I hope you will clarify the meaning of al-wala' wa al-bara' (loyalty and disavowal) for the sake of Allah.
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The questioner : May Allah guide you to what He loves and is pleased with. I hope you will clarify al-wala' wa al-bara' (loyalty and disavowal) for the sake of Allah for our benefit.
The Shaykh : Al-wala' wa al-bara' (loyalty and disavowal) for Allah (Mighty and Majestic) means that a person disavows everyone from whom Allah has disavowed. As Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Mumtahanah 60:4]. Who are these people? They are the mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah). Allah the Exalted said: [At-Tawbah 9:3], meaning: His Messenger is disavowed of the mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah).
Therefore, it is obligatory for every believer to disavow every mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) and every kafir (disbeliever). This is regarding disavowal of persons.
As for disavowal of actions, it is obligatory for the Muslim to disavow every action that does not please Allah and His Messenger, meaning: every forbidden action, even if it is not disbelief. One must purify oneself from fisq (open sinfulness), disobedience, and kufr (disbelief), as Allah the Exalted said in describing the believers:[Al-Hujurat 49:7].
So we have the action, and we have the doer.
What action do we disavow? What do we disavow from actions? Every action that does not please Allah and His Messenger, meaning: every forbidden action.
From whom do we disavow? From every kafir (disbeliever), mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah), atheist, or polytheist. We must disavow them.
Now, if there is a believer who has sins but also has faith, what is our position toward him? We support him because of his faith, and we dislike him because of his sins.
How is this? Can you love a person and hate him? Is that possible? Can you love a person and hate him at the same time? You can love him from one aspect and dislike him from another aspect.
This man is given bitter medicine. You have a fever now, so take these pills. They are bitter, have a bad smell, and perhaps a bad appearance. Do you eat them or not? Answer, may Allah bless you. This is a sick person with a fever. The doctor came and said: these pills are good for you. He saw them and disliked them; his soul was repelled by them. They are bitter, and their smell is not pleasant. Does he eat them or not?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : So he dislikes them from one aspect and loves them from another aspect. The dislike may be from one aspect and the love from another aspect.
This believer who is an open sinner, we love him because of his faith, and we dislike him because of the sin he has.
And it is amazing that some people dislike the sinful believer more than they dislike the kafir (disbeliever). This is a problem. The sinful believer is disliked more than the kafir (disbeliever)? This is a reversal of the facts. We must hate the kafir (disbeliever) with all our hearts because he is an enemy to Allah and His Messenger and an enemy to us:[Al-Mumtahanah 60:1], [Al-Ma'idah 5:51].
But those weak in faith and in spirit:[Al-Ma'idah 5:52], meaning: in their support and love for them. Why? [Al-Ma'idah 5:52]. My brother, a circle of calamity will not strike you, for Allah is with you. A circle of calamity will not strike you if Allah is with you, never. Disavow the disbelievers and rely on your Lord (Mighty and Majestic), and you will find victory. These disbelievers will not be pleased with you until you follow their religion, until you sell your religion: [Al-Baqarah 2:120], [Al-Baqarah 2:109].
Therefore, we must disavow every kafir (disbeliever), whether his disbelief is shirk (associating partners with Allah), atheism, denial, rejection, or otherwise.
As for actions, we must disavow every forbidden action, and it is not permissible for us to become accustomed to forbidden actions or to adopt them.
Regarding the sinful believer, we disavow his action, the act of sin, but we support him and love him because of the faith he has.
