Is it permissible for a servant to always say of himself that he is a saint (wali) among the saints of Allah, citing as evidence the verse: "Indeed, my protector is Allah, who has sent down the Book, and He befriends the righteous"?

It is not permissible for a servant to declare himself among the righteous or the pious, except for a legitimate Shar'i (Islamic legal) need. This is because it falls under self-praise, which is forbidden by the Almighty's saying: "So do not تزكوا (praise or purify) yourselves; He is most knowing of who is [most] righteous." (An-Najm: 32). Jurists have stipulated that it is not permissible for a person to praise himself except when there is a need, such as introducing one's eligibility for Shar'i positions, encouraging marriage, or being an example to follow. The pious and righteous do not praise themselves, for the ultimate outcome matters, and only Allah knows one's destiny. As for the Almighty's saying: "Indeed, my protector is Allah, who has sent down the Book" (Al-A'raf: 196), this is not self-praise; rather, it is an declaration of reliance on Allah and trust in Him in a challenging situation.