Al-Walaa’ wal Baraa’ is an essential component of Imaan.
The concept is summed up as ‘loving what Allah Loves and hating what He Hates’.As Rasulullah ﷺ said: “He who loves for Allah’s pleasure, hates for Allah’s pleasure, donates for Allah’s sake and deprives for Allah’s sake, then that person has perfected his Iman”.
It is upon this basis that someone qualifies for Allah’s “walayah”. Ibn Abbas, who was given understanding of the religion by the du’aa of our Prophet ﷺ, and who was given the title “the Sea of Knowledge”, said, “He who loves for Allah’s sake and hates for Allah’s sake, he who gives ‘Muwalat’ (support, help, etc.) for Allah’s sake and exhibits enmity for Allah’s sake, will attain Allah’s Walayah”
Practically speaking, it entails internal and external disassociation from the kuffar (that is not the same thing as aggression), and internal and external closeness and affiliation with the Muslims. It means preferring to be with Muslims and to not be with kuffar; to not enter into close relationships with them, to not trust them with your private affairs, to not depend upon them, to not become emotionally attached to them, and to not join in their gatherings and festivities as much as possible, unless there is a sound reason for doing so that is in the interests of the Believers. As Allah said: :”… if any amongst you takes them (Jews and Christians) as Awliya’, then surely he is one of them…”
Emulating their culture or imitating their lifestyle, often called “assimilating” is a fundamental violation of the principle of al-Walaa’ wal Baraa’. As Rasulullah ﷺ said, “Whoever imitates the manners of a people is one of them.”
Allah told us that the Christians and the Jews would not be pleased with us until we follow their way.He did not Say “their Deen”, but their “millat”. And, indeed, this is the case, Sadaq Allah-ul-Adheem. We are acceptable to them in proportion to the degree to which we assimilate to their cultures and values, and the extent to which we loosen our grip on the Rope of Allah, and compromise on the principle of al-Walaa’ wal Baraa’.
This is one of the most fundamental concepts in Islam, beginning from the Shahadah itself with the affirmation of Allah’s Supremacy (His Laws, His Commands,what He Loves and Approves) and the negation of all else. And, of course, we find that this concept is generally discarded in the education of Muslims in non-Muslim societies. It does not preclude the possibility, indeed the necessity of coexistence; rather it sets the parameters within which that coexistence can actually take place without undermining our identity as Muslims.