What are the conditions of La ilaha illa Allah, with clarification?
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The questioner : The questioner from Jordan says in this question: O honorable Shaykh Muhammad, what are the conditions of La ilaha illa Allah? Please clarify them for us, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : It does not need conditions to be clarified; it is clear in itself. La ilaha illa Allah means that there is no true object of worship except Allah. A person must testify to this with his heart, his tongue, and his limbs. So, with his heart, he must believe with firm conviction that there is no true object of worship except Allah, and that everything worshipped besides Allah is invalid, as Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Hajj 22:62].
Second, he must say it with his tongue, as long as he is able to speak, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:Sunan an-Nasa'i 3982Sahih (Darussalam). Therefore, speaking it is necessary for whoever is able to do so. As for the mute person, his belief in his heart is sufficient.
Third, one must realize this phrase by acting in accordance with its implications, by not worshipping anyone but Allah and not directing any type of worship to anyone other than Allah. Whoever associates partners with Allah, even with minor shirk, has not realized the meaning of the phrase La ilaha illa Allah. And whoever follows someone other than the Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in contradiction to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) has not realized the meaning of La ilaha illa Allah. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) was satisfied with the utterance of La ilaha illa Allah, even in cases where a person might think he said it without sincerity. Therefore, we say that it is necessary to utter it with the tongue, to act in accordance with its implications through the pillars, and to believe in its meaning and implication in the hearts, that is, in the heart.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge, and benefit the Muslims through you.
O dear brothers and listeners, the honorable Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, professor at the Faculty, has answered your questions.
The Shaykh : It does not need conditions to be clarified; it is clear in itself. La ilaha illa Allah means that there is no true object of worship except Allah. A person must testify to this with his heart, his tongue, and his limbs. So, with his heart, he must believe with firm conviction that there is no true object of worship except Allah, and that everything worshipped besides Allah is invalid, as Allah the Exalted said:
That is because Allah is the Truth, and that which they call upon other than Him is falsehood, and because Allah is the Most High, the Grand.
ذلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الحَقُّ وَأَنَّ ما يَدعونَ مِن دونِهِ هُوَ الباطِلُ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ العَلِيُّ الكَبيرُSecond, he must say it with his tongue, as long as he is able to speak, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
It was narrated that An-Nu'man bin Salim said: "I heard Aws say: 'I came to the Messenger of Allah [SAW] among the delegation of Thaqif and I was with him in a tent. Everyone in the tent had gone to sleep except him and I. A man came and whispered to him, and he said: Go and kill him. Then he said: Does he not bear witness to La ilaha illallah (there is none worthy of worship except Allah) and that I am the Messenger of Allah? He said: He does bear witness to that. The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: Leave him alone. Then he said: I have been commanded to fight the people until they say La ilaha illallah. If they say it, then their blood and their wealth become forbidden to me, except for a right that is due. (One of the narrators) Muhammad said: I said to Shu'bah: 'Doesn't the Hadith contain: Does he not testify to La ilaha illallah (there is none worthy of worship except Allah) and that I am the Messenger of Allah?' He said: 'I think it is both, but I do not know.'"
حتى يشهدوا ألا إله إلا اللهThird, one must realize this phrase by acting in accordance with its implications, by not worshipping anyone but Allah and not directing any type of worship to anyone other than Allah. Whoever associates partners with Allah, even with minor shirk, has not realized the meaning of the phrase La ilaha illa Allah. And whoever follows someone other than the Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in contradiction to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) has not realized the meaning of La ilaha illa Allah. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) was satisfied with the utterance of La ilaha illa Allah, even in cases where a person might think he said it without sincerity. Therefore, we say that it is necessary to utter it with the tongue, to act in accordance with its implications through the pillars, and to believe in its meaning and implication in the hearts, that is, in the heart.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge, and benefit the Muslims through you.
O dear brothers and listeners, the honorable Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, professor at the Faculty, has answered your questions.