al-wala wal-berraa,

[Medley of extemporanea]

What is al-wala wal-berraa, and why is it important?

[Salma]

According to my humble knowledge and with the assistance of Google :-

 

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.

 

Example:-

 

The Muslim should care for his religion and the Ummah by following Allah (SWT) instructions and our Prophet Muhammed (SAAW) instructions & Sunnah. IF it happened that your parents/ relatives/ friends/employer,,, etc who is/are not muslims and troubling/harming/causing danger to Islam& muslims, and forced/asked you to do the same. Then you should not follow them or accept what they are telling/demanding you. You don't have to care/obey your parents or those you love them if they are enemies of Islam and fighting or harming the Muslims; that's called "Al Bara'a". You should leave them, "leaving them" is Tatabara'o menhom.

 

At the same, you should help and follow/help your Muslim brothers who are following ALlah's orders and his prophet (SAAW) in the proper & accepted way in Islam no matter what their are races, nationalites, countries, colors,,, etc as long as they are loyal & supporting Islam according to the Holy Quraan and the Noble Sunna, that's called "Al Wala'a".

 

Now, of course it doesnt mean if your parents/relatives or friends are non-muslims to dump them just coz they are non-muslims. You should abandon them ONLY if you find out that they are against our religion & attacking it.

 

Somtimes it happens that some Muslims sit/hang out with non-muslims whom they call them (Friends or colleagues) who make fun of the Prophet (SAAW) or the Islam. I believe the Muslim shouldn't call these non-muslims "friends" at all and shouldn't love/keep them close.

 

May Allah forgive me if I explained wrong and help me to the right answers inshallah.

[Nur]

Hanif bro.

 

Jazaakallahu Khairan for posing a great question at the most needed time ever, a time when issues got mixed up, and fundemental concept in Islam got intangled with whims and desires.

 

Before we define the concept of Al Walaa and Al Baraa in Islam, let me congratulate you for picking one of the most Tawxiid centric screen names, Hanif, is an outstanding name, it actually desctibes the concept for which you are seeking an answer for.

 

Hanif, means a person who always is searching to connect with his maker and away from any other diversion, a person, who seeks Allah SWT, but at the same time diverging away from offering his services to othet than Allah SWT, in that sense, the name Hanif is one coin, depicting walaa on one side and baraa on the other. Abraham, the patriarch of all Monotheits was one such a Hanif, Allah SWT called him Hanifan Musliman, Navigating his way to Allah always and submittinh his will to Allah( True Jews at their time, true Christians at their time and True Muslims all allign themselves with Abraham central concept, because Abraham was the Father of Islam ( submission and allegiance to Allah alone).) ,

 

Abrahams legacy was that of true devotion to Allah SWT and denial of other forms of subjugation to creatures, be they humans, animals ar objetcs. Abrahams famous statement was " Innaa bura-aa- u, minkum wa mimmaa tacbuduuna min duunillaahi, kafarnaaa bikum, wa badaa beinanaa wa baynakum al cadaawata wal baghdaa-a, xataa tuminuu billaahi waxdah " meaning " We are indeed disowning you ( since you are criminals by worshipping other than Allah)and we further disassociate ourselves with all that you worship other than Allah, ( and because of this disownment and disassociation) clear enemity and hatred is apparent between us, up untill ( you repent) and worship Allah alone "

 

For that bold statement, Allah honored Abraham by calling him Hanif ( mid ka soo issha waxaan Allah aheyn), Allah further instructed believers to make Abraham thier example for his brave stand against his very own tribe and father, and for his partying ways with his people on the basis of belief in Allah.

 

Abraham's word of Walaa and Baraa, became the center principle of islam, Allah SWT says : Wa jacalahaa kalimatan baaqiyatan fii caqibihi lacallahum yarjicuun " meaning, " Allah made (that word of Abraaham) a legacy word after (Abraham) so that (Poeple) can refer back to (that word whenever they get lost from the true path of Allah ).

 

That word, of Walaa and Baraa, took the present form under the Messneger of Allah Muhammad SAWS when he declared " Laa Elaaha illaa Allah' no allegiance to any other Sovereign other than Allah as the only rightful Sovereign.

