قَالُوا سُبْحَانَكَ مَا كَانَ يَنبَغِي لَنَا أَن نَّتَّخِذَ مِن دُونِكَ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاءَ وَلَكِن مَّتَّعْتَهُمْ وَآبَاءَهُمْ حَتَّى نَسُوا الذِّكْرَ وَكَانُوا قَوْمًا بُورًا
They will say, ‘Immaculate are You! It does not behoove us to take any wali in Your stead! But You provided for them and their fathers until they forgot the Reminder, and they were a ruined lot.’
Agha Ali Puya Commentary
Commentary on Quran 25:18
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 25:18] Aqa Mahdi Puya says: Wali is he who is near. A master is the wali of his slave; and likewise a slave is the wali of his master. Two friends or two neighbours are near to each other, therefore one is wali of another. Allah is the wali of the believers; and the believers are the awliya of Allah. In this verse awliya means friends, not guardians, because it refers to the false gods who are questioned.