Al Wala' Wal Bara' (Love And Hate For Allah's Sake)
06-02-2008
In the current modern age, we find the Muslims in a pit of darkness. The Muslims
of today have adopted the ways of the enemy. They forbid the good and enjoin the
forbidden. They imitate the disbelievers and choose them as their friends and
trustees. They mock believers who oppose the ways of the disbelievers and
hypocrites. They help to deviate people from the Path of Allah and His Messenger
(saw). They have left jihad for the pleasures and pursuits of the material
world. They have abandoned Shariah and adopted Jahiliyyah. These people have
strayed from the Straight Path and they have turned away from al wala wal bara,
and as a result, have fallen into the trap of Satan.
One of the aspects of iman is al wala wal bara (loving and hating for the sake
of Allah Alone). It is one of the most important beliefs of Islam after Tawheed
(monotheism). Allah says in His Book:
"Let not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to
believers. Whoever does this has no connection with Allah unless you are
guarding yourselves against them as a precaution. Allah bids you to beware of
Himself. And to Allah is the journeying." (Quran 3:28)
The reason why al wala wal bara is so important in Islam is because, if it is
taken into practice, it can remove all the characteristics of Jahiliyyah from
the Muslim Ummah, it guarantees the preservation of the Ummah, and it
distinguishes the believer from the disbeliever. When one loves and hates for
Allahs sake only, they are raised degrees higher than those who love, hate, and
act based on their own desires or fake gods or for other meaningless things.
Allah states in His Speech:
"Those who believe do battle for the cause of Allah and those who disbelieve
do battle for the cause of idols. So fight the friends of Satan. Surely, Satan's
strategy is always weak." (Quran 4:76)
This verse is speaking of al wala wal bara. Those who have iman and belief and
act upon al wala wal bara fight for Allahs cause and do battle with His enemies
to preserve His Deen, while those who disbelieve fight for gods that dont even
exist. Allah commands:
"And fight them until persecution is no more and religion is for Allah." (Quran
2:193)
Only the people who love and hate for the sake of Allah will act upon this
command. These are the people that understand the meaning of al wala wal bara,
which will be discussed below, Insha Allah.
The Prophet (saw) said: "The strongest bond of faith is loyalty for the sake of
Allah and opposition for His sake; love for the sake of Allah and enmity for His
sake."
But what does this love and enmity exactly mean? Loving for the sake of Allah
means to love Allah and to show loyalty to Him by following His Shariah. It
means to love all that is good and permissible in the Quran and Sunnah. This
type of love requires one to defend Allah's deen and to preserve it. It is to
love those who are obedient to Allah and to defend and assist them. These are
the party of Allah. Enmity for the sake of Allah signifies showing anger towards
those who oppose Allah, His Messenger (saw), His deen, and the believers. It is
to struggle and fight against them in order to uphold and spread the way of
Allah and His Messenger (saw). There is a brilliant example of this in Ibrahim
(as), as narrated by Allah in the Quran:
"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 Allah. We have done with you. And there has arisen between us and
you enmity and hate forever until you believe in Allah Alone'." (Quran 60:4)
Al wala wal bara requires one to ally oneself with Allah, His Messenger (saw),
and the believers wherever they are found against the disbelievers even if it is
against their own relatives. We see this in the example of the Prophet (saw),
who fought against his own relatives and his own clan, all for the sake of
Allah. Al wala wal bara aims to purify the society and rid the people of all
vices. For example, we are required to oppose the way of the disbelievers. One
of their habits is wasting their time in pursuing their own material desires. A
Muslim who does not act upon al wala wal bara will imitate this habit and
therefore become neglectful of his duties to Allah. This will lead to a corrupt
person, who will end up raising a corrupt family, which will corrupt the
community in whole.
If we look at the situation today in Afghanistan (and other oppressed Muslim
lands), how many Muslims today are willing to leave their worldly pursuits and
come to the aid of Islam and their Muslim brothers and sisters and fight for
Allah's cause against His and our enemies? How many of them will act upon al
wala wal bara, which is called for today? The religious situation of the Muslims
of today is very pitiful and sad and the answer is that only a handful will run
out to assist Allah and the faithful believers.
We call ourselves Muslims, but what exactly is a Muslim? We cant just expect
that belief in Allah and His Messenger (saw) is enough to be qualified for
Jannah. Allah says:
"Or think you that you will enter Paradise while yet there has not come unto
you the like of (that which came to) those who passed away before you?
Affliction and adversity befell them, they were shaken as with earthquake, till
the messenger (of Allah) and those who believed along with him said: 'When comes
Allah's help?' Now surely Allah's help is nigh." (Quran 2:214)
If we believe that belief in Allah is enough, then there is no difference
between us and the pagan Arabs of the pre-Islamic period, who claimed to believe
in Allah and at the same time, worshipped hundreds of other gods. Al wala wal
bara is what distinguishes a believer from a disbeliever. A believer allies
himself with Allah only and with his final Messenger (saw) and with the
believers. Allah says:
"And the believers, men and women, are protecting friends one of another;
they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong and they establish worship and they
pay the poor-due and they obey Allah and His Messenger. As for these, Allah will
have mercy on them. Indeed, Allah is Mighty, Wise." (Quran 9:71)
"O you who believe! Whoever of you becomes a rebel against his deen, (know
that in his place) Allah will bring a people whom He loves and who love Him,
humble towards the believers, harsh towards the disbelievers, striving in the
way of Allah and not fearing the blame of any blamer." (Quran 5:54)
In order to be considered a believer, one must believe in Allah and His
Messenger (saw) as well as show and prove that belief by assisting them and
allying oneself with them against the enemies of Islam. The plans of the
disbelievers are clearly exposed in the Quran:
"They long for you to disbelieve even as they disbelieve, so that you may be
the same (as them). So do not choose friends from among then until they go out
in the way of Allah." (Quran 4:89)
"O you who believe! Do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends. They
are friends of one another. And whoever of you takes them for friends is (one)
of them. Surely Allah does not guide wrongdoing people." (Quran 5:51)
We are warned to beware of the kaafireen, for, they say with their mouths what
is not in their hearts (3:167). They secretly plot against the believers to get
rid of them and their divine religion Islam. They attack the Muslims and the
people without the belief in al wala wal bara will support them against the
believers and this is what we see in today's situation.
If the believers join together as one brotherhood, sharing a mutual love and
hate for the sake of Allah, Islam will come out on top regardless of how
powerful their enemies may be. When the Prophet (saw) and his companions (ra)
fought their battles, their enemies were always more in number and had better
armor, but the Muslims were victorious as in the Battle of Badr. They shared one
cause: fighting for the sake of Allah. Today, we need Muslims to do the same for
their brothers, but where are they?
Al wala wal bara is something which is lacking in the hearts and actions of
Muslims worldwide. It is one of the more important aspects of Islam. It was
because of this aspect that the companions and their Chief Leader Muhammad
(saw), together, peacefully conquered lands and hearts all over the globe by the
will and grace of Allah (SWT).
Submitted by a Mujahid