Walayah

Welayah or Walaya (Arabic: وَلاية, meaning "guardianship" or "governance") is a general concept of the Islamic faith and a key word in Shia Islam that refers, among other things, to the nature and function of the Imamate.

Welayah is something that can be granted to a person, community, or country that confers authority/guardianship to the wali (a person who has welayah) that they can exercise on behalf of someone else. For example, in fiqh, a father is wali of his children. The term wali holds a special importance in Islamic spiritual life and it is used with various meanings that relate to its different functions, including: Next of kin, Ally, Friend, Helper, Guardian, Patron, or Saint. In Islam, the phrase ولي اللهwalīyu l-Lāh can denote one vested with the "authority of God".