The document discusses the Islamic principle of Al-Walaa' wal-Baraa' (alliance and disassociation). It states that this principle is fundamental to one's faith and requires loving believers and disassociating from disbelievers. It provides evidence from the Quran stating that one should not take disbelievers as friends or allies. The document emphasizes that true faith requires rejecting all objects of worship besides Allah and grasping solely to Him through obedience to the Messenger.

1. Musallah at-Taqwa
Islamic College of Canberra
Saturday
May 23,
2009
‫ﺑﺴﻢ ﺍﷲ ﺍﻟﺮﲪﻦ ﺍﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ‬
Explanation of the Three Fundamental Principles
Class Notes – Term 2, Week 2
‫ﺍﻟﱠﺎِﻟﺜ ﹸ: ﹶﺃ ﱠ ﻣﻦ ﹶﺃﻃﹶﺎﻉ ﺍﻟ ﱠ ُﻮﻝﹶ، ﻭﻭ ﱠﺪ ﺍﷲ ﻻ َﻳ ُﻮﺯ ﹶﻟ ُ ُ َﺍﻻ ﹸ ﻣﻦ ﺣَﺎ ﱠ ﺍﷲ ﻭﺭ ُﻮﹶﻟ ُ، ﻭﹶﻟﻮ ﻛﹶﺎﻥ‬
‫َ َﺣ َ َ ﺠ ُ ﻪ ﻣﻮ ﺓ َ ْ ﺩ َ َ َﺳ ﻪ َ ْ ﹶ‬
‫ﺜ ﹶﺔ ﻥ َ ْ َ ﺮﺳ‬
‫ﹶﺃﻗﺮﺏ ﻗﺮﹺﻳﺐﹴ؛ ﻭَﺍﻟ ﱠﻟِﻴﻞ ﻗﻮﹸ ُ َﺗﻌَﺎﻟﹶﻰ: ﴿ ﻻ َﺗﺠ ُ ﻗﻮْﻣﺎ ُﻳﺆﻣُﻮﻥ ﺑﹺﺎﻟ ﱠﻪ ﻭَﺍﹾﻟﻴﻮﻡ ﺍﻵﺧﺮ ُ َﺍ ﱡﻭﻥ ﻣﻦ ﺣَﺎ ﱠ‬
‫ﹶ ﹺﺪ ﹶ ﹰ ْ ِﻨ ﹶ ﻠ ِ َ ْ ﹺ ِ ﹺ ﻳﻮ ﺩ ﹶ َ ْ ﺩ‬
‫ﺪ ﹸ ﹶ ْ ﻟﻪ‬
‫ﹾَ َ ﹶ‬
ُ ‫ﺍﻟ ﱠﻪ ﻭﺭ ُﻮﹶﻟ ُ ﻭﹶﻟﻮ ﻛﹶﺎُﻮﺍ ﺁﺑَﺎﺀﻫﻢ ﹶﺃﻭ ﹶﺃْﺑﻨَﺎﺀﻫﻢ ﹶﺃﻭ ﹺﺇﺧﻮَﺍَﻧﻬﻢ ﹶﺃﻭ ﻋﺸﲑَﺗﻬُﻢ ﺃﹸﻭﹶﻟﺌﻚ ﻛﺘﺐ ﻓِﻲ ﻗﻠﻮﹺﺑﻬ‬
‫ُ ْ ْ ْ ُ ْ ْ َ ِ َ ْ ْ ِ َ ﹶَ َ ﹸ ﹸ ﹺﻢ‬
ْ ْ َُ
‫ﻠ َ َ َﺳ ﻪ َ ْ ﻧ‬
‫ﺍﻹﳝَﺎﻥ ﻭﹶﺃﱠﺪ ُﻢ ﹺﺑ ُﻭﺡ ﱢﻨﻪ ﻭُﺪﺧ ﹸ ُﻢ ﺟﱠﺎﺕ َﺗﺠﺮﹺﻱ ﻣِﻦ َﺗﺤﺘﻬَﺎ ﺍﻷْﻧﻬَﺎﺭ ﺧَﺎِﻟﺪِﻳﻦ ﻓِﻴﻬَﺎ ﺭﺿﻲ ﺍﻟ ﱠﻪ‬
ُ‫َ ِ َ ﻠ‬
َ
ُ َ ِْ
ْ ٍ ‫ِ ﹶ َ ﻳ َﻫ ﺮ ﹴ ﻣ ْ ُ َﻳ ْ ِﻠﻬ ْ َﻨ‬
﴾ ‫ﻋﻨﻬﻢ ﻭﺭ ُﻮﺍ ﻋﻨ ُ ﺃﹸﻭﹶﻟﺌﻚ ﺣﺰ ُ ﺍﻟ ﱠﻪ ﹶﺃﻻ ﹺﺇ ﱠ ﺣﺰﺏ ﺍﻟ ﱠﻪ ﻫﻢ ﺍﹾﻟﻤﻔﻠ ُﻮﻥ‬
‫َ ْ ُ ْ َ َﺿ َ ْﻪ ْ ِ َ ِ ْﺏ ﻠ ِ ﹶ ﻥ ِ ْ َ ﻠ ِ ُ ُ ُ ﹾ ِﺤ ﹶ‬
THE THIRD: That whoever is obedient to the Messenger and singles out Allah with all worship,
upon tawheed, then it is not permissible for him to have friendship and alliance with those
who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they are those most closely related to him, and
the proof is the saying of Allah, the Most High: “You will not find any people who believe In
Allah and the Last day, making friendship with those who oppose Allah and his Messenger,
even though they were their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred (people);
for such He has written faith In their hearts, and strengthened them with proofs, light and
true guidance from Himself; and we will admit them to Gardens (Paradise) under which rivers
flow, to dwell therein (forever). Allah is pleased with them, and they with Him; they are the
party of Allah. Verily, it is the party of Allah that will be the successful. [Al‐Mujaadilah; 58:22]”.
