Al-Wala’ & Al-Bara’

 The Love & Hate for Allaah’s sake:

Al Wala’ Wal Bara’ is an Arabic phrase. Within the context of Islam, the phrase means, on one hand, drawing near to what is pleasing to Allaah and His Messenger and, on the other hand, withdrawing from what is displeasing to Allaah and His Messenger (Salla Allaahu Alayhi wasallam).

What does this love and enmity exactly mean?

1. Al-Wala’:

Loving for the sake of Allaah means to love Allaah and to show loyalty to Him by following His Sharia. It means to love all that is good and permissible in the Quran and Sunnah.

– This type of love requires one to defend Allâh’s Deen and to preserve it. It is to love those who are obedient to Allaah and to defend and assist them.

2. Al-Bara’:

Enmity for the sake of Allaah signifies showing anger towards those who oppose Allaah, His Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam), His Deen, and the believers.

– It is to struggle and fight against them in order to uphold and spread the way of Allaah and His Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam). There is a brilliant example of this in Ibrahim (alaihi-salaam), as narrated by Allaah in the Quran:

Allaah Al-mighty says in the Glorious Quran:

قَدۡ کَانَتۡ لَکُمۡ  اُسۡوَۃٌ  حَسَنَۃٌ  فِیۡۤ اِبۡرٰہِیۡمَ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ مَعَہٗ ۚ اِذۡ  قَالُوۡا لِقَوۡمِہِمۡ  اِنَّا بُرَءٰٓؤُا مِنۡکُمۡ وَ مِمَّا تَعۡبُدُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ ۫  کَفَرۡنَا بِکُمۡ  وَ بَدَا بَیۡنَنَا وَ بَیۡنَکُمُ  الۡعَدَاوَۃُ وَ الۡبَغۡضَآءُ  اَبَدًا حَتّٰی تُؤۡمِنُوۡا بِاللّٰہِ وَحۡدَہٗۤ  اِلَّا  قَوۡلَ  اِبۡرٰہِیۡمَ  لِاَبِیۡہِ لَاَسۡتَغۡفِرَنَّ  لَکَ وَ مَاۤ  اَمۡلِکُ لَکَ مِنَ اللّٰہِ مِنۡ شَیۡءٍ ؕ رَبَّنَا عَلَیۡکَ تَوَکَّلۡنَا وَ اِلَیۡکَ اَنَبۡنَا وَ  اِلَیۡکَ الۡمَصِیۡرُ ﴿۴

There is a good example for you in Ibrahim and those with him when they told their people: Surely, we disassociate ourselves from you and all that you worship beside Allaah. We have done with you. And there has arisen between us and you enmity and hate forever until you believe in Allah Alone.

(Al-Mumtahinah V.4)

 The Importance of Wala’ & Bara’:

1. It is considered an Islamic Fundamental.

2. It is the tightest bond of faith.

3. It is from Millat Ibrahim and Millat Muhammad peace be upon them both.

The Sections of Wala’:

There are two sections of Wala’:

1. Tawalli. 2. Muwalaa.

1. Tawalli:

Tawalli means loving Shirk (polytheism) and the Polytheists, loving Kufr (Infidelity) and the Kuffar, defeating the Muslims and being on the side of the enemies.

The Ruling of Tawalli:

It is considered Major Kufr and its person is an apostate.

The Proof to that is Allaah’s saying:

وَ مَنْ یَّتَوَلَّہُمْ مِّنْکُمْ فَاِنَّہٗ مِنْہُمْ

And if any amongst you takes them as Auliya, then surely he is one of them.

Al-Maeda, V.51

2. Muwalaa:

Muwalaa means loving the Kuffar and the Mushrikeen for worldly benefits, and without defeating the Muslims and being on the side of the enemies.

The Ruling of Muwalaa :

It is lawful, and is of the great sins.

The Proof to that is Allaah’s saying:

یٰۤاَیُّہَا  الَّذِیۡنَ  اٰمَنُوۡا  لَا تَتَّخِذُوۡا عَدُوِّیۡ  وَ عَدُوَّکُمۡ  اَوۡلِیَآءَ  تُلۡقُوۡنَ اِلَیۡہِمۡ  بِالۡمَوَدَّۃِ  وَ قَدۡ کَفَرُوۡا بِمَا جَآءَکُمۡ  مِّنَ الۡحَقِّ ۚ یُخۡرِجُوۡنَ الرَّسُوۡلَ وَ  اِیَّاکُمۡ  اَنۡ  تُؤۡمِنُوۡا بِاللّٰہِ رَبِّکُمۡ ؕ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ خَرَجۡتُمۡ جِہَادًا فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِیۡ وَ ابۡتِغَآءَ  مَرۡضَاتِیۡ ٭ۖ  تُسِرُّوۡنَ اِلَیۡہِمۡ  بِالۡمَوَدَّۃِ ٭ۖ وَ اَنَا  اَعۡلَمُ  بِمَاۤ اَخۡفَیۡتُمۡ وَ مَاۤ  اَعۡلَنۡتُمۡ  ؕ وَ مَنۡ یَّفۡعَلۡہُ مِنۡکُمۡ فَقَدۡ ضَلَّ  سَوَآءَ  السَّبِیۡلِ﴿۱

O you who believe! Take not my enemies and your enemies (i.e. disbelievers and polytheists, etc.) as friends, showing affection towards them.

(Al-Mumtahinah, V.1)

Signs of Muwalaa of al-Kuffar:

1) Dressing like them, and speaking as they speak.

2) Travelling to their countries for pleasure.

3) Living in their countries while you can live in an Islamic country.

4) Being involved in their holidays, or helping them celebrating it.

5) Naming one’s self or children a non-Muslim name.

Types of people and their right as to amity and hate

People in Al-Wala’ and Al-Bara’ are of three kinds:

1. Those who should be loved completely without any hate. They are the genuine, faithful believers such as the prophets, the siddiqun (those followers of the prophets who were first and foremost to believe in them like Abu Bakr as-sideeq), the martyrs and the righteous starting first with Prophet Muhammad (Salla Allaahu Alayhi wasallam) whose love is obligatory more than loving one’s self, sons, parents and the rest of mankind. Second, loving the wives of the prophet (Salla Allaahu Alayhi wasallam) “the mothers of believers”, and his companions.

2. Those who should be hated completely without any love at all. Those who are the non-believers, the hypocrites and the polytheists.

3. Those who should beloved in oneway and hated in another way.Those which love and hate are joined amongst them, they are the ones who are Muslims but they committed major sins. So, they should be loved for their faith and hated for the sins they committed. Loving them requires advising them to be righteous and directing them to the right path. But they committed a sin, we should advise them to quit and repent to Allaah. Also it is forbidden to see them commit a sin without telling them to stop it but we should not hate them completely without any love because they committed a major sin.

REFERENCE:

BOOK: “THE TAWHEED MADE EASY “

By Rayan Fawzi Arab.