The Abdaal And Syria

Question: In the Hadith it is mentioned about the virtues of Syria and the Abdaal. Please explain this Hadith.

Answer: The relevant Hadith pertaining to the virtues of the Land of Shaam (Syria), which also mentions the Abdaal, is:
“Shuraih said: ‘The people of Shaam were mentioned to Ali Bin Abi Taalib (Radhiyallahu anhu) while he was in Iraq. They said to him: ‘Curse them, O Ameerul Mu’mineen.’ He (Hadhrat Ali) said: ‘No! Verily, I heard Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) saying: ‘The Abdaal are in Shaam. They are forty men. Whenever one of them dies, Allah Ta’ala replaces him with another man. Through them Allah causes rainfall, and with them He grants victory over the enemies, and with them He diverts punishment from the people of Shaam.”

The Abdaal are a group of 40 Auliya whose identities are unknown. There number remains constant, and this order will continue for all time as long as Allah Ta’ala wishes their perpetuation.

They wander around the world executing a variety of duties and tasks imposed on them by Allah Ta’ala. Some are in charge of rains, some oversee the development and course of wars, some are appointed over the courts of the world, influencing judgments, etc., etc.

While Syria is their headquarters, the whole group is not permanently stationed there.

And Allah knows best.