Auliya Allah - Friends of ALLAH (Azzo Jal)
TYPES OF Auliya (Friends, Protectors, Helpers, Supporters) According to Quran and Sunnah
 

"O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as 'Auliya' (friends, protectors, helpers etc.), they are but 'Auliya' to one another. And if any amongst you takes them as 'Auliya' then surely he is one of them. Verily, Allah guides not those people who are the Zalimun (polytheists and wrongdoers and unjust)." 5:51

"O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies (i.e. disbelievers and polytheists, etc.) as friends, showing affection towards them, while they have disbelieved in what has come to you of the truth (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism, this Qur'ân, and Muhammad ), and have driven out the Messenger (Muhammad ) and yourselves (from your homeland) because you believe in Allâh your Lord! If you have come forth to strive in My Cause and to seek My Good Pleasure, (then take not these disbelievers and polytheists, etc., as your friends). You show friendship to them in secret, while I am All-Aware of what you conceal and what you reveal. And whosoever of you (Muslims) does that, then indeed he has gone (far) astray, (away) from the Straight Path. 60, 1.

"Should they gain the upper hand over you, they would behave to you as enemies, and stretch forth their hands and their tongues against you with evil, and they desire that you should disbelieve". 60, 2.

"Neither your relatives nor your children will benefit you on the Day of Resurrection (against Allâh). He will judge between you. And Allâh is the All-Seer of what you do". 60, 3.

Indeed there has been an excellent example for you in Ibrâhim (Abraham) and those with him, when they said to their people: "Verily, we are free from you and whatever you worship besides Allâh, we have rejected you, and there has started between us and you, hostility and hatred for ever, until you believe in Allâh Alone," except the saying of Ibrâhim (Abraham) to his father: "Verily, I will ask for forgiveness (from Allâh) for you, but I have no power to do anything for you before Allâh ." Our Lord! In You (Alone) we put our trust, and to You (Alone) we turn in repentance, and to You (Alone) is (our) final Return, 60, 4.
Certainly, there has been in them an excellent example for you to follow, for those who look forward to (the Meeting with) Allâh (for the reward from Him) and the Last Day. And whosoever turn away, then verily, Allâh is Rich (Free of all wants), Worthy of all Praise. 60, 6.

Perhaps Allâh will make friendship between you and those whom you hold as enemies. And Allâh has power (over all things), and Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. 60, 7.

Allâh does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion and did not drive you out of your homes. Verily, Allâh loves those who deal with equity. 60, 8.

It is only as regards those who fought against you on account of religion, and have driven you out of your homes, and helped to drive you out, that Allâh forbids you to befriend them. And whosoever will befriend them, then such are the Zâlimûn (wrongdoers those who disobey Allâh). 60,9
O you who believe! Take not as friends the people who incurred the Wrath of Allâh (i.e. the Jews). Surely, they have been in despair to receive any good in the Hereafter, just as the disbelievers have been in despair about those (buried) in graves (that they will not be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection). 60, 13.

Disbelieving Relatives
O you who believe! Take not for 'Auliya' (supporters and helpers) your fathers and your brothers if they prefer disbelief to Belief. And whoever of you does so, then he is one of the Zalimun (wrongdoers, etc.) 9:23

Hypocrites
Then what is the matter with you that you are divided into two parties about the hypocrites? Allah has cast them back (to disbelief) because of what they have earned. Do you want to guide him whom Allah has made to go astray? And he whom Allah has made to go astray, you will never find for him any way (of guidance). They wish that you reject Faith, as they have rejected (Faith), and thus that you all become equal (like one another). So take not 'Auliya' (protectors or friends) from them, till they emigrate in the Way of Allah (to Muhammad ). But if they turn back (from Islam), take (hold) of them and kill them wherever you find them, and take neither 'Auliya' (protectors or friends) nor helpers from them. 4:88-89

Those who take disbelievers for 'Auliya' (protectors or helpers or friends) instead of believers, do they seek honour, power and glory with them? Verily, then to Allah belongs all honour, power and glory. 4:139

