In terms of `Aqidah, the scholars talk about the three categories: 1. Possible 2. Impossible 3. Necessary Any Karamah would fall into the possible category, since Allah is all-powerful. Therefore Allah can give the Awliya ability for any such thing. However, correct me if I am wrong, but not every person who has performed Karamaat is a Wali and not every Wali has to perform Karamaat. A Karamah can be gifted to a person to help them with Istiqamah for example. A Wali is a person of Iman and Taqwa, according to the Book of Allah, the Qur'an. Wassalam
I went to a talk by an Egyption once and he mentioned a karamat in which someone who insulted a wali changed from a male to a female. Walis can do many things but I don't know about a wali changing into an animal.
It is an interesting question though since, I was reading a new book by Dalrymple which has a chapter on Lal Shahbaz Qalandar (real name: Syed Usman Marwandi) and in it he mentions that one of the reasons the Shaykh has this name is his ability to turn into a falcon. I've also come across this before. Personally, I see no problem with it in terms of possibility--why cannot Allah give this power to one of his saints? Still, it'd be nice to get independent confirmation.
Brother, Seyyidina Ghawth-e-A'zdham radi Allahu 'anhu is also called the "Baz" (Falcon) of Baghdad, as some may or may not know. As far as I know the qiyas is due to the majesty and speed of the high flying falcon and his sharp eyesight overlooking all that is beneath it. Seyyidina Ghawth-e-A'zdham is reported to have said that his hand is above his mureed as the sky is above the earth, and words from fools like us won't even begin to do justice to his speed and karamaat. Allahu a'lam why the other waliy is called such.
:s1: It is reported that the great saint from Sindh, Hazrat Shah Usman Marwandi aka Lal Shahbaz Qalandar was named so because one of his karamats was his ability to transmogrify into a king falcon and fly to the aid of his murids. Are such feats of transfiguration reported for any other awliya?