Al‐Walaa’ wal‐Baraa’ (Alliance & Disassociation)
•
A persons Iman is not correct and needs revision, so long as the concept of Al‐Walaa’ wal‐Baraa’
is not well founded in his heart.
•
‫ – ﹶﺃ ﹸﻮﺍﻻﺓ‬Friendship or alliance. In Arabic it means love and is used with regard to everyone whom
‫ﳌ‬
you love. It is the opposite of enmity. In brief, it means loving, supporting and following. The word
implies getting close and drawing near to something.
•
•
•
‫ – ﹶﺃ ﹸﻌﺎﺩﺓ, ﺍﻟﱪَﺀ‬Disassociation or enmity. It is derived from the meaning to dispute, conflict and
‫ﳌ‬
drawing apart. It refers to deeply rooted feelings in the heart, the desire to harm and the love of
revenge. In brief it means drawing apart and differing from one another.
The basis of friendship is love, and the basis of enmity is hatred. From these deeply rooted
feelings stem actions of both the heart and of the limbs which should reflect what should lie in
the heart. This is explained further in subsequent sections.
Allah (swt) has commanded the believers to show friendship in the fullest sense to their fellow
believers, and enmity in the fullest sense to the disbelievers. Friendship towards the believers
cannot be complete without rejection of the disbelievers: the two are interconnected.

2. •
This concept is a fundamental pillar of our Aqeedah. It is a great principle emphasised many times
in both the Quran and Sunnah. Allah (swt) says:
Zω$t6yz öΝä3tΡθä9ù'tƒ Ÿω öΝä3ÏΡρߊ ⎯ÏiΒ ZπtΡ$sÜÎ/ (#ρä‹Ï‚−Gs? Ÿω (#θãΨtΒ#u™ t⎦⎪Ï%©!$# $pκš‰r'¯≈tƒ
O you who believe, take not as (your) Bitânah (advisors, consultants, protectors, helpers, friends, etc.)
those outside Your Religion (pagans, Jews, Christians, and hypocrites) since they will not fail to do their
best to corrupt you ... [Al‐Imran; 3:118]
•
Having friendship and alliance, and seeking to please one who opposes Allah (swt) is proof that
the belief in Allah & His Messenger in his heart is weak. How can anyone love that/one which
Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saw) have clearly stated are enemies? It is against reason.
Why is Al‐Walaa’ wal‐Baraa’ important?
