The concept of al-wala’ wa al-bara’ (loyalty and disavowal) is among the concepts that should be understood properly to avoid making mistakes that can damage the image of Islam and distort its provisions. Unfortunately, some Muslims use this concept to justify their criminal acts, which are totally rejected by Islam.

Al-wala’ means giving loyalty to Allah, the Prophet, and the believers. This implies believing in Allah and His Messenger, exerting every effort to achieve the advancement of the Muslim community, and doing one’s best to help Muslims’ causes. Allah Almighty says:

(Surely your patron is only Allah and his Messenger, and those who believe, who establish prayer and pay the poor due, and bow down (in prayer).) (Al-Ma’idah 5:55)

Al-bara’, on the other hand, means to take those who are hostile to Allah and Islam as enemies and not support or help them. Regarding this, the Qur’an lays a categorical rule:

(O ye who believe! Take not my enemies and yours as patrons (or protectors),- offering them (your) love, even though they have rejected the Truth that has come to you, and have (on the contrary) driven out the Prophet and yourselves (from your homes).) (Al-Mumtahanah 60:1)

In this context, we should make a distinction between those who express their enmity towards Islam and seek to damage it and those non-Muslims who do not harbor enmity to Muslims or fight them. While the former should be taken as open enemies as stipulated by the above verse, the latter should be treated kindly and there should be no problem in dealing or cooperating with them. The Qur’an draws a demarcation line between the two groups:

(Allah does not forbid you respecting those who have not made war against you on account of (your) religion, and have not driven you forth from your homes, that you show them kindness and deal with them justly; surely Allah loves the doers of justice. Allah only forbids you respecting those who made war upon you on account of (your) religion, and drove you forth from your homes and backed up (others) in your expulsion, that you make friends (and ally) with them, and whoever makes friends with them, these are wrong-doers.) (Al-Mumtahanah 60: 8-9)

The above verses show that not all non-Muslims are to be put in one basket or be fought against. War in Islam is directed to aggressors only, not to innocent and peace-loving civilians who do not entertain enmity to Islam.