Wali (Islamic legal guardian)

Walī (Arabic: ولي, plural ʾawliyāʾ أولياء) is an Arabic word primarily meaning "ally", from which other related meanings with Islamic cultural tones derive, such as "friend of God" or "holy man", etc. "Wali" can also mean a "legal guardian", or ruler; someone who has "Wilayah" (authority or guardianship) over somebody else, and in fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) is often "an authorized agent of the bride in concluding a marriage contract (Islamic Law)".

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