al-Wala wa al-Bara fi al-Islam - al-Barakati

al-Wala wa al-Bara fi al-Islam (Loyalty and Disavowal in Islam) is a contemporary doctrinal treatise by the Egyptian author Abu Asim al-Barakati (al-Shahhat Sha'ban Mahmud), published in 1433 AH / 2012 CE, that explains the Islamic theological principles of loyalty to Allah, Islam, and the believers, and disavowal of disbelief and its adherents al-Wala wa al-Bara fi al-…+1.

Composition and Purpose

The work was prepared in a question-and-answer format (su'al wa jawab) to facilitate reading, encourage study, and engage listeners and commentators al-Wala wa al-Bara fi al-…. The author completed the text in Jumada al-Ula 1433 AH (March–April 2012 CE), and its first edition was issued by Dar al-Da'wah al-Islamiyyah, with publication rights waived for non-commercial, free distribution al-Wala wa al-Bara fi al-…+1.

Structure and Content

The treatise begins by defining loyalty (al-wala') linguistically as proximity, love, and support, and legally (shar'an) as devotion to Allah, His Messenger, the religion of Islam, and Muslim followers, alongside the definition and textual proofs for disavowal (al-bara') from the Qur'an and Sunnah al-Wala wa al-Bara fi al-…+1.

The book is structured into topical questions addressing several theological and legal issues:

• Treatment of Disobedient Muslims: Whether disassociation applies to a Muslim on account of sin, and the legal ruling on social boycotting (hajr) of an offending believer al-Wala wa al-Bara fi al-….
• Manifestations of Loyalty and Disavowal: The signs of allegiance toward believers and the prohibited manifestations of alliance with non-believers, including the theological status of such alliances and the stance of Jews and Christians toward Muslims al-Wala wa al-Bara fi al-….
• Specific Legal and Doctrinal Rulings: Rulings regarding mutual inheritance between Muslims and non-Muslims, validating non-Islamic faiths, exegesis of verses such as فَمَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيُؤْمِنْ وَمَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيَكْفُرْ and لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِيَ دِينِ , the theological maxim that "contentment with disbelief is disbelief," the construction of churches and synagogues, reading the Torah and the Gospel, selling property to non-Muslims, litigating under non-Islamic legal codes, and appointing non-Muslims over Muslim public affairs al-Wala wa al-Bara fi al-….
• Contemporary Ideas and Doctrinal Impacts: Critiques of concepts such as religious fellowship, the unity of religions, and interfaith rapprochement, alongside methods used to weaken the doctrine of al-wala' wa al-bara' al-Wala wa al-Bara fi al-….

The book concludes by discussing practical contemporary manifestations of the doctrine, the positive outcomes of adherence to it, and the negative consequences of its neglect, including theological dilution, equalizing Muslims and non-Muslims under secular concepts of citizenship, the neglect of jihad, and the erosion of religious protective jealousy al-Wala wa al-Bara fi al-…+1.