মাওলা শব্দের অর্থ কি ? এ নিয়ে অনেকের মধ্যে তর্কাতর্কি /বাৎচিত হয়। মাওলা শব্দটি আল্লাহ্ কুরআনের ১৩ আয়াতে সর্ব মোট ১৭ বার উল্লেখ করেছেন।
আসুন দেখি কুরআনের আলোকে, মাওলা বলতে আল্লাহ্‌ কি বুঝিয়েছেন।
ইংরেজি ভাষায় অনূদিত কুরআনের আয়াতগুলি নিম্নে তুলে ধরা হল।
অনুবাদকের পরিচিতিঃ মুহম্মদ মুহসিন খান, জন্ম ১৩৩৪ হিজরী / ১৯২৭ খ্রিস্টাব্দে, তিনি সহিহ বোখারী এবং কুরআনের ইংরেজি অনুবা অনুবাদের জন্য খ্যাত, যা তিনি মুহাম্মাদ তাকী-উদ-দীন আল-হিলালির সাথে মিলে সমাপ্ত করেছিলেন।

(1) Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned. "Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error, our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us (Jews and Christians); our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Pardon us and grant us Forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our maula (Patron, Supporter and Protector, etc.) and give us victory over the disbelieving people. " (سورة البقرة, Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #286)
(2) Nay, Allah is your maula (Patron, Lord, Helper, Protector), and He is the Best of helpers. (سورة آل عمران, Aal-i-Imraan, Chapter #3, Verse #150)
(3) Then they are returned to Allah, their True maula [True Master (God), the Just Lord (to reward them)]. Surely, for Him is the judgement and He is the Swiftest in taking account. (سورة الأنعام, Al-An'aam, Chapter #6, Verse #62)
(4) And if they turn away, then know that Allah is your maula (Patron, Lord, Protector and Supporter) - (what) an Excellent maula and (what) an Excellent Helper! (سورة الأنفال, Al-Anfaal, Chapter #8, Verse #40)
(5) Say: "Nothing shall ever happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is our maula (Lord, Helper and Protector)." And in Allah let the believers put their trust. (سورة التوبة, At-Tawba, Chapter #9, Verse #51)
(6) There! Every person will know (exactly) what he had earned before and they will be brought back to Allah, their rightful maula (Lord), and their invented false deities will vanish from them. (سورة يونس, Yunus, Chapter #10, Verse #30)
(7) He calls unto him whose harm is nearer than his profit: certainly, an evil maula (patron) and certainly an evil friend! (سورة الحج, Al-Hajj, Chapter #22, Verse #13)
(8) And strive hard in Allah's Cause as you ought to strive (with sincerity and with all your efforts that His Name should be superior). He has chosen you (to convey His Message of Islamic Monotheism to mankind by inviting them to His religion of Islam), and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship: it is the religion of your father Ibrahim (Abraham) (Islamic Monotheism). It is He (Allah) Who has named you Muslims both before and in this (the Qur'an), that the Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) may be a witness over you and you be witnesses over mankind! So perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), give Zakat and hold fast to Allah [i.e. have confidence in Allah, and depend upon Him in all your affairs]. He is your maula (Patron, Lord), what an Excellent maula (Patron, Lord) and what an Excellent Helper! (سورة الحج, Al-Hajj, Chapter #22, Verse #78)
(9) The Day when a maula (a near relative) cannot avail a maula (a near relative) in aught, and no help can they receive, (سورة الدخان, Ad-Dukhaan, Chapter #44, Verse #41)
(10) That is because Allah is the maula (Lord, Master, Helper, Protector, etc.) of those who believe, and the disbelievers have no maula (lord, master, helper, protector, etc.).
(سورة محمد, Muhammad, Chapter #47, Verse #11)
(11) So this Day no ransom shall be taken from you (hypocrites), nor of those who disbelieved, (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism). Your abode is the Fire. That is your maula (friend - proper place), and worst indeed is that destination.
(سورة الحديد, Al-Hadid, Chapter #57, Verse #15)
(12) Allah has already ordained for you (O men) the absolution from your oaths. And Allah is your maula (Lord, or Master, or Protector) and He is the All-Knower, the All-Wise.
(سورة التحريم, At-Tahrim, Chapter #66, Verse #2)
(13) If you two (wives of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم : 'Aishah and Hafsah رضي الله عنهما) turn in repentance to Allah, (it will be better for you), your hearts are indeed so inclined (to oppose what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم likes); but if you help one another against him (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), then verily, Allah is his maula (Lord, or Master, or Protector), and Jibril (Gabriel), and the righteous among the believers; and furthermore, the angels are his helpers.
(سورة التحريم, At-Tahrim, Chapter #66, Verse #4)

- এখানে লক্ষ্যনীয়, সর্বমোট ১২ বার মাওলা বলতে lord/ protector / master বুঝান হয়েছে, যার মানে হচ্ছে, প্রভু, রক্ষাকর্তা, অভিভাবক অর্থাৎ আল্লাহ্ নিজেকেই ইঙ্গিত করেছেন।(Serial no-1-6,8,10,12,13)
- সূরা আল হাজ্জ এ, মাওলা বলতে, সমর্থক, পৃষ্ঠপোষক কে বুঝান হয়েছে। (Serial no-7)
- অপরদিকে, ২ বার মাওলা বলতে নিকটাত্বীয় এবং বন্ধু দের বুঝানো হয়েছে। (সূরা আদ-দুখান) (Serial no-9)
- সূরা আত-তাহরিম এ, মাওলা বলতে, rightful place (খারাপ লোকদের/ অবিশ্বাসীদের উপযুক্ত জায়গা) কে বুঝান হয়েছে। (Serial no-11)