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Fatwa CenterBelieving Someone Can Fly is not Shirk
Question
My question is related to actions which are not in the power of a normal human being. When does this reach shirkakbar?Exempel: If someone believes that a person can fly, or that has he can talk to the animals and understand their language and so on.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
It is not Shirk to believe in the truthfulness of the Karaamah (supernatural wonders or powers) that Allah causes to happen by some of His Slaves, which are usually beyond the capacity of humans, if that is proven about them, as happened to Mary 
the people of the cave, the boy with the magician, the boy who spoke to his mother in the story of Al-Ukhdood (the trench), and the like. So believing what was confirmed about them as being true is not attributing divinity or lordship to them.
Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah 
said in Al-‘Aqeedah Al-Waasitiyyah: "Among the principles of Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jamaa'ah: is to believe in the Karaamah of the Awliyaa' (pious people) and in whatever Allah makes happen by them in matters of sciences, and whatever Allah discloses to them of unseen issues and that they can possess certain abilities and effects, such as what has been reported about the previous nations in Soorah Al-Kahf and others, and about the first generations of this nation from the companions and the generation that followed them, and all other generations of the Muslim nation. This is something that exists in this nation, and will continue until the Day of Judgement." [End of quote]
However, it is very important to point out what the scholars warned us about, which is not to be lured by those who possess these things or do such Karaamah. What should be taken into account about them is whether or not they adhere to the Sharee’ah.
Imam Ash-Shaafi'i said: "If you see a man walking on water or flying in the air, do not be impressed by him until you judge him based on the Quran and the Sunnah." [End of quote]
Allah knows best.
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