المعنى الاصطلاحي :

A kind of relationship resulting from the removal of slavery from a slave by way of freedom.

الشرح المختصر :

"Walā’" (allegiance/loyalty) is a connection and relationship resulting from emancipation, which could have several forms: 1. Emancipation not based on a Shariah-related reason: as in emancipation due to "tadbeer" (emancipation conditional on the death of the master), or "isteelād" (emancipation of a female slave after giving birth to the child of her master), or a contract of emancipation concluded between the slave and his master. 2. Emancipation as an obligation: like emancipation as expatiation for murder or breaking the fast during the daytime in Ramadan. 3. This applies in case emancipation is with or without a compensation, immediate or conditional, or bound by a certain time, etc. This "walā’" is called "walā’ al-‘atāqah" (loyalty of emancipation) and "walā’-un-ni‘mah" (allegiance of favor), because the person who emancipated the slave made him a favor by giving him a life by making him free. The emancipator is called: "mawlā-l-‘atāqah" (the owner of loyalty resulting from emancipation).

التعريف اللغوي المختصر :

"Walā’": support, assistance, love. Derived from "waly", which means closeness. Opposite: "bughd" (hatred). Other meanings: obedience, friendship, compliance.