The Shaykh : Al-wala' wa al-bara' (loyalty and disavowal) for Allah (Mighty and Majestic) means that a person disavows everyone from whom Allah has disavowed. As Allah the Exalted said:
There has already been for you an excellent pattern in Abraham and those with him, when they said to their people, "Indeed, we are disassociated from you and from whatever you worship other than Allah. We have denied you, and there has appeared between us and you animosity and hatred forever
قد كانت لكم أسوة حسنة في إبراهيم والذين معه إذ قالوا لقومهم إنا برءاء منكم ومما تعبدون من دون الله كفرنا بكم وبدا بيننا وبينكم العداوة والبغضاء أبداًAnd [it is] an announcement from Allah and His Messenger to the people on the day of the greater pilgrimage that Allah is disassociated from the disbelievers, and [so is] His Messenger
وأذان من الله ورسوله إلى الناس يوم الحج الأكبر أن الله بريء من المشركين ورسولهTherefore, it is obligatory for every believer to disavow every mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) and every kafir (disbeliever). This is regarding disavowal of persons.
As for disavowal of actions, it is obligatory for the Muslim to disavow every action that does not please Allah and His Messenger, meaning: every forbidden action, even if it is not disbelief. One must purify oneself from fisq (open sinfulness), disobedience, and kufr (disbelief), as Allah the Exalted said in describing the believers:
but Allah has endeared to you the faith and has made it pleasing in your hearts and has made hateful to you disbelief, defiance and disobedience. Those are the [rightly] guided.
ولكن الله حبب إليكم الإيمان وزينه في قلوبكم وكره إليكم الكفر والفسوق والعصيان أولئك هم الراشدونSo we have the action, and we have the doer.
What action do we disavow? What do we disavow from actions? Every action that does not please Allah and His Messenger, meaning: every forbidden action.
From whom do we disavow? From every kafir (disbeliever), mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah), atheist, or polytheist. We must disavow them.
Now, if there is a believer who has sins but also has faith, what is our position toward him? We support him because of his faith, and we dislike him because of his sins.
How is this? Can you love a person and hate him? Is that possible? Can you love a person and hate him at the same time? You can love him from one aspect and dislike him from another aspect.
This man is given bitter medicine. You have a fever now, so take these pills. They are bitter, have a bad smell, and perhaps a bad appearance. Do you eat them or not? Answer, may Allah bless you. This is a sick person with a fever. The doctor came and said: these pills are good for you. He saw them and disliked them; his soul was repelled by them. They are bitter, and their smell is not pleasant. Does he eat them or not?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : So he dislikes them from one aspect and loves them from another aspect. The dislike may be from one aspect and the love from another aspect.
This believer who is an open sinner, we love him because of his faith, and we dislike him because of the sin he has.
And it is amazing that some people dislike the sinful believer more than they dislike the kafir (disbeliever). This is a problem. The sinful believer is disliked more than the kafir (disbeliever)? This is a reversal of the facts. We must hate the kafir (disbeliever) with all our hearts because he is an enemy to Allah and His Messenger and an enemy to us:
O you who have believed, do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies, extending to them affection
يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تتخذوا عدوي وعدوكم أولياء تلقون إليهم بالمودةO you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.
يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تتخذوا اليهود والنصارى أولياء بعضهم أولياء بعض ومن يتولهم منكم فإنه منهم إن الله لا يهدي القوم الظالمينBut those weak in faith and in spirit:
So you see those in whose hearts is disease hastening into [association with] them
فترى الذين في قلوبهم مرض يسارعون فيهمsaying, "We are afraid a misfortune may strike us."
يقولون نخشى أن تصيبنا دائرةAnd never will the Jews or the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion
ولن ترضى عنك اليهود ولا النصارى حتى تتبع ملتهمMany of the People of the Scripture wish they could turn you back to disbelief after you have believed
ود كثير من أهل الكتاب لو يردونكم من بعد إيمانكم كفاراTherefore, we must disavow every kafir (disbeliever), whether his disbelief is shirk (associating partners with Allah), atheism, denial, rejection, or otherwise.
As for actions, we must disavow every forbidden action, and it is not permissible for us to become accustomed to forbidden actions or to adopt them.
Regarding the sinful believer, we disavow his action, the act of sin, but we support him and love him because of the faith he has.