 

 

Allah SWT mentioned this concept in numerous verses in Quraan : " Ucbuduu Allah wajtanibuu Al Taaaghuut" Serve Allah, and stay away from the Service of transgressors" Taghuut in Arabic comes from the root Daghaa, which is when a measured quantity crosses thershold or its limits. So , any human who claims to have devine rights becomes Dhaguut in that sense, which exactly what Pharaoh of Egypt has claimed when he was subjugating the helpless slaves of the Children of Israel. Pharoah calimed " Maa calimtu lakum min ilaahin gheirii " meaning, I know of no other Sovereign except me to rule over you"

 

Walaa in Arabic has the root of Yalii, meaning: following, Walaa comes from the noun Waliyy ( friend, closest to you, caretaker, overseer, defender, stake owner ). So, in that regard, Walaa means the concept that assigns Allah alone to be ( friend, closest to you, caretaker, overseer, defender, stake owner ) for a believer by virtue of his creation of the same.

 

Walaa, therefore is the result of love of Allah, because once you assign all the above qualities to Allah alone like Abraham defined who should be his Waliyy : " The one who created me, so he(only) can guide me, and the One who feeds and quenches me, and when I get sick, Allah is the one who cures, And the one who will (finally) cause me to die and the will resurruct me, and in the day of judgement the one with whom i place my hopes to forgive my sin, Once you believe in these favors, you can not allig yourself with other than Allah SWT, you cant help but love Allah with all your soul and body and mind, a sign that you Allah also is reciprocating that love for you.

 

Walaa of Allah SWT, therefore is born out of love of Allah. Allah SWT says in holy Quraan : Innamaa waliyyukumullahu wa rasuuluhu walladiina aamanuu" " Your Waliyy, is indeed Allah SWT, his Messneger and the believers. This verse clearly draws the meaning of Walaa to be the ultimate alligiance which is much higher than any other temporal or worldly allegiances that are born out of passing interests of the lowly life of this world, while Allah SWT is calling believrs for a better life in the hereafter if the form allegiance with Allah who will deliver his promises unlike humans who always let you down and betray you when you count on them in difficult times.

 

Baraa, on the other hand is the exact opposit of the Walaa concept, total disowing, disassociation, cutting of sympathy, due to the crime of disbelief in Allah SWT and befriending their enemy Satan..

 

The word Baraa has roots in (Ba ri ah) among its derivatives, is healing from an ailment, clearing your stand that you are not of a crime that is committed by a group or a person.

 

In ancinet times, one wars brake out between tribes, neutral tribes had to show their Baraa-ah ( they are not part of the warring parties) so that they are not drawn to an unjust war or to pay the price of being a supprort of a party.

 

Allah SWT instructs believers in Suurah al Kaafiroon ( The unbelievers) : " Say o ye unbelievers, I do not worship that you worship, and you do not worship that which I worship..... to you is your way of life(which is based on your beliefs) and to me is my way of life ( based on my beliefs).

 

When Abraham practiced Baraa ah of his people, Allah SWT blessed him with the following:

 

1. Children at old age ( he had Ishmael and Issac)

 

2. His Children and decendents were honored to become leaders for mankind, Allah said to Abraham" I will make you a leader to mankind, Abraham then asked " And my decendents?" Allah responded, transgressors of your progeny are not to benefit from this offer.

 

3. The house Abraham built for Allah in Mecca was accepted.

 

4.. He was given the title khalil ul Allah ( Allah's friend).

 

This topic is much deeper than I could respond to this thread, inshAllah when I get around to it again, I shall add more of my thoughts, till then, hold the rope of Allah tight, do not differ on the eventual purpose of being true servants of Allah SWT alone.

 

 

To be contiuned

 

 

2005 i-Nuuri Caqiidah First, Somaliaonline Summer Program.

If You Dont take a Stand For Allah Alone, Y'd Fall For Anything Else

 

Nur

[Muhammad]

Asalaamu Alaykum wr wb

 

 

Muxaadaro - Af Somali

 

::.Al Walaa Wal Baraa - Sh. Mahamed Cabdi Umal

 

Macasalaamah!

[Medley of extemporanea]

Hey Nur, you said to be continued, am still waiting dude....

[Umm al_khair]

asalamu alycum

Salaxuddiin have you listened to this maxadero that you have posted.

 

Al Walaa Wal Baraa - Sh. Mahamed Cabdi Umal

 

i did not listen to all of it but from what i have listned to, the sheikh said we should inform the kufars that we hate them and that they are our enemies. He also said we should not be kind and we should be inconsiderate to them.

What does he mean by this or have I misunderstood?

[S.O.S]

Ukhtii Muslimah,

 

You misunderstood the sheekh. I think that it may help if listened once again, and kept in mind the different kind of dimensions in human interaction, the teachings of the Qur'aan and the Sunnah, and finally the surrounding environment that exist/would exist, were it not for the necessary presence/absence of a protective psychological barrier between US (believers) and THEM (disbelievers).

 

Allah simply did not allow humans the capacity to choose and hold different ideologies for the show! Think about that too.