What is meant by the phrase "al-wala' (loyalty/allegiance) to the one who freed (a slave)" in the Prophetic Hadith: is it referring to guardianship (al-wilayah) or general allegiance (al-wala' al-'amm)?

The "wala'" (allegiance/loyalty) mentioned in the noble Hadith is the wala' of emancipation, which is like the wala' of kinship. This is based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "Wala' is a bond like the bond of kinship; it is neither sold nor gifted," and his saying: "Wala' is kinship."

Scholars have interpreted wala' as a relationship between the emancipator and the freed person that resembles the relationship of kinship. The emancipator brings the freed person into existence after they were as if non-existent, just as a father is the cause of his child's existence. Ibn al-Arabi likened wala' to kinship because the slave was as if non-existent in terms of legal rulings. His master, through emancipation, brought him into the realm of these rulings, thereby making him like kinship.

As for wala' to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers, it refers to love and support for Islam and its people. There is no contradiction between the two types of wala'.