Al-walaa means loyalty and al-bara means disownment. In the context of Islam al-walaa is loyalty to Allah and whatever He is pleased with as well as friendship and closeness to the believers, whereas al-baraa is freeing oneself from that which is displeasing to Allah and disowning the disbelievers.

After loving Allah and His Messenger (s.a.w.), Allah obligates us to love those who love Allah and His Messenger (s.a.w.) and hate those who oppose Allah and His Messenger (s.a.w.). The Islamic Belief System('Aqeedah) obligates every Muslim to love the people of 'Tawheed and hate the people of Shirk.

This obligation is from the religion of Muhammad(s.a.w.) Allah the Exalted said:

"O you who believe! Do not take the Jews and Christians for friends. They are Awliyaa(friends) to each other. And the one among you that turns to them is one of them. Indeed, Allah guides not an unjust people." (5:51)

The above verse forbids Muslims from taking any of the People of the Book, specifically, and any of the disbelievers as a Mawlaat (friend).

Allah also forbade the believer from supporting the Kuffaar, even if they are blood relatives. Allah the Exalted said:

"O you who believe! Do not take your fathers and your brothers as Awliyaa, if they love disbelief (Kufr) instead of faith ( Eemaan). If any of you do so, they are wrongdoers." (9:23)

Allah the Exalted said:

"You will not find any people that believe in Allah and the Last Day loving those who oppose Allah and his Messenger (s.a.w.), even though they were their fathers, sons, brothers, or relatives...." (58:22)

Allah the Glorified forbade Muslims from supporting the Kuffaar, and the enemies of the 'Aqeedah. The Glorified commands us to support and love the Believers. Allah the Exalted said:

"Your (real) friends are Allah, His Messenger, and the Believers,- those who establish the Salaat and pay Zakaat and bow down. As for those who turn to Allah, His Messenger, and the Believers(for friendship)- it is the part of Allah that will certainly triumph." (5:55-56)

Indications Of Taking The Kuffaar As Friends (Mawlaat).

#1 Imitating them in dress and lingo......

Imitating them in dress and lingo indicates loving them, and because imitation leads love, the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) said:

"Whoever imitates a people is one of them."

Allah forbids imitating the Kuffaar in their worship, traditions, and things special to them. We should not imitate them in their appearance and morals. Also, we should not speak their language, except when necessary, and we should not adopt their way of dressing and eating.

#2 Residence in their lands and not moving from their lands to the lands of the Muslims to save one's Deen. (This is a concise meaning of Hijrah)....

Hijrah, according to this meaning, is an obligation upon every Muslim.

Residence in the land of the Kuffaar indicates friendship with them. Allaah forbade the Muslims from residing in the lands of the Kuffaar, if they are able to make Hijrah. Allaah the Exalted said:

"When angles take the souls of those who die while they have wronged their souls, they say, 'In what state were you?' They reply: 'We were weak and oppressed in earth.' [The Angels] say: 'Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to move yourselves away (from evil) ? Such men will find their abode in Hell, what an evil refuge! Except those who are weak and oppressed: men, women, and children who have no means in their power, nor can they find a way (to escape). For these, there is hope that Allah will forgive, because Allah blots out (sins) and forgives again and again. " (4:97-99)

#3 Helping them, giving them victory over the Muslims, speaking well of them and defending their honour.....

These are some of the actions that negate a person's Islam. Seek refuge in Allah from that!

#4 Seeking their aid....

"O you who believe! Do not take into your intimacy those outside your ranks. They will not fail to corrupt you. They only desire for you to suffer. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, and what their hearts conceal is far worse. We have made plain to you the SIgns, if you have wisdom. Ah! you are those who love them, but they do not love you, though you believe in the whole of the Book. WHen they meet you, they say, "We believe,' but when they are alone, out of frustration and rage, they bite off the tips of their fingers because of you. Say: 'Perish in your frustration rage. Allah knows well all of the secrets of the heart.' If anything that is good befalls you, it grieves them, but if some misfortune overtakes you, they rejoice at it....." (3:118-120)

The above verses show what is in the hearts of the Kuffaar about the Muslims, such as hatred, betrayal, evil, plotting, and the love for harm to affect them. They want harm to reach them by any means. They use the trust of the Muslims to plot against them.

#5 Observing their holidays or helping them to make that celebration or congratulating them for their holidays or just being present at their celebrations.....

The scholars say about the verse, "Those who witness no falsehood...."(25:72), that the description of the worshippers of the Most Merciful is that they do not gather at the celebrations of Kuffaar.

#6 Supplicating for them and being compassionate to them....

Allah forbade these actions by His statement,

"It is not fitting for the Messenger of Allah and those who believe that they should ask forgiveness for Pagans, even though they are relatives, after it is clear to them that they are companions of the Fire..." (9:13)

Supplicating and having compassion for them causes us to love them and their(disgusting) practices.

The Outward Manifestations Of Taking The Believers as Mawlaat.

#1 Hijrah from the lands of the Kuffaar to the lands of the Muslims.....

Hijrah means to move from the land of Kuffaar to land of the Muslims for the sake of saving one's Deen. Hijrah, with this meaning, is obligatory upon the Muslims until the sun rises from the west before the establishment of Judgment Day. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) said that he is free from he Muslim who lives among pagans. If a Muslim can move from the lands of the Kuffaar, then Allah forbids him to stay in those lands. He may stay, if he gives da'wah and propagates Islam, and shows his Deen openly. Allah the Exalted said,

"When angels take the souls of those who die while they have wronged their souls, they say, 'We were weak and oppressed in the earth.' [The Angels] say: 'Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to move yourselves away (from evil)? Such men will find their abode in Hell, what an evil refuge! Except those who are weak...For these, there is hope that Allah will forgive, because Allah blots out (sins) and forgives again and again." (4:97-99)

#2 Helping the Muslims with money, body, and tongue in what they need in their Deen and material life...

Allah the Exalted said:

"The Believers, men and women, are protectors, one of another," (9:71)

#3 Feeling sympathy for the Muslims whenever harm comes to them and feeling happy when good comes to them....

The Messenger of Allah(s.a.w.) said:

"The example of the Muslims is like a body shares that hurt (like a body stricken) with a fever and no sleeping."

Then he(s.a.w.) said:

"The Believer to another Believer is like a building. " (He then brought his hands together with his fingers intertwine.)

#4 Advising and counseling the Muslims. Always loving good things to happen to them, not cheating them, tricking them or going behind their back..

The Messenger of Allah(s.a.w.) said:

"No one of you has Eemaan until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself," and , "A Muslim doesn;t betray his brother Muslim nor does he go behind his back."

#5 Making supplication for them and asking forgiveness for them...

Allah the Exalted said:

"Know, therefore, that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah. And ask forgiveness for your fault, and for the believing men and women..." (18:28)

We should know that both the requirement and the concept of al-walaa and al-baraa stems from the shahaadah. It is a matter of faith and thus of fundamental importance. Loving and hating for the sake of Allah is one of the major pillars of Eemaan. Nowadays, people love each other for the sake of worldly life and seeking to gain benefit, even though the one that is loved is an enemy of Allah, His Messenger(p.b.u.h.), and the Deen of the Muslims. Muslims today should disassociate with the People of Disbelief and Falsehood and associate with the People of Islam and Eeman. Muslims today should live by this principle.