O you who believe! Take not for 'Auliya' (protectors or helpers or friends) disbelievers instead of believers. Do you wish to offer Allah a manifest proof against yourselves? 4:144

Awliya for Muslims
Muslims Behold! verily on the friends of Allah there is no fear nor shall they grieve. 10.62; Those who believe and (constantly) guard against evil. 10,63.
As to those who turn (for friendship) to Allah His Apostle and the (fellowship of) believers it is the fellowship of Allah that must certainly triumph. 5, 56.
Those who believed and adopted exile and fought for the faith with their property and their persons in the cause of Allah as well as those who gave (them) asylum and aid these are (all) friends and protectors one of another. As to those who believed but came not into exile ye owe no duty of protection to them until they seek your aid in religion it is your duty to help them except against a people with whom ye have a treaty of mutual alliance: and (remember) Allah seeth all that ye do . 8, 72.

Let not the believers take for friends or helpers unbelievers rather than believers; if any do that in nothing will there be help from Allah; except by way of precaution that ye may guard yourselves from. 3, 28.
Verily, your Walî (Protector or Helper) is Allâh, His Messenger, and the believers, - those who perform As-Salât
(Iqâmat-as-Salât), and give Zakât, and they bow down (submit themselves with obedience to Allâh in prayer). 5:55

What hadith says about Awliya Allah
The Prophet (s) said, "'ulama ummati ka anbiya'i Bani Isra'il" which means "the scholars of my Nation are like the prophets of the Bani Isra'il." And the Prophet (s) said in another hadith "al-'ulama warithat ul-anbiya," (Ibn Majah and Tirmidhi) which means "the scholars are the inheritors of the prophets." Therefore it is difficult to see a way in Islam which allows one to discard scholars and scholarship.

Abu Hurayra narrated that Rasool Allah (saw) said (hadith Qudsi), " Whoever harms any of my Deputies, I shall declare war on him. The striving of my Servant to please Me does not receive a reward greater than that of fulfilling what I have commanded him to do. My servant volunteers in his perseverance, offering supererogatory devotion to please Me and to earn my Love. Once I cast My love upon him, I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he exacts justice, and his foot that carries him. Should my servant pray for something, I will answer his prayers and should he seek refuge in me, I will protect him. Indeed, there is nothing that I have decreed, which I hesitate to do for the sake of a believer except causing him to experience death. He dislikes it, and I hate to displease him, but I have thus ordained."

`Umar ibn Al-Khattaab once found Mu`adh ibn Jabal (ra) sitting and crying near the Grave of RasuuluLLah (saw). He asked him, " Why are you crying?" Mu`adh said, " I remember something RasuuluLLah said : "The slightest ostentatiousness is Shirk, and whoever harms any of Allah`s Deputies has surely earned Allah`s Wrath."
`Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (ra) said, " Some of Allah blessed servants are neither Prophets nor Martyrs, they are special People, who on the Day of Reckoning, the Prophets and the Martyrs will envy them for their ranks and nearness to their Lord. " Someone asked, " O RasuuluLLah , who are they, and what kind of deeds do they perform so that we may love Them as well?" RasuuluLLah said, " They are People who love one another in Allah, even though they have no consanguineous ties, money to exchange or worldly business to barter with. I swear by Allah on the Reckoning, their faces will be effulgent lights and they will be raised on Pulpits of Light. They will not be subject to fear when the creation is seized by the awesomeness of the Day of Resurrection, nor will they be subjected with sorrow when the rest of creation will be seized by it." He then recited << Surely, Allah`s Deputies are not subject to fear nor shall they grieve>> (Quran 10:62).

No Muslims in Town to be Friends With?
Or have they taken (for worship) Auliyâ' (guardians, supporters, helpers, protectors, etc.) besides Him? But Allâh, He Alone is the Walî (Protector, etc.). And it is He Who gives life to the dead, and He is Able to do all things. 42:9 And whoever takes Shaitân (Satan) as a Walî (protector or helper) instead of Allâh, has surely suffered a manifest loss. 4:119