•
The importance of friendship and enmity for the sake of Allah (swt) can be explained as follows:
(i) They are part of the Shahadah, ‫ﺍﷲ‬
‫ ,ﻻ ﺍﻟﻪ ﺍﻻ‬the meaning of which is rejection of everything
that is worshipped besides Allah (swt). Allah (swt) says:
ωs)sù «!$$Î/ -∅ÏΒ÷σãƒuρ ÏNθäó≈©Ü9$$Î/ öàõ3tƒ ⎯yϑsù 4 Äc©xöø9$# z⎯ÏΒ ß‰ô©”9$# t⎦¨⎫t6¨? ‰s% ( È⎦⎪Ïe$!$# ’Îû oν#tø.Î) Iω
∩⊄∈∉∪ îΛ⎧Î=tæ ìì‹Ïÿxœ ª!$#uρ 3 $oλm; Π$|ÁÏΡ$# Ÿω 4’s+øOâθø9$# Íοuρóãèø9$$Î/ y7|¡ôϑtGó™$#
t
There is no compulsion In religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path;
whoever disbelieves In Tâghût and believes In Allah, then He has grasped the most trustworthy
handhold that will never break, and Allâh is All‐Hearer, All‐Knower. [Al‐Baqarah; 2:256]
(ii) It is the means of the heart tasting the sweetness of faith. The Prophet (saw) said:
‫ﺛﹶﻼ ﹲ ﻣﻦ ﻛ ﱠ ﻓِﻴﻪ ﻭﺟﺪ ﺣَﻼﻭﺓ ﺍﻹﳝَﺎﻥ ﹶﺃﻥ َﻳ ﹸﻮﻥ ﺍﻟ ﱠﻪ ﻭﺭ ُﻮﹸﻟﻪ ﹶﺃﺣ ﱠ ﹺﺇﹶﻟﻴﻪ ﻣ ﱠﺎ ﺳﻮَﺍﻫﻤَﺎ ﻭﹶﺃﻥ ُﻳﺤ ﱠ ﺍﹾﻟﻤﺮﺀ ﻻ ُﺤﱡ ُ ﺇﹺﻻ‬
‫ﺙ َ ْ ﹸﻦ ِ َ َ َ َ ﹶ ِ ِ ﹾ ﻜ ﹶ ﻠ ُ َ َﺳ ُ َﺐ ْ ِ ِﻤ ِ ُ َ ﹾ ِﺐ َ ْ َ ﻳ ِﺒﻪ‬
.‫ِﻟ ﱠﻪ ﻭﹶﺃﻥ َﻳﻜﺮﻩ ﹶﺃﻥ َﻳ ُﻮﺩ ﻓِﻲ ﺍﹾﻟﻜﻔﺮ ﻛﻤَﺎ َﻳﻜﺮ ُ ﹶﺃﻥ ُﻘﺬﻑ ﻓِﻲ ﺍﻟﱠﺎﺭ‬
‫ﻨﹺ‬
َ ‫ﹸ ﹾ ﹺ ﹶ ﹾ َﻩ ﹾ ﻳ ﹾ ﹶ‬
َ ‫ﻠِ َ ﹾ ﹾ ََ ﹾ ﻌ‬
There are three things, whoever experiences them has found the sweetness of faith: When Allah
and His Messenger are dearer to him than everything else; when he loves a person only for the
sake of Allah; and when he would hate to go back to kufr as he would hate to be thrown in the
fire. [Bukhari and Muslim]
(iii) By achieving this, a person perfects their faith. The Prophet (saw) said:
.‫ﻣﻦ ﹶﺃﺣ ﱠ ﷲ، ﻭﹶﺃﺑﻐﺾ ﷲ، ﻭﹶﺃﻋﻄﻰ ﷲ، ﻭﻣﻨﻊ ﷲ، ﻓﻘﺪ ﺍﺳﺘﻜﻤﻞ ﺍﻹﳝﺎﻥ‬
ِ ‫َ ْ َﺐ ِ َ َ َ ِ َ ْ ﹶ ِ َ ََ َ ِ ﹶ ﹶ ْ َ ﹾ َ ﹶ‬
Whoever loves for the sake of Allah, hates for the sake of Allah, gives for the sake of Allah,
withholds for the sake of Allah, has perfected his faith. [Sunan Abi Dawud]

3. (iv) It is the bond on which the Muslim community is based upon. The Prophet (saw) said:
.‫ﻻ ُﺆﻣ ُ ﹶﺃﺣ ُ ﹸﻢ ﺣﱠﻰ ُﻳﺤ ﱠ ﻷﺧِﻴﻪ ﻣَﺎ ُﻳﺤ ﱡ ِﻟﻨﻔﺴﻪ‬
ِ ِ ‫ِﺐ َ ﹾ‬
ِ
‫ﻳ ْ ِﻦ َﺪﻛ ْ َﺘ ِﺐ‬
None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself. [Bukhari]
Three divisions of people
•
There are three divisions of people regarding the issue of Al‐Walaa’ wal‐Baraa’:
(i) Those who are deserving of unconditional and absolute love and friendship. These are the
believers who believe in Allah and His messenger and who regularly observe all the rituals of
religion in an apparently sincere and devoted manner. Allah (swt) says:
∩∈∈∪ tβθãèÏ.≡u‘ öΝèδuρ nο4θx.¨“9$# tβθè?÷σãƒuρ nο4θn=¢Á9$# tβθßϑ‹É)ムt⎦⎪Ï%©!$# (#θãΖtΒ#u™ t⎦⎪Ï%©!$#uρ …ã&è!θß™u‘uρ ª!$# ãΝä3–ŠÏ9uρ $uΚ¯ΡÎ)
Verily, Your Walî (protector or Helper) is Allah, his Messenger, and the believers, ‐ those who
perform As‐Salât (Iqâmat‐as‐Salât), and give Zakât, and they bow down. [Al‐Maidah; 5:55]
(ii) Those who deserve friendship in some aspects and of enmity in others, such as a sinning
Muslim who ignores some obligatory duties and does haram actions which do not reach the
degree of kufr. It is obligatory to advise them and denounce their actions. It is not permissible
to remain silent about their sins, rather they should be commanded to do good and forbidden
to do evil. The prescribed punishment (hudud) must still be carried out on them so that they
may stop and repent for their sins.
