The testimony of ‘La ilaha illa Allah’ demands confirmation through words and deeds
Question:
“Is ‘La ilaha illa Allah’ just a phrase to be declared by the tongue or does it demands actions as well?”
Answer:
“This is the best phrase that one can ever declare. It is divided into sayings and actions. Sayings are not enough and if this were the case, hypocrites would be Muslims because they repeat it despite the fact that they are disbelievers; but rather they are in the lowest grade of the Fire because they repeat it by tongue without holding it in their heart. It should be uttered with the tongue and confirmed by the heart that there is no one truly worthy of worship except Allah.
We should act according to its due rights by fulfilling Islamic obligations and abandoning the prohibited things because this is one of the prerequisites of "La ilaha illa Allah". The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“I have been ordered to fight against the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshiped but Allah, so if they say it, then they save their lives and property from me except legally, and then their reckoning (accounts) will be done by Allah.”[1]
In another wording:
“I have been ordered to fight against the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshiped but Allah and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is Allah's Messenger, and offer the prayers perfectly and give the obligatory charity, so if they perform all that, then they save their lives and property from me except for Islamic laws, and then their reckoning (accounts) will be done by Allah.”[2] Agreed on its authenticity.
Thus, we must declare the phrase with certainty, knowledge, and actions not just words uttered by the tongue. The Jews and hypocrites say it, but they do not benefit because they do not follow it by action and `Aqidah (creed). So, a person must believe that there is no one to be truly worshiped but Allah and things that the people worship such as idols, trees, stones, graves, prophets, angels or others are falsehood. This is an act of Shirk (associating other in worship with Allah) but Iman (faith) is the sole right of Allah. This is the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah". It means: no one is truly worthy of worship but Allah as Allah (Exalted be He) said:
“That is because Allâh, He is the Truth, and that which they invoke besides Him is Al-Bâtil (falsehood, Satan and all other false deities)" [Surah Luqman 31:30]
“And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allâh, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him)" [Surah al-Bayinnah 98:5]
“You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything).” [Surah al-Fatiha 1:5]
"And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him" [Surah al-Isra' 17:23]
“So worship Allâh (Alone) by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allâh’s sake only. Surely the religion (i.e. the worship and the obedience) is for Allâh only.” [Surah al-Zumar 39:2]
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“He who professes that there is none worthy of worship (in truth) but Allah and makes a denial of everything which the people worship beside Allah, his property and blood became inviolable...”[3]
In another wording of Imam Muslim:
“He who professes that there is none worthy of worship (in truth) but Allah and made a denial of anything which the people worship beside Allah, his property and blood became inviolable...”[4]
The Hadith is clear reference to pure Tawhid (belief in the Oneness of Allah/ monotheism) and devotion for Allah.
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent Mu`adh (may Allah be pleased with him) to Yemen as a teacher, a guide, amir and a leader, he said to him:
“You are going to a nation from the people of the Scripture, so let the first thing to which you will invite them be the (Tauhid ) monotheism of Allah.”[5]
In another wording:
“Call them to testify that there is no god except Allah and I am the Messenger of Allah. When they do this, tell them that Allah has ordained upon them five obligatory Salah (prayers) a day and night. If they obey you, tell them that Allah has ordained upon them charity to be taken from their rich and given to their poor...”[6]
Hence; a person must believe in this phrase in words and actions and testify that there is no god but Allah truly out of knowledge, certainty, devotion, truthfulness. It expresses Tawhid, fulfills its due rights, accepts it and frees one from anything that is worshiped other than Allah. Thus, belief in this phrase demands certainty about the meaning of "La Ilaha Illa Allah". Belief must be based on knowledge with no doubt, devotion with no Riya' (showing-off) or hypocrisy and based on love of this creed which indicates Tawhid and devotion; not like hypocrites who say it with their tongue and deny it in their hearts.
A person must accept and adhere to Tawhid, obedience, love which the phrase refers to and free oneself from everything that is worshiped other than Allah as He states:
“Whoever disbelieves in Tâghût and believes in Allâh, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allâh is All-Hearer, All-Knower.” [Surah al-Baqarah 2:256]
Disbelief in Taghut (false gods) means freeing oneself from everything that is worshiped other than Allah; believing its voidance and not worshiping other than Allah. True worship is solely for Allah (Glorified be He) without a partner; neither an angel, a prophet, a tree, a stone nor a dead person in worship.”
Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez bin 'Abdullah bin Baaz
Source: www.alifta.net - Fatwas of Ibn Baz, Volume 28, Book on subject related to `Aqidah
[1] Al-Bukhari, Sahih, Book on faith, no. 25; and Muslim, Sahih, Book on faith, no. 22.
[2] Al-Bukhari, Sahih, Book on faith, no. 25; Muslim, Sahih, Book on faith, no. 21; and Ibn Majah, Sunan, Book on trials, no. 3927.
[3] Related by Muslim, Book on faith, Chapter on the command to fight people until they profess that there is no God but Allah, no. 23.
[4] Related by Muslim, Book on faith, Chapter on the command to fight people until they profess that there is no God but Allah, no. 23.
[5] Related by Al-Bukhari, Book on Tawhid, Chapter on what has been reported about the Prophet(peace be upon him) calling his community to proclaim the oneness of Allah Almighty, no. 7372.
[6] Related by Al-Bukhari, Book on Zakah, Chapter on the obligation of Zakah, no. 1395; and Muslim, Book on faith, Chapter on calling people to the testimony of faith and the laws of Islam, no. 19.
