The Meaning of "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah"

The Shaykh : Many people do not know the reality of these two testimonies, without which a disbeliever cannot accept Islam except by testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. We all know this fact: that Islam is to testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. However, many Muslims do not know what these two testimonies require. The first is "There is no god but Allah," and the second is "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." I wish to direct my talk this evening around the second testimony, "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah," while briefly touching upon the first. It is necessary to mention that the phrase: means, first and foremost, that there is no deity worthy of worship in existence except Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). It means that the Muslim must purify his worship for Allah (Mighty and Majestic), so that he does not associate anyone with Allah in the worship of Allah. This has a long discussion, and we have probably addressed it more than once. But I wanted to be brief in this good talk: its meaning is that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. It does not mean, as one might imagine, "except a God," i.e., "no Lord." That is a limited meaning. "Ilah" (deity) is the one who is worshipped, whereas "Rabb" (Lord) can be used for the Creator (Exalted is He), who is the Lord of the House, the Lord of the worlds, the Lord of the Great Throne, and the like. It can also be used for the owner of wealth, the owner of a house, and the like. So the intended meaning of this good phrase, "There is no god but Allah," is not merely "there is no Lord but Allah." No. Rather, the intended meaning is that there is no deity worthy of worship in existence except Allah. Therefore, this word of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) does not benefit its owner with any of what is hoped for the speaker on the Day of meeting Allah (Mighty and Majestic), such as salvation from eternal abode in the Fire, unless he understands the meaning of "Ilah" in this testimony, in this good phrase. "Ilah" is the true deity, so no one is worshipped alongside Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). This is the meaning of the word of tawhid. This is because the polytheists, by the explicit text of the Noble Qur'an, testified that the Creator of the heavens and the earth is Allah. He (Mighty and Majestic) said: Therefore, it is not sufficient for the Muslim to say that Allah is the Creator and the Provider. This is necessary, but he must add to his belief that there is no Lord but Allah, no Creator but Allah, no Provider but Allah, and no deity worthy of worship in existence except Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). By doing so, he fulfills the right of this good phrase. I said earlier that I would be brief in this good talk because I have addressed it more than once. I want to devote a little of our session to the second testimony, "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." I said they are two words: "We do not worship except Allah," which is the meaning of "There is no god but Allah," and the second word is "We do not worship Allah except by what Allah has prescribed." If we worship Allah only by what Allah has prescribed, then we have truly believed and affirmed when we say "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." But if we expand the circle of worship and worship Allah (Mighty and Majestic) by what our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) has not prescribed in the Qur'an or the Sunnah, then we have not truly believed in the second testimony, "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." Why? Because our belief that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah means two things. The first is that he was sent as a messenger from the Lord of the worlds to all people, as a bringer of good news and a warner. "Messenger" means with a message, which is the message of Islam. The second is that he conveyed the message and fulfilled the trust, and he did not leave anything for anyone to add to it (peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, our Lord (Blessed and Exalted is He) affirmed his (peace and blessings be upon him) fulfillment of his role as a messenger, and by that we testify and say, "And Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."