In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate Praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may the blessings and peace of Allah be on our Prophet Muhammad and on his family and on all his companions. The subject matter of this work is of paramount importance and utmost interest for two major reasons: Firstly, it is concerned with one of Islamʹs main foundations, namely the qualities of al‐walaʹ waʹ1‐baraʹ, which are two major prerequisites of true faith: al‐walaʹ is a manifestation of sincere love for Allah, His prophets and the believers; al‐baraʹ, on the other hand, is an expression of enmity and hatred towards falsehood and its adherents. Both are evidence of iman. Secondly, it has been written at a very crucial time: everything has become so mixed up that some Muslims are no longer aware of those qualities which distinguish the believers from the non‐believers; their faith has become so weak that they have adopted patterns of behaviour that are absolutely repugnant to a sincere believer; they have taken the disbelievers as their friends, while displaying enmity towards many of the believers by disparaging their character and degrading them. The importance of writing such a book as this in the present time is therefore apparent. The author has investigated the various aspects of al‐walaʹ waʹ1‐baraʹ, quoting, along with explanatory notes and comments, many scholarsʹ statements and arguments. He has also backed up his arguments with numerous verses from the Qurʹan, authentic traditions from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace and many of the sayings of his companions and the early pious Muslim scholars, may Allah be pleased with all of them. The author has also verified the reliability of these sources, recording the numbers of the Qurʹanic verses and the chapters in which they are to be found, and the books in which the prophetic traditions and sayings are contained, as well as the degree of their authenticity. The authorʹs grasp of his subject, his immense erudition and the thoroughness of his research, are all clearly apparent in this work. I pray that this book will benefit the Muslims. I also pray that Allah the Almighty will provide our Ummah with writers who will follow in the footsteps of its author. There is great hope that the younger generation of Muslims will be brought up to honour the deen of Islam and to revive those parts of it that have been obliterated, for my Lord and your Lord is the Hearer and Answerer of our prayers. Shaykh Abdar‐Razaq Afifi (His Eminence Shaykh Abdar‐Razaq Afifi is Deputy‐President of the Departments of Guidance, Ifta, Call and Scholarly Research in Saudi Arabia; he is also a member of the Board of Great Ulamaʹ of Saudi Arabia.) book Al Wala Wal Bara According to the Aqeedah of the Salaf part:1 Author Sheikh Muhammad Saeed alQahtani This book was originally submitted in the form of a thesis for a Masters Degree to the Department of Aqeedah of the UmmulQuraa University in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The examining committee comprised the following: Muhammad Qutb, the supervisor, as chairman; Shaykh Abdur Razzaq Afifi as a member; and Dr. Abdul Azeez Obeid as a member. The author was granted a Masters Degree, with excellence, on Saturday evening, the 4th of Shaban 1401.