(iii) Those who are deserving of absolute and unconditional enmity. These are the mushrikeen
and kuffar whether the Jews, Christians, atheists or polytheists. This ruling also applies to
those Muslims who do things which are kufr or shirk, such as insulting Allah, His Messenger or
His Religion. Muslims must strive against them (after establishing the proof against them) and
they must not be left alone to spread their mischief.
Duties of Al‐Walaa’ wal‐Baraa’
•
•
Friendship and love for the sake of Allah involves certain duties which must be fulfilled:
(i) Supporting the Muslims and helping them with ones self and wealth, by speaking out for
them and sharing their joys and sorrows.
(ii) One should love for the Muslims what one loves for themselves, not making fun of them,
keeping company with them and consulting with them.
(iii) Giving them their rights such as visiting the sick, attending their funerals, being kind to
them, greeting them with salaam and not cheating them in business transactions.
(iv) Not spying on them, or passing information and secrets about them to their enemies and
reconciling between them.
(v) Adhering to the main body (jam’ah) of the Muslims and not separating from them.
Similarly, enmity and disassociation for the sake of Allah dictates a number of things:

4.
•
(i) Hating shirk and kufr and those who follow them from the heart, and at the very least
feeling enmity towards them.
(ii) Not taking the disbelievers as friends and supporters, even if they are relatives.
(iii) Not imitating them in manners which are unique to them, whether they be religious or
worldly matters. Religious matters include the symbols of their religion, and worldly
matters include dress and other customs not known to the Muslims. Doing so will lead to a
kind of love and friendship in the heart, and love in the heart leads to imitation.
(iv) Not joining in their festivals or celebrations, nor congratulating them on such occasions,
nor addressing them with titles of respect.
(v) Not praying for forgiveness and mercy for them after they die.
(vi) Not showing kindness to them or compromising with them at the expense of religion.
The difference between ‫ المودﱠة‬and ‫ البر‬
‫ المو‬
ِ
In Surat Al‐Mumtahanah, Allah (swt) uses two terms which appear to be contradictory towards
one another. Firstly Allah (swt) says:
(#ρãxx. ô‰s%uρ Íο¨Šuθyϑø9$$Î/ ΝÍκös9Î) šχθà)ù=è? u™!$u‹Ï9÷ρr& öΝä.¨ρ߉tãuρ “Íiρ߉tã (#ρä‹Ï‚−Gs? Ÿω (#θãΖtΒ#u™ t⎦⎪Ï%©!$# $pκš‰r'¯≈tƒ
Èd,ysø9$# z⎯ÏiΒ Νä.u™!%y` $yϑÎ/
O you who believe, take not My enemies and your enemies (i.e. disbelievers and polytheists, etc.) as
friends, showing affection towards them, while they have disbelieved In what has come to you of the
truth (i.e. Islamic Monotheism). [Al‐Mumtahana; 60:1]
•
Then Allah (swt) says in a verse further along:
óΟèδρ•y9s? βr& öΝä.Ì≈tƒÏŠ ⎯ÏiΒ /ä.θã_Ìøƒä† óΟs9uρ È⎦⎪Ïd‰9$# ’Îû öΝä.θè=ÏG≈s)ムöΝs9 t⎦⎪Ï%©!$# Ç⎯tã ª!$# â/ä38yγ÷Ψtƒ ω
∩∇∪ t⎦⎫ÏÜÅ¡ø)ϑø9$# =Ïtä† ©!$# ¨βÎ) 4 öΝÍκös9Î) (#þθäÜÅ¡ø)è?uρ
ß
Allah does not forbid you to deal kindly and justly with those who fought not against you on
account of religion and did not drive you out of your homes. Verily, Allah loves those who deal
with equity. [Al‐Mumtahana; 60:8]
•
How do we reconcile between these two apparently contradictory verses? The key lies in
understanding the terms Allah (swt) uses (highlighted in red).
