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political islam 475tion of ‘kinship’ than 26:214. In a different verse, men’s closest relativesare given the term ‘kindred’ ( faßÊla), to whom they show wal§"because they are given ‘shelter’, that is, help and protection. 139 Wededuce from the Book’s description of the Day of Resurrection thatthe wal§" to one’s own family and clan is the strongest form of socialbond; it will last longer than any other relationship and only breakif shattered by the might of these eschatological events.The third verse describes two things: first, the obligation to showrespect to one’s parents regardless of circumstances. We are giventhe example of Abraham’s prayer for forgiveness to his father (Azar).This is in spite of the fact that Allah does not forgive those who havecommitted shirk against Him (although Abraham could not haveknown this then). Second, the verse refers to the task to include intoone’s call for belief in God even those family and clan members whoare opposed to the call and are even prepared to fight it. We hearfrom the same verse: ‘…but when it became clear to him that hewas an enemy to God, he dissociated himself (tabarra"a) fromhim…’. 140 The verse describes an attitude that requires the caller ofGod to become detached from those who oppose his faith. It is aform of withdrawal that does not involve any harshness or hardheartedness.We are told that even when faced with his father’s shirk‘…Abraham was most tender-hearted, forbearing’ ( Al-Tawba 9:114).It is rather a form of unengaged neutrality that still keeps the relationshipintact but at the same time makes it clear that one does notendorse the position of the God-deniers. Through such disengagementthe caller expresses his ‘otherness’ ( al-bar§") which is the oppositeto the ‘likeness’ ( al-wal§") that is shown when in the company oflike-minded people.The fourth verse continues the (family) theme of the third versebut extends Abraham’s wal§" to his descendents. By the power ofwhat was naturally given to him, Abraham wanted to secure for hisdescendants the same role of spiritual exemplars as that by which139‘…The guilty person will wish he could save himself from the suffering of thatday by sacrificing his sons, * his spouse, his brother, * the kinsfolk who gave himshelter’ ( Al-Ma#§rij 70:11–13, AH).140The translations closest to MS’s interpretation of tabarra"a and the concept ofbar§" (to show difference or otherness in opinion and behaviour, implying a personaland intellectual disassociation from someone) are AhA: ‘he broke away from him’ orAA: ‘he declared himself quit of him’; too harsh are AB: ‘he renounced him’ or AH:‘he washed his hands of him’, and (socially) unacceptable is FM, MP: ‘he disownedhim’.