Auliya and Wali

ٱللَّهُ وَلِيُّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ يُخۡرِجُهُم مِّنَ ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ أَوۡلِيَآؤُهُمُ ٱلطَّٰغُوتُ يُخۡرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ ٱلنُّورِ إِلَى ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِۗ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلنَّارِۖ هُمۡ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ ٢٥٧

Allah is the Wali (Protector or Guardian) of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into light. But as for those who disbelieve, their Auliya (supporters and helpers) are Taghut (false deities and false leaders), they bring them out from light into darkness. Those are the dwellers of the Fire, and they will abide therein forever.

Surah 2 Al-Baqarah Verse 257

• The ‘darkness’ mentioned here means the darkness of ignorance, disbelief, doubt and hesitation which throws man off the path of salvation and well being and directs his energies and efforts to wrong directions in defiance of reality. ‘Light’ here means the knowledge of plain, clear, explained, easy, and unequivocal truth with the help of which man comes to know his own reality and that of the universe; this knowledge also shows him the purpose of his life, and thus leads him consciously to adopt the Right Way. It is pertinent to note that the verse mentions ‘Light’ in the singular whereas ‘darkness’ in the plural; because truth is one, while disbelief comes as several types, all of which are false.
• Here ‘taghut’ has a plural connotation. It implies that by turning away from Allah a man is subjected not to the tyranny of one, but to the tyranny of many tawaghit (evil ones), as in:

• Shaitan, who throws up new temptations and allurements
• Man’s own animal self, which seeks to subjugate him to his appetites and desires
• One’s wife and children; one’s relatives
• One’s community , friends and acquaintances
• One’s social environment, leaders and guides

Each one of the above is a potential taghut, who seeks to have his purpose served. Man remains subjected to these innumerable masters throughout his life, worrying about not knowing precisely whom he should please and whose displeasure he should avoid

إِنَّمَا ذَٰلِكُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ يُخَوِّفُ أَوۡلِيَآءَهُۥ فَلَا تَخَافُوهُمۡ وَخَافُونِ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ ١٧٥

It is only Shaitan that suggests to you the fear of his Auliya, so fear them not, but fear Me, if you are believers.

Surah 3 Al-Imran Verse 175

وَٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِأَعۡدَآئِكُمۡۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ وَلِيّٗا وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ نَصِيرٗا ٤٥

Allah has full knowledge of your enemies, and Allah is sufficient as a Wali (Protector), and Allah is sufficient as a Helper.

Surah 4 An-Nisa Verse 45

لَّعَنَهُ ٱللَّهُۘ وَقَالَ لَأَتَّخِذَنَّ مِنۡ عِبَادِكَ نَصِيبٗا مَّفۡرُوضٗا ١١٨ وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمۡ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمۡ وَلَأٓمُرَنَّهُمۡ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ ءَاذَانَ ٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ وَلَأٓمُرَنَّهُمۡ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلۡقَ ٱللَّهِۚ وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنَ وَلِيّٗا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَقَدۡ خَسِرَ خُسۡرَانٗا مُّبِينٗا ١١٩

Allah cursed him (Shaitan). And he said: ‘I will take an appointed portion of your slaves. Verily, I will arouse in them false desires; and certainly, I will order them to slit the ears of the cattle, and indeed I will order them to change the nature created by Allah’. And whoever takes Shaitan as a Wali, instead of Allah, has surely suffered a manifest loss.

