The Meaning of “Wilayah” in the Verse “لَا تَتَوَلَّوْا قَوْمًا غَضِبَ اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِمْ”
Author: Dr. Muhammad Zia-ur-Rahman Azmi رحمه الله
In the verse «لَا تَتَوَلَّوْا قَوْمًا غَضِبَ اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِمْ», the meaning of Wilayah is that Allah Almighty has forbidden the believers from forming relationships of love, friendship, brotherhood, and support with the Jews and other disbelievers, as well as from making them close companions, even if they are non-combatants (those who do not fight against the Muslims).
Allah Almighty says:
«لَّا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُوا آبَاءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَانَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ كَتَبَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَأَيَّدَهُم بِرُوحٍ مِّنْهُ» [Al-Mujadilah: 22]
"You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred. It is they in whose hearts He has inscribed faith and whom He has supported with a spirit from Himself."
And He says:
«يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا بِطَانَةً مِّن دُونِكُمْ لَا يَأْلُونَكُمْ خَبَالًا وَدُّوا مَا عَنِتُّمْ قَدْ بَدَتِ الْبَغْضَاءُ مِنْ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَمَا تُخْفِي صُدُورُهُمْ أَكْبَرُ ۚ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الْآيَاتِ ۖ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿١١٨﴾ هَا أَنتُمْ أُولَاءِ تُحِبُّونَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِبُّونَكُمْ» [Aal ‘Imran: 118, 119]
"O you who believe! Do not take as intimates those other than yourselves, for they will not spare you from ruin. They love to see you in hardship. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, and what their breasts conceal is greater still. We have certainly made clear to you the signs, if you will understand. Behold! You are those who love them, but they do not love you."
Allah, the Exalted, also says:
«وَإِن تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْئًا ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ» [Aal ‘Imran: 120]
"And if you are patient and fear Allah, their plotting will not harm you at all. Indeed, Allah encompasses what they do."
These verses, along with other similar texts from the Qur'an and Sunnah, indicate this prohibition. However, Allah has not forbidden the believers from showing kindness in return for kindness to non-combatants, engaging in permissible and lawful exchanges of benefits such as buying and selling, or accepting gifts from them.
Allah Almighty says:
«لَّا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ ﴿٨﴾ إِنَّمَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ قَاتَلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَأَخْرَجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ وَظَاهَرُوا عَلَىٰ إِخْرَاجِكُمْ أَن تَوَلَّوْهُمْ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُمْ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ» [Al-Mumtahanah: 8, 9]
"Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes—from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly. Allah only forbids you from those who fight you because of religion, expel you from your homes, and aid in your expulsion—that you take them as allies. And whoever takes them as allies, then it is they who are the wrongdoers."
[Al-Lajnah al-Da’imah: 4246]
Author: Dr. Muhammad Zia-ur-Rahman Azmi رحمه الله
In the verse «لَا تَتَوَلَّوْا قَوْمًا غَضِبَ اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِمْ», the meaning of Wilayah is that Allah Almighty has forbidden the believers from forming relationships of love, friendship, brotherhood, and support with the Jews and other disbelievers, as well as from making them close companions, even if they are non-combatants (those who do not fight against the Muslims).
Allah Almighty says:
«لَّا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُوا آبَاءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَانَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ كَتَبَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَأَيَّدَهُم بِرُوحٍ مِّنْهُ» [Al-Mujadilah: 22]
"You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred. It is they in whose hearts He has inscribed faith and whom He has supported with a spirit from Himself."
And He says:
«يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا بِطَانَةً مِّن دُونِكُمْ لَا يَأْلُونَكُمْ خَبَالًا وَدُّوا مَا عَنِتُّمْ قَدْ بَدَتِ الْبَغْضَاءُ مِنْ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَمَا تُخْفِي صُدُورُهُمْ أَكْبَرُ ۚ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الْآيَاتِ ۖ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿١١٨﴾ هَا أَنتُمْ أُولَاءِ تُحِبُّونَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِبُّونَكُمْ» [Aal ‘Imran: 118, 119]
"O you who believe! Do not take as intimates those other than yourselves, for they will not spare you from ruin. They love to see you in hardship. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, and what their breasts conceal is greater still. We have certainly made clear to you the signs, if you will understand. Behold! You are those who love them, but they do not love you."
Allah, the Exalted, also says:
«وَإِن تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْئًا ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ» [Aal ‘Imran: 120]
"And if you are patient and fear Allah, their plotting will not harm you at all. Indeed, Allah encompasses what they do."
These verses, along with other similar texts from the Qur'an and Sunnah, indicate this prohibition. However, Allah has not forbidden the believers from showing kindness in return for kindness to non-combatants, engaging in permissible and lawful exchanges of benefits such as buying and selling, or accepting gifts from them.
Allah Almighty says:
«لَّا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ ﴿٨﴾ إِنَّمَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ قَاتَلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَأَخْرَجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ وَظَاهَرُوا عَلَىٰ إِخْرَاجِكُمْ أَن تَوَلَّوْهُمْ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُمْ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ» [Al-Mumtahanah: 8, 9]
"Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes—from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly. Allah only forbids you from those who fight you because of religion, expel you from your homes, and aid in your expulsion—that you take them as allies. And whoever takes them as allies, then it is they who are the wrongdoers."
[Al-Lajnah al-Da’imah: 4246]