•
‫َﺩ‬
In the first verse Allah (swt) uses the term ‫( ﻣﻮ ﱠﺓ‬deep affection) which is an action exclusively of
the heart and is reserved only for Allah, His Messenger and the believers. It can never exist for the
disbelievers, even if they do not fight against you on account of your religion.
•
In the second verse Allah (swt) uses the term ‫ ﺍﻟﺒﺮ‬which means to be kind charitable and truthful.
‫ﹺ‬
A person may be kind to the one whom he loves and also to the one whom he does not love. An
example is showing kindness to parents even if they may be disbelievers.

5. •
Thus Allah (swt) allows us to show kindness, conditional to those who do not fight against us in
matters of religion. This kindness does not negate Al‐Walaa’ wal‐Baraa’ as it is not an action of
the heart, but may be done to draw a person closer to Islam through da’wah.
Evidence from Surat Al‐Mujadalah
•
The Sheikh (ra) uses verse 22 of Surat Al‐Mujadalah as evidence for Al‐Walaa’ wal‐Baraa’.
÷ρr& öΝèδu™!$t/#u™ (#þθçΡ%Ÿ2 öθs9uρ …ã&s!θß™u‘uρ ©!$# ¨Š!$ym ô⎯tΒ šχρ–Š!#uθムÌÅzFψ$# ÏΘöθu‹ø9$#uρ «!$$Î/ šχθãΖÏΒ÷σム$YΒöθs% ߉ÅgrB ω
óΟßγè=Åzô‰ãƒuρ ( çμ÷ΨÏiΒ 8yρãÎ/ Νèδy‰−ƒr&uρ z⎯≈yϑƒM}$# ãΝÍκÍ5θè=è% ’Îû |=tFŸ2 y7Íׯ≈s9'ρé& 4 öΝåκsEuϱtã ÷ρr& óΟßγtΡ≡uθ÷zÎ) ÷ρr& öΝèδu™!$oΨö/r&
¨βÎ) Iωr& 4 «!$# Ü>÷“Ïm y7Íׯ≈s9'ρé& 4 çμ÷Ψtã (#θàÊu‘uρ öΝåκ÷]tã ª!$# š_ÅÌu‘ 4 $yγ‹Ïù t⎦⎪Ï$Î#≈yz ã≈yγ÷ΡF{$# $pκÉJøtrB ⎯ÏΒ “ÌøgrB ;M≈¨Ζy_
∩⊄⊄∪ tβθßsÎ=øçRùQ$# ãΝèδ «!$# z>÷“Ïm
You will not find any people who believe In Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who
oppose Allah and his Messenger, even though they were their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or
their kindred (people); for such He has written faith In their hearts, and strengthened them with Rûh
(proofs, light and true guidance) from himself;. and we will admit them to Gardens (Paradise) under
which rivers flow, to Dwell therein (forever). Allah is pleased with them, and they with Him; they are the
party of Allah. Verily, it is the party of Allah that will be the successful. [Al‐Mujadalah; 58:22]
•
•
This verse was revealed in the case of Abu Ubaydah bin Abdullah bin Al‐Jarrah, when he killed his
disbelieving father in the battle of Badr showing that Al‐Walaa’ to Allah, His Messenger and the
believers is stronger than blood relations. If relatives are believers then this bond is strengthened
with blood ties.
Allah described such people as having Iman written in their hearts indicating that the concept of
Al‐Walaa’ wal‐Baraa’ is a pillar of our noble Aqeedah.
Review questions
(i) Give a brief definition of the general meaning of ‫ ﺃ ﹸﻮﺍﻻﺓ‬and ‫ ?ﺃ ﹸﻌﺎﺩﺓ‬How do these definitions relate to
‫ﹶﳌ‬
‫ﹶﳌ‬
the concept of Al‐Walaa’ wal‐Baraa’?
(ii) Using verse 256 of Surat Al‐Baqara, explain how the concept of Al‐Walaa’ wal‐Baraa’ is implied
(contained) in the shahadah.
(iii) Briefly explain the three types of people Al‐Walaa wal‐Baraa is practised upon.
(iv) In your own words explain verses 1 and 8 of Surat Al‐Mumtahana and how despite appearing
contradictory to one another, they are not.
(v) The Sheikh (ra) uses verse 22 of Surat Al‐Mujadalah as evidence for Al‐Walaa’ wal‐Baraa’.
What points of benefit can be derived from this verse?