Are the Abdāl and Aqtāb among us, and is the Hadith "Do not curse the people of Sham, for among them are the Abdāl" authentic?
"Among the Sunnis, sainthood (wilaya) is defined as the state of a pious believer who loves God, supports His cause, follows His law, and performs both obligatory and supererogatory acts of worship. However, in innovative Sufism, sainthood means that the saint (wali) is one chosen by God, even if he is not righteous, and it is believed that he controls the universe and has ranks such as the Qutb (Pole), Awtad (Pegs), and Abdal (Substitutes). This idea is derived from Greek philosophy, and the hadiths about the Abdal and Qutb are weak and invalid. If some of the early Muslims (Salaf) used the term 'Abdal,' it was in its linguistic sense, meaning they were the inheritors of the prophets in conveying religious knowledge, not what the Sufis believe."
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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