Surah 4 An-Nisa Verses 118-119

• ‘appointed portion’ refers that Shaitan is determined to lay his claim to a portion of men’s time, to their effort and labour, to their energies and capacities, to their material belongings, and to their off springs, and would somehow trick them into devoting a sizeable portion of all these in his cause. It also refers to “From every one thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine will go to Fire” (Muqatil-bin-Hayyan)
• The alteration of Allah’s creation, which is characterized as Satanic, consists in using a thing not for the purpose for which it was created by Allah. In other words, all acts performed in violation either of one’s true nature or of the intrinsic nature of things are the result of the misleading promptings of Shaitan. These include, for instance, sodomy, monasticism, celibacy, turning male into eunuchs, diverting females from functions entrusted to them by nature and driving them to perform the functions for which men were created.
• Ibn Masud said “May Allah curse those who have tattoos and those who do it, who pluck their (facial) hairs and the one who does it for them, and those who make spaces between their teeth for the purpose of beauty, changing what Allah has created”. He then said, “Why should I not curse whom the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) has cursed, when the Book of Allah commands it”
• Manifest loss is one which cannot be compensated or restored

إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤۡتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَهُمۡ رَٰكِعُونَ ٥٥

Verily, your Wali is none other than Allah, His Messenger and the believers – those who perform As-Salat, and give Zakat, and they are Raki’un.

Surah 5 Al-Mai’da Verse 55

• ‘Raki’un’ – those who bow down or submit themselves with obedience to Allah in prayer

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَتَّخِذُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُواْ دِينَكُمۡ هُزُوٗا وَلَعِبٗا مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ وَٱلۡكُفَّارَ أَوۡلِيَآءَۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ ٥٧

O you who believe! Take not as Auliya those who take your religion as a mockery and fun from among those who received the Scripture before you, and nor from among the disbelievers; and fear Allah if you indeed are true believers.

Surah 5 Al-Ma’idah Verse 57

فَرِيقًا هَدَىٰ وَفَرِيقًا حَقَّ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلضَّلَٰلَةُۚ إِنَّهُمُ ٱتَّخَذُواْ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينَ أَوۡلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَحۡسَبُونَ أَنَّهُم مُّهۡتَدُونَ ٣٠

A group He has guided and a group deserved to be in error; (because) surely, they took the Shayatin as Auliya instead of Allah, and think that they are guided.

Surah 7 Al-A’raf Verse 30

• Allah has originally created all of His servants able to recognise Him, to single Him out in worship and know that there is no deity worthy of worship except Him. He also took their covenant to fulfil the implications of this knowledge, which He placed in their consciousness and souls. Then those who follow Shaitan are misguided and go astray
• Narrated Iyad bin Himar that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘Allah said: “I created my servants Hunafa (monotheists), but the devils came to them and deviated them from their religion”’

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَتَّخِذُوٓاْ ءَابَآءَكُمۡ وَإِخۡوَٰنَكُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءَ إِنِ ٱسۡتَحَبُّواْ ٱلۡكُفۡرَ عَلَى ٱلۡإِيمَٰنِۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمۡ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ ٢٣

O you who believe! Take not as Auliya your fathers and your brothers if they prefer disbelief to belief. And whoever of you does so, then he is one of the Zalimun.

Surah 9 At-Taubah Verse 23

قُل لَّن يُصِيبَنَآ إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوۡلَىٰنَاۚ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلۡيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ ٥١

Say (O Muhammad, pbuh): ‘Nothing shall ever happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is our Maula’. And in Allah let the believers put their trust.

Surah 9 At-Taubah Verse 51

• Narrated Ibn Abbas: Once I was behind the Prophet (pbuh) and he said: ‘O boy, I will teach you a few words:

1. Be loyal and obedient to Allah, remember Him always, obey His orders. He will save you from every evil and will take care of you in all the spheres of life.
2. Be loyal and obedient to Allah, you will find Him near i.e. He will respond to your requests
3. If you ask, ask Allah
4. If you seek help, seek help from Allah
5. Know that if all the people get together in order to benefit you with something, they will not be able to benefit you in anything except what Allah has decreed for you. And if they all get together in order to harm you with something, they will not be able to harm you in anything except what Allah has decreed for you. The pens have stopped writings (Divine Preordainments). And (the ink over) the papers (Book of Decrees) have dried’

• The verse delineates the difference in the attitude of a man of Allah and a man of the world:

