and misguided people, most of them disbelieve in Allaah and His Messenger and they do not consider that it is obligatory to perform prayers and observe fasting. Moreover, they do not prohibit what Allaah and His Messenger forbade, and they do not follow the True religion. Many of them are more on disbelief than even the Christians and the Jews. This group are neither Muslims, nor non-Muslims who enjoy Muslim protection; some others may be Muslims who are misguided innovators or dissolute persons.'
To conclude, the Sufis use these terms that you inquired about a lot, and they attribute them to their Shaykhs to whom they pledge allegiance according to the ways of innovating people. By using these terms, they mean wrong beliefs like calling 'Ghawth' a person whom they claim is a Wali who provides help to those who ask him for it, and this can be associating partners with Allaah. They use the term 'Qutb' to mean the axis of the universe on which the world revolves and so forth. So these are wrong terms used to give wrong meanings which contradict the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Prophet .
You have to know, dear brother, that in order to achieve the pleasure of Allaah, one has to follow the guidance and the way of the Prophet as Allaah says (which means): {Say (O Muhammad to mankind): "If you (really) love Allaah then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Quran and the Sunnah), Allaah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.}[3:31-32].
For more details about Sufism and its doctrine, please refer to Fataawa: 82017 and 83615.
Allaah Knows best.
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