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Wali (Arabic ولي, plural Awliya' أولياء, Persian/Turkish pronunciation Vali), is an Arabic word, meaning protector or guardian (most literally etymologically "near one"), also adopted in various other Islamic cultures.
Religion
In the spiritual tradition of Islam, a Wali, or Waliullah/WaliAllah is a friend of God.
Usually these people are members of Sufi (mystic) communities who are considered to have a special relationship with Allah. Famous Walis include Ali, son-in-law of Muhammed; Fatima, daughter of the Prophet.
About Wali (i.e. Wilayat), the Qur'an has said:
إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلاَةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ
Only Allah is your Wali and His Messenger and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow. (Shakir)
It is a well known hadith among Muslims that Ali (Muhammed's cousin and son-in-law) paid the poor rate while bowing (in prayers) by offering his ring to the beggar and only then were these verses revealed unto Muhammed.
Administration & Law
"Wali" was also the title in Ottoman Empire of the most common type of Turkish governor, in charge of a common type of province called vilayet after him, often a military officer such as a pasha; see Subdivisions of the Ottoman Empire.
It has been adopted in various oriental Muslim countries.
Thus the Omani sultanate, or after the split Zanzibar sultanate, appointed a Wali in the East African coastal entity Mombasa (now in Kenya; at other times Portuguese or British colony or native sultanate), but there the title was transformed in Kiswahili to Liwali.
Wali also means a juridical guardian.
In the Islamic law of marriage, the wali is a woman's closest adult male relative, who has authority and responsibility with respect to her marrying; in this context, wali can be translated "marriage guardian".
Morocco
Since 1997 regionalisation reform, a wali is the governor of one of the sixteen regions of Morocco.
See also
Sources and External Links
Gubernatorial titles | Islam | Ottoman Empire
Wali (Islam) | Wali | Liwali
"Wali"