• That is the reason why Allah directs the believers in the verse to tell the hypocrites, that the basic attitude of the believers is altogether different from theirs. The two groups also entertain different notions as to what causes happiness and grief

وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتُ بَعۡضُهُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءُ بَعۡضٖۚ يَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَيَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤۡتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥٓۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ سَيَرۡحَمُهُمُ ٱللَّهُۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٞ ٧١

The believers, men and women, are Auliya of one another; they enjoin Al-Maruf and forbid Al-Munkar; they perform As-Salat, and give Zakat, and obey Allah and His Messenger (pbuh). Allah will have His Mercy on them. Surely, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.

Surah 9 At-Taubah Verse 71

• An authentic Hadith states: ‘The believer to believer is just like a building, its parts support each other’ and the Prophet (pbuh) crossed his fingers together.
• In the Sahih, it is recorded: ‘The example of the believers in the compassion and mercy they have for each other is the example of one body: if a part of it falls ill the rest of the body suffers with fever and sleeplessness’

أَلَآ إِنَّ أَوۡلِيَآءَ ٱللَّهِ لَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ ٦٢ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَكَانُواْ يَتَّقُونَ ٦٣ لَهُمُ ٱلۡبُشۡرَىٰ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَفِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۚ لَا تَبۡدِيلَ لِكَلِمَٰتِ ٱللَّهِۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ ٦٤

Behold! The Auliya of Allah, no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve. Those who believed, and have taqwa. For them is good news, in the life of the present world, and in the Hereafter. No change can there be in the Words of Allah. This is indeed the supreme success.

Surah 10 Yunus Verses 62-64

• Auliya of Allah (friends and allies) are those who believe and have taqwa of Allah as He defined them. Every pious, god-fearing person is a friend of Allah
• Narrated Abu Hurayrah that the prophet (pbuh) said: ‘Among the servants of Allah there will be those whom the Prophets and the martyrs will consider fortunate’. It was said, “Who are these, O Messenger of Allah, so we may love them”, He said: ‘These are people who loved one another for the sake of Allah without any other interest like money or kinship. Their faces will be light, upon platforms of light. They shall have no fear (on that Day) when fear shall come upon people. Nor shall they grieve when others grieve’
• Ubadah bin As-Samit asked the prophet (pbuh) “We know of the good news of the Hereafter, it is Paradise. But what is the good news in this world?” He said: ‘It is the good dream that a servant may see or it is seen about him. This dream is one part from forty-four or seventy parts of Prophet Hood’. In a similar Hadith the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘The good dream that comes as a good news for the believer is a part of forty-nine parts of Prophet Hood. So if anyone of you has a good dream, he should narrate it to others. But if he has a dream that he dislikes, then it is from shaytan to make him sad. He should blow to his left three times, and say: “Allah-u-Akbar”, and should not mention it to anyone’
• And it was also said that the good news here is the glad tidings the angels bring to the believer at the time of death. They bring him good news of Paradise and forgiveness. In the Hadith narrated by Al-Bara, the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘When death approaches the believer, angels with white faces and white clothes come to him and say: “O good soul! Come out to comfort and provision and a Lord who is not angry”. The soul then comes out of his mouth like a drop of water pouring out of a water skin’

وَإِن يَمۡسَسۡكَ ٱللَّهُ بِضُرّٖ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهُۥٓ إِلَّا هُوَۖ وَإِن يُرِدۡكَ بِخَيۡرٖ فَلَا رَآدَّ لِفَضۡلِهِۦۚ يُصِيبُ بِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِۦۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ١٠٧

And if Allah touches you with harm, there is none who can remove it but He; and if He intends any good for you, there is none who can repel His favour which He causes it to reach whomsoever of His slaves He wills. And He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

Surah 10 Yunus Verse 107

أَفَحَسِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ أَن يَتَّخِذُواْ عِبَادِي مِن دُونِيٓ أَوۡلِيَآءَۚ إِنَّآ أَعۡتَدۡنَا جَهَنَّمَ لِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ نُزُلٗا ١٠٢

Do then those who disbelieved think that they can take My slaves as Auliya besides Me? Verily, We have prepared Hell as an entertainment for the disbelievers.

