those who purify themselves.” (Quran 2:222) He, the Exalted, also says: “Indeed, Allah loves the doers of good.” (Quran 2:195)

Allah has clearly identified His friends in His statement: “Unquestionably, the friends of Allah shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve—those who believed and were mindful of Him.” (Quran 10:62–63) Thus a wali must combine two traits:

1. Faith (īmān).
2. God-consciousness (taqwā).

People, in terms of friendship with Allah and enmity toward Him, are divided into three groups:

1. The pure friends of Allah: the angels, the prophets, the champions of truth, the martyrs, and the righteous believers.

2. The outright enemies of Allah—such as the polytheist, the unbeliever, and the hypocrite whose hypocrisy constitutes disbelief. These are the enemies of Allah and His Messenger. Allah says: “O you who believe, do not take My enemy and your enemy as allies, showing them affection while they have rejected the truth that has come to you.” (Quran 60:1) He also says: “You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day loving those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even though they be their fathers, their sons, their brothers, or their kindred.” (Quran 58:22) And He says: “O you who believe, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies; they are allies of one another. Whoever among you allies himself with them is indeed one of them. Surely, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.” (Quran 5:51)