“Is ‘La ilaha illa Allah’ just a phrase to be declared by the tongue or does it demands actions as well?”
Answer:
“This is the best phrase that one can ever declare. It is divided into sayings and actions. Sayings are not enough and if this were the case, hypocrites would be Muslims because they repeat it despite the fact that they are disbelievers; but rather they are in the lowest grade of the Fire because they repeat it by tongue without holding it in their heart. It should be uttered with the tongue and confirmed by the heart that there is no one truly worthy of worship except Allah.
We should act according to its due rights by fulfilling Islamic obligations and abandoning the prohibited things because this is one of the prerequisites of "La ilaha illa Allah". The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“I have been ordered to fight against the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshiped but Allah, so if they say it, then they save their lives and property from me except legally, and then their reckoning (accounts) will be done by Allah.”[1]
In another wording:
“I have been ordered to fight against the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshiped but Allah and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is Allah's Messenger, and offer the prayers perfectly and give the obligatory charity, so if they perform all that, then they save their lives and property from me except for Islamic laws, and then their reckoning (accounts) will be done by Allah.”[2] Agreed on its authenticity.
Thus, we must declare the phrase with certainty, knowledge, and actions not just words uttered by the tongue. The Jews and hypocrites say it, but they do not benefit because they do not follow it by action and `Aqidah (creed). So, a person must believe that there is no one to be truly worshiped but Allah and things that the people worship such as idols, trees, stones, graves, prophets, angels or others are falsehood. This is an act of Shirk (associating other in worship with Allah) but Iman (faith) is the sole right of Allah. This is the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah". It means: no one is truly worthy of worship but Allah as Allah (Exalted be He) said:
“That is because Allâh, He is the Truth, and that which they invoke besides Him is Al-Bâtil (falsehood, Satan and all other false deities)" [Surah Luqman 31:30]
“And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allâh, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him)" [Surah al-Bayinnah 98:5]
“You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything).” [Surah al-Fatiha 1:5]
"And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him" [Surah al-Isra' 17:23]
“So worship Allâh (Alone) by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allâh’s sake only. Surely the religion (i.e. the worship and the obedience) is for Allâh only.” [Surah al-Zumar 39:2]
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“He who professes that there is none worthy of worship (in truth) but Allah and makes a denial of everything which the people worship beside Allah, his property and blood became inviolable...”[3]
In another wording of Imam Muslim:
“He who professes that there is none worthy of worship (in truth) but Allah and made a denial of anything which the people worship beside Allah, his property and blood became inviolable...”[4]
The Hadith is clear reference to pure Tawhid (belief in the Oneness of Allah/ monotheism) and devotion for Allah.
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent Mu`adh (may Allah be pleased with him) to Yemen as a teacher, a guide, amir and a leader, he said to him:
“You are going to a nation from the people of the Scripture, so let the first thing to which you will invite them be the (Tauhid ) monotheism of Allah.”[5]
In another wording:
“Call them to testify that there is no god except Allah and I am the Messenger of Allah. When they do this, tell them that Allah has ordained upon them five obligatory Salah (prayers) a day and night. If they obey you, tell them that Allah has ordained upon them charity to be taken from their rich and given to their poor...”[6]
Hence; a person must believe in this phrase in words and actions and testify that there is no god but Allah truly out of knowledge, certainty, devotion, truthfulness. It expresses Tawhid, fulfills its due rights, accepts it and frees one from anything that is worshiped other than Allah. Thus, belief in this phrase demands certainty about the meaning of "La Ilaha Illa Allah". Belief must be based on knowledge with no doubt, devotion with no Riya' (showing-off) or hypocrisy and based on love of this creed which indicates Tawhid and devotion; not like hypocrites who say it with their tongue and deny it in their hearts.
A person must accept and adhere to Tawhid, obedience, love which the phrase refers to and free oneself from everything that is worshiped other than Allah as He states:
“Whoever disbelieves in Tâghût and believes in Allâh, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allâh is All-Hearer, All-Knower.” [Surah al-Baqarah 2:256]
Disbelief in Taghut (false gods) means freeing oneself from everything that is worshiped other than Allah; believing its voidance and not worshiping other than Allah. True worship is solely for Allah (Glorified be He) without a partner; neither an angel, a prophet, a tree, a stone nor a dead person in worship.”
Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez bin 'Abdullah bin Baaz
Source: www.alifta.net - Fatwas of Ibn Baz, Volume 28, Book on subject related to `Aqidah
[1] Al-Bukhari, Sahih, Book on faith, no. 25; and Muslim, Sahih, Book on faith, no. 22.
[2] Al-Bukhari, Sahih, Book on faith, no. 25; Muslim, Sahih, Book on faith, no. 21; and Ibn Majah, Sunan, Book on trials, no. 3927.
[3] Related by Muslim, Book on faith, Chapter on the command to fight people until they profess that there is no God but Allah, no. 23.
[4] Related by Muslim, Book on faith, Chapter on the command to fight people until they profess that there is no God but Allah, no. 23.
[5] Related by Al-Bukhari, Book on Tawhid, Chapter on what has been reported about the Prophet(peace be upon him) calling his community to proclaim the oneness of Allah Almighty, no. 7372.
[6] Related by Al-Bukhari, Book on Zakah, Chapter on the obligation of Zakah, no. 1395; and Muslim, Book on faith, Chapter on calling people to the testimony of faith and the laws of Islam, no. 19.