Surah 18 Al-Kahf Verse 102

يُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرۡحَمُ مَن يَشَآءُۖ وَإِلَيۡهِ تُقۡلَبُونَ ٢١ وَمَآ أَنتُم بِمُعۡجِزِينَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِۖ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِيّٖ وَلَا نَصِيرٖ ٢٢ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِ‍َٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِقَآئِهِۦٓ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ يَئِسُواْ مِن رَّحۡمَتِي وَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ ٢٣

He punishes whom He Wills, and shows mercy to whom He Wills; and to Him you will be returned. And you cannot escape in the earth or in the heaven (from Allah). And besides Allah you have neither any Wali nor any Helper. And those who disbelieve in the Ayat of Allah and the Meeting with Him, it is they who have no hope of My Mercy; and it is they who will have a painful torment.

Surah 29 Al-Ankabut Verses 21-23

• ‘no hope of My mercy’ – This means that the obdurate unbelievers will have no portion of Allah’s Mercy; in fact, they have no reason to entertain any such expectation

مَثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَوۡلِيَآءَ كَمَثَلِ ٱلۡعَنكَبُوتِ ٱتَّخَذَتۡ بَيۡتٗاۖ وَإِنَّ أَوۡهَنَ ٱلۡبُيُوتِ لَبَيۡتُ ٱلۡعَنكَبُوتِۚ لَوۡ كَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ ٤١

The likeness of those who take Auliya other than Allah is the likeness of a spider who builds a house; but verily, the frailest of houses is the spider’s house – if they but know.

Surah 29 Al-Ankabut Verse 41

أَلَيۡسَ ٱللَّهُ بِكَافٍ عَبۡدَهُۥۖ وَيُخَوِّفُونَكَ بِٱلَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِۦۚ وَمَن يُضۡلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِنۡ هَادٖ ٣٦ وَمَن يَهۡدِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن مُّضِلٍّۗ أَلَيۡسَ ٱللَّهُ بِعَزِيزٖ ذِي ٱنتِقَامٖ ٣٧

Is not Allah Sufficient for His slave? Yet they try to frighten you with those besides Him! And whom Allah sends astray, for him there will be no guide. And whomsoever Allah guides, for him there will be no misleaders. Is not Allah All-Mighty, Possessor of Retribution?

Surah 39 Az-Zumar Verses 36-37

• …frighten you with those besides Him…-The disbelievers of Makkah used to say to the Prophet (pbuh): You behave insolently in respect of our deities and utter rude words against them. You do not know how powerful they are and what miraculous powers they possess. Anybody who dishonored them was ruined. If you also do not desist from what you say against them, you too will be annihilated.

ثُمَّ جَعَلۡنَٰكَ عَلَىٰ شَرِيعَةٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَمۡرِ فَٱتَّبِعۡهَا وَلَا تَتَّبِعۡ أَهۡوَآءَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ١٨ إِنَّهُمۡ لَن يُغۡنُواْ عَنكَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيۡ‍ٔٗاۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءُ بَعۡضٖۖ وَٱللَّهُ وَلِيُّ ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ ١٩

Then We have put you (O Muhammad, pbuh) on a way of (Our) commandment. So, follow you that (Islamic Monotheism) and follow not the desires of those who know not. Verily, they can avail you nothing against Allah (if He wants to punish you). Verily, the Zalimun (polytheists, wrongdoers) are Auliya of one another, but Allah is the Wali of the Muttaqun.

