Can Muslims Befriend Non-Muslims? Debating al-walā wa-al-barā (Loyalty and Disavowal) in Theory and Practice

This article analyzes the polemic on the concept of al-walā wa-al-barā (commonly translated as "loyalty and disavowal"). While existing academic literature focuses on the usages of this concept by jihad activists, the article centers on the role "loyalty and disavowal" plays in debates between contemporary salafī and wasat{dot below}ī jurists and theologians, specifically in their conflicting agendas for Muslims living as minorities. Salafīs, relying on several qur'anic verses and Prophetic traditions, promote an understanding of "loyalty and disavowal" that requires Muslims to refrain from befriending or loving non-Muslims, or imitating their beliefs and customs. Relying on counter-verses and traditions, in particular Q 60.8, wasat{dot below}īs have interpreted the concept of "loyalty and disavowal" more narrowly, arguing that it applies only to non-Muslims who fight against Muslims; as part of their integration-oriented doctrine for Muslims in the West, they have in recent years dedicated considerable efforts to refuting the salafī interpretation of al-walā wa-al-barā. The article examines the juristic methodologies utilized in the debate, and how it has affected religious decisions (fatwās) on Islamic life in Western societies.