وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ يَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥٓ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ سَيَرْحَمُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ Qur’an Al-Tawba (9:71)Wa a lmuminoona wa a lmumin a tu baAA d uhum awliy a o baAA d in yamuroona bi a lmaAAroofi wayanhawna AAani almunkari wayuqeemoona a l ss al a ta wayutoona a l zzak a ta wayu t eeAAoona All a ha warasoolahu ol a ika sayar h amuhumu All a hu inna All a ha AAazeezun h akeem un
Or: "are the protectors [or "friends and protectors"] of one another". Since, however, the believers are here contrasted with the hypocrites, spoken of in verse {67} as being "all of a kind", it is preferable to render the term wali (of which awliya' is the plural) in its primary meaning of being near" or "close" to one another.