Is the interpretation of the phrase: La ilaha illa Allah

The Shaykh : Please go ahead.

The questioner: O Shaykh, may Allah reward you. Regarding the definition of La ilaha illa Allah, or explaining the meaning of La ilaha illa Allah, you said, Your Eminence: "There is no worshipped entity with truth in existence except Allah." I do not know what you mean. Yesterday I was reviewing this meaning, the statement of the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah (the people of the Sunnah and the community) regarding the meaning of La ilaha illa Allah. None of them touched upon the word "in existence." I mean, how many gods were worshipped in the past that do not exist now? I mean, they are not present now. So the word "in existence," this word now... I mean, if we place the Shaykh al-Islam and Ibn al-Qayyim... the Sunnis who defined the meaning of La ilaha illa Allah, none of them touched upon the word "in existence"!! And may Allah reward you. "In existence" might mean that in past eras they were worshipped but do not exist now. Does it mean that... I mean, where did the word "existence" come from? May Allah reward you. Explain it to us?

The Shaykh: By clarifying the reality, may Allah reward you. Do you not distinguish, as is implied by your speech, even if you were to sing about the contrary? Do you not distinguish between the one who says "in existence now" and the one who says "in existence" absolutely, without restricting it to "now"? Do you not distinguish with me between the two matters? Say: Yes, I distinguish.

The questioner: I distinguish, may Allah reward you.

The Shaykh: Okay, wait for the completion. Existence is present now, or has it been present since Allah created the universe? It is the existent, and it is existence. Is that not so? So your objection, may Allah reward you, is verbal and not semantic. It would be semantic if the speaker said "in existence now," in which case his statement would be false. But "in existence," and existence is since Allah said "Be" and it was, so Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is the worshipped entity with truth always and forever. So the word "existence" does not mean the restriction that was put in your mind and prompted your attention to the meaning, that you restricted it with the word "now." And this word is correct if it was restricted in the mind and not in the wording, the meaning would be false. But the word "existence" is not restricted, neither in the mind to "now" nor in the wording. Therefore, there is no issue in the matter.

Another questioner: Our Shaykh, it was transmitted that "in existence" is present.

The Shaykh: I do not know. He says "now." The responsibility is on the narrator. I heard...

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh: Allow me, may Allah reward you. I hope that the discussion is not about words. If I told you "no dust," and you were told the same thing, is there dust for the one who said "there is no worshipped entity with truth in existence"? Is there dust? After you have known that "existence" does not mean "now," there is no dust, then. So this is a discussion about the wording, and what follows from it now is that some of our knowledgeable brothers, whom we hope Allah will increase in knowledge along with us, say this phrase is present. You denied it, and others now affirm it. So what is the result of this and that? Nothing. In the military system, hold your position. There is no benefit. There is no worshipped entity in existence except Allah. We agree?

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh: We agree?

The questioner: Our Shaykh, yesterday we were reading in a book... the word "in existence" did not appear... there is no worshipped entity with truth except Allah...

The Shaykh: May Allah reward you. It appears that you did not pay attention to my statement or my reminder to you just now that here some of our noble brothers say this restriction is present. So what do you say? Do you want to hear? Please.

Another questioner: It is present in al-Qarafi's al-Istithna' and in Ali al-Qari's al-Tajrid.

The Shaykh: I hope you will raise your voice so that he can hear.

Another questioner: I found "in existence" in the book al-Istighna' fi Ahkam al-Istithna' by al-Qarafi. He discusses at length the negation of "La ilaha." He said, "In existence, there is no worshipped entity with truth in existence." And Ali al-Qari also said this in his treatise al-Tajrid fi I'rab Kalimat al-Tawhid.

The Shaykh : What Allah willed.
Abu Malik: If you please, may Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : Please go ahead.
Abu Malik: I am asking you, I mean, what is your objection to this wording? What is the reason for your objection to it, O my master?

The questioner : ... .
Abu Malik: No, it is not an objection. I am not asking you.

The questioner: ...The Shaykh al-Islam explained it, and Ibn al-Qayyim explained it, and al-Shafi'i explained it... the word "in existence"...
Abu Malik: After our Shaykh allows us.

The Shaykh: Go ahead.
Abu Malik: In truth, bringing up this restriction is a necessary matter, even if it was not present previously among the early scholars, because its absence does not indicate that it is not permissible to bring it up. That is the point. And secondly, paying attention to this meaning from the perspective of creed is a matter that must be done so that an important issue in creed is eliminated, which is the issue of the Unity of Existence. When you say "There is no worshipped entity with truth in existence except Allah (Mighty and Majestic)," with this restriction you negate this creed that its proponents claim, namely that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) is the entirety of existence. So when we say "in existence," this word establishes that existence is something other than Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and that He is the one who exists with truth and is worshipped with truth, and that there is nothing in existence that is worshipped except Him. Therefore, this word or this restriction is obligatory to bring up, even if it was not present in the past. And thirdly, may Allah reward you: when we say "There is no worshipped entity with truth except Allah (Mighty and Majestic)," this phrase may have been correct for those who brought it up in the past, and we do not object to them if they brought it up. But when you bring up this phrase, perhaps it is to correct or affirm a statement they intended, and they will not bring up this restriction that must be included in such a definition. May Allah reward you. And Allah knows best.The Shaykh: May Allah reward you. Please.