548 H)...

548 H), for instance, says: )والذين كفروا أولياؤهم الطاغوت (أي :متولي أمورهم وأنصارهم (And those who disbelieve, their awliya [plural of wali ] are the evil ones) [2:257], meaning: their rulers and helpers .[^6] Al-Kashani (d. 1091 H) supports him: )الله ولي الذين آمنوا (متولي أمورهم (Allah is the Wali of those who believe) [2:257] their Ruler .[^7] ‘Allamah al-Majlisi (d.

1111 H) also says: والولي المتولي للأمور والناصر والمحب The wali is the ruler , and the helper , and the lover .[^8] The Sunni position is the same as well. Imam Ibn Jawzi (d. 597 H) submits: قوله تعالى) :الله ولي الذين آمنوا (أي: متولي أمورهم، يهديهم، وينصرهم، ويعينهم. Allah the Most High’s Statement: (Allah is the Wali of those who believe) [2:257] meaning: their Ruler , Who guides them, and helps them, and supports them.[^9] Imam al-Baydhawi (d.

685 H) supports him: )الله ولي الذين آمنوا (محبهم أو متولي أمورهم (Allah is the Wali of those who believe) [2:257] their Lover or their Ruler .[^10] Al-Tha’labi (d. 427 H) says something similar too: )الله ولي الذين آمنوا (أي ناصرهم ومعينهم وقيل محبهم وقيل متولي أمرهم (Allah is the Wali of those who believe) [257], meaning their Helper and Supporter. It is said: their Lover. And it is said: their Ruler .[^11] The same submission was made by al-Khazan (d.

725 H): (والله ولي الذين آمنوا (أي ناصرهم ومعينهم وقيل محبم ومتولي أمورهم (Allah is the Wali of those who believe), meaning: their Helper and Supporter. It is said: their Lover and Ruler .[^12] Al-Mahalli (d. 864 H) and al-Suyuti (d.

911 H) in their Tafsir al-Jalalayn , mince no words about this: }أنت ولينا {متولي أمورنا (You are our Wali ) our Ruler .[^13] They also say: {إن وليي الله} متولي أموري {My Wali is Allah) [7:196] my Ruler .[^14] And: {فهو وليهم} متولي أمورهم {he is their wali } [16:63] their ruler .[^15] Imam al-Nasafi (d. 710 H) confirms them as well: {الله ولي الذين آمنوا} [البقرة : 257] .... أي ناصرهم ومتولي أمورهم {Allah is the Wali of those who believe} [Baqarah:257] ....

meaning, their Helper and Ruler .[^16] Shaykh Ibn ‘Ashur, in turn, corroborates al-Nasafi: )فهو وليهم اليوم....( والمعنى : فالشيطان وليّ المشركين اليوم ، أي متولّي أمرهم (he is their wali today) [16:63].... the meaning is: “Shaytan is the wali of the pagans today”, meaning their ruler .[^17] ‘Allamah Rashid Ridha (d. 1354 H), a Salafi scholar, says too: (وهو وليهم بما كانوا يعملون) .... و}وليهم { متولي أمورهم (And He will be their Wali because of what they used to do) [6:127]....