MILLIONS of Muslims around the world pronounce this statement on a regular basis. It is heard in the call to prayer, in our daily lives, in sermons, read in books, fought and died for and the basis of our religion. It differentiates believers from non- believers and is the key to enter into paradise. All the Messengers and Prophets came to propagate and teach it in order to take people from darkness to light. Above all, it is the reason Allah created us for. Allah says in the Qur'an: “And I (Allâh) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone)...” (Qur'an, 51:56) The testimony of faith, the Kalimtul-Haqq, the Kalimatul-Ikhlas – Laa ilaaha illa Allah – comprises the greatest statement ever. It means ‘None has the right to be worshipped except Allah'. However, as we all utter these beautiful words on a daily basis we should ask a few questions: Do we understand it and fulfill its obligations? Are we aware of its conditions? Just utterance alone without understanding its meaning is something that may not stop us from associating partners with Allah; something that is the essence of this great statement. Allah says in the Qur'an, “Worship Allâh and join none with Him in worship...” (Qur'an, 4:36) Allah, our Creator and Sustainer, has commanded us to worship Him alone, without any partners. We may think we are, but without knowledge of this statement can we really knowingly stop ourselves from the gravest of sins? “Verily, Allâh forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases, and whoever sets up partners with Al lâh in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin.” (Qur'an, 4: 48) The statement has two pillars: 1-NEGATION None has the right to be worshipped To negate anything and everything that is worshipped besides Allah 2-AFFIRMATION Except Allah To affirm that Allah and only Allah has the right to be worshipped Conditions of Worship: Must be sincerely for the sake of Allah alone Must be in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) Types of worship in the Qur'an and Sunnah: Supplication (Du'a), Fear (Khawf), Hope (Rajaa), Reliance (Tawakkul), Longing (Raghbah) and Dreading (Rahbah), Submissiveness (Khushoo'), Awe (Khashyah), Repentance (Inaabah), Seeking Assitance (Isti'aanah), Seeking Refuge (Iti'aadhah), Asking for Help (Istighaathah), Offering Sacrifices (Dhabah), Making Oaths (Nadhar) and all other types of worship that Allah commanded – all of these belong to Allah alone.If any act of worship is directed to other than Allah, then Shirk has occurred. Conditions of the Laa ilaha illAllah are seven: Conditions Results 1 Knowledge expels ignorance 2 Certainity expels doubt 3 Sincerity expels shirk 4 Truthfulness expels hypocrisy 5 Love expels hate 6 Submissive compliance expels deviation 7 Acceptance expels rejection References: Aqeedah of Tawheed, by Sheikh Saleh Al-Fawzaan and The Three Fundamental Principles, by Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Abdul WahhabVirtues of Laa ilaaha illAllah Haafidh Ibn Rajab mentions many virtues of this statement in his essay entitled Kalimatul-Ikhlaas ( p. 54 -66) • It is the price to pay for the Gardens of Paradise • His whose last words are none has the right to be worshipped except Allah will enter Paradise • It is a salvation from the Hellfire • It necessitates being forgiven • It is the best of all good actions • It wipes away sins • It renews the faith in the heart • It outweighs the record of sins on the scales • It is the best of what the Prophets have said • It is the best form of remembrance, the best of actions and the one that is that is multiplied the most in reward • It is a protection against the devil • All eight gates of Paradise will be opened to its testifier and he may enter from any gate he chooses With all this in mind it is imperative that we all learn its pillars and conditions so that we can say it with full meaning and understanding preventing us from falling into associating partners with Allah. Indeed Allah has forbidden for Hell the person who says ‘There is nothing that has the right to be worshipped but Allah', seeking thereby the Face of Allah. (Bukhari and Muslim) __