Surah 45 Al-Jathiyah Verses 18-19

أَفَرَءَيۡتَ مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَٰهَهُۥ هَوَىٰهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ عِلۡمٖ وَخَتَمَ عَلَىٰ سَمۡعِهِۦ وَقَلۡبِهِۦ وَجَعَلَ عَلَىٰ بَصَرِهِۦ غِشَٰوَةٗ فَمَن يَهۡدِيهِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ ٱللَّهِۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ ٢٣ وَقَالُواْ مَا هِيَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا ٱلدُّنۡيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحۡيَا وَمَا يُهۡلِكُنَآ إِلَّا ٱلدَّهۡرُۚ وَمَا لَهُم بِذَٰلِكَ مِنۡ عِلۡمٍۖ إِنۡ هُمۡ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ ٢٤

Have you seen him who takes his own lust (vain desires) as his ilah (god)? And Allah left him astray with knowledge and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight. Who then will guide him after Allah? Will you not then remember? And they say: ‘There is nothing but our life of this world, we die and we live and nothing destroys us except Ad-Dahar (time)’. And they have no knowledge of it, they only conjecture.

Surah 45 Al-Jathiyah Verse 23-24

• To take one’s lust as god means that one fully becomes the slave of one’s desire, as in:

• This person has made his base self his deity. He does all that his base self asks for. In so doing, he fails to observe the limits of the lawful and the unlawful laid down by Allah (Ibn Jarir Al-Tabari)
• Such a person obeys the propmptings of his base self so religiously as one should serve Allah (Abu Bakr Al-Jassas)
• He is led by his base self and follows it blindly. In other words, he looks after his self with a devotion that one consecrates to Allah (Zamakshari)

If someone behaves as described above, he is the servant of his unbridled desires, no matter whether he verbally calls them his god or not and whether he worships them as idols or not

• ‘astray with knowledge’ – This has two possible meanings:

1. Notwithstanding a person’s knowledge, Allah directed him to error for he was a slave of his own desires
2. In view of Allah’s Knowledge that one defies one’s desires, Allah pushes him into error and misguidance

• ‘Will you not then remember’ – it becomes evident from the context of the verse that those who are bent on unbridled gratification of their desires are none else than those that deny the Hereafter. Such people look upon the idea of the Hereafter as so many shackles and fetters upon their freedom. Even a learned person, who is devoid of this consciousness (that denial of the Hereafter is fatal for morality and that what can restrain and keep under control is his belief in accountability in the Hereafter) is apt to behave like a brute
• ‘…they only conjecture’ – Swayed by their own base desires, it is the disbelievers’ wishful thinking which prompts them to deny the reality of the Hereafter

لَّا يَنۡهَىٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمۡ يُقَٰتِلُوكُمۡ فِي ٱلدِّينِ وَلَمۡ يُخۡرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَٰرِكُمۡ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمۡ وَتُقۡسِطُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهِمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُقۡسِطِينَ ٨إِنَّمَا يَنۡهَىٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ قَٰتَلُوكُمۡ فِي ٱلدِّينِ وَأَخۡرَجُوكُم مِّن دِيَٰرِكُمۡ وَظَٰهَرُواْ عَلَىٰٓ إِخۡرَاجِكُمۡ أَن تَوَلَّوۡهُمۡۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُمۡ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ ٩

Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion, nor drove you out of your homes. Verily, Allah loves those who deal with equity. It is only with regards those who fought against you on account of religion, and have driven you out of your homes, and helped to drive you out, that Allah forbids you to befriend them. And whosoever will befriend them, then such are the Zalimun.

Surah 60 Al-Mumtahanah Verses 8-9

• ‘who deal with equity’ – narrated Abdullah bin Amr that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘Verily, those who are equitable in this life, will be on podiums made of pearls before Ar-Rahman, the Exalted and Most Honoured, on account of their fairness in life’. Another Hadith states: ‘The just, who are fair, in their decisions, families and those under their authority will be on podiums made of light, to the right of the Throne’

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