Is it permissible for a saint's miracle (karamah) to be the knowledge of future unseen matters, and what is the criterion for verifying miracles, especially those mentioned by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah or those narrated in the book "Fada'il al-A'mal"?

The miracles (karamat) of the Awliya' (saints or close friends of Allah) are extraordinary occurrences that Allah brings about through righteous individuals to strengthen them or to aid the religion. These miracles may include knowledge of something that has not yet happened. This does not mean that the Wali (saint) possesses knowledge of the unseen (ghayb), but rather it is an inspiration or perspicacity from Allah, like the story of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) when he informed about the gender of his wife's fetus.

To distinguish a true miracle from other occurrences, three main criteria must be observed: 1. The miracle must be an act of Allah alone, not an act of the servant. The Wali does not claim the ability to defy normal custom whenever he wishes, and he believes that the unseen is in Allah's hands alone. 2. The miracle must not contradict the rulings of Sharia (definition). Thus, a claim of seeing Arafat without legal ihram (definition) is not acceptable, nor is missing congregational prayers under the pretext of meeting with men of the unseen. It is not permissible to use what Sharia has forbidden, even if some consider it a miracle. 3. The miracle must occur to a person known for their piety and righteousness. Miracles are for the believing Awliya' of Allah. As for extraordinary occurrences for the impious, they may be a form of istidraj (gradual enticement to destruction) or magic.

Finally, one must believe in the existence of miracles in general, but one is not obliged to believe in the miracle of a specific person or their claim of knowing the future; it may be an assumption that is sometimes right and sometimes wrong, or it may be from Shaytan. The Wali himself should not assert that what comes to him is an inspiration from Allah, because the statements of those who claim spiritual unveiling (ahl al-kashf) can be right and wrong, and they all must refer to the Qur'an and Sunnah (definition).