Is the interpretation of the phrase "La ilaha illa Allah" as "There is no true object of worship in existence except Allah" correct?
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The Shaykh : Please go ahead.
The questioner : O Shaykh, may Allah reward you. Regarding the definition of "La ilaha illa Allah," or the explanation of its meaning, you said that it means "There is no true object of worship in existence except Allah." I do not know; yesterday I was reviewing this meaning, the words 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," and none of them mentioned the word "in existence." That is to say... 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" now... I mean, if we were to place the Shaykh al-Islam and Ibn al-Qayyim... the scholars of the Sunnah who defined the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah," none of them mentioned the word "in existence"!! And may Allah reward you. "In existence" might mean that... in past eras they were worshipped, but they do not exist. Does it mean that the word "existence" came from where? May Allah reward you, so explain it to us?
The Shaykh : By clarifying the reality, may Allah reward you. Do you not distinguish what is implied in 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 between the two matters with me? Say: Yes, I distinguish.
The questioner : I distinguish, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Be patient for the completion. Existence is what exists now, or 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 invalid. But "in existence," and existence is since Allah said "Be" and it was, the existent. So Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is the true object of worship always and forever. So the word "existence" does not mean the restriction that was put in your mind and your attention to the meaning led you to restrict it with the word "now." And this word is correct if it is restricted in the mind and not in the wording, the meaning would be invalid. But the word "existence" is not restricted, neither in the mind to "now" nor in the wording. Therefore, there is no problem in the matter.
Another questioner: ...
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 "there is no dust," and if you were told the same thing, is there dust for the one who said "There is no true object of worship 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 word, and what follows from it now is that some of our knowledgeable brothers, and we hope that Allah will increase us and them in knowledge, say that this phrase exists. 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 true object of worship in existence except Allah"... we agree?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : We agree?
The questioner : Our Shaykh, yesterday we were reading in a book...
The Shaykh : May Allah reward you. It appears that you did not pay attention to my earlier statement or reminder to you that here some of our noble brothers say that this restriction exists. So what do you say? Do you want to affirm it? Please go ahead.
Another questioner: It is found in al-Qarafi's *Al-Istithna* and in Ali al-Qari's *Al-Tajrid*.
The Shaykh : I hope you will raise your voice.
Another questioner: I found "in existence" in the book *Al-Istithna* on the rulings of exceptions by al-Qarafi. He discussed negation, saying "There is no god," and he said "in existence, there is no true object of worship in existence." And Ali al-Qari also said this in his treatise *Al-Tajrid* on the grammatical parsing of the word of tawhid (the oneness of Allah).
The Shaykh : What Allah willed.
Abu Malik: If you please, may Allah reward you... I am asking you, what is your objection to this word? What is the reason for your objection to it, my master?
The questioner : ... .
Abu Malik: No, it is not an objection, I am asking you.
The questioner : ... .
Abu Malik: After our Shaykh allows us.
The Shaykh : Please proceed.
Abu Malik: The truth is that mentioning this restriction is a necessary matter, even if it was not found previously among the early scholars, because its absence does not indicate that it is not permissible to intend it. That is the point. And secondly, paying attention to this meaning from the perspective of 'aqidah (creed) is something that must be done so that an important issue in 'aqidah is eliminated, which is the issue of the unity of existence. When you say "There is no true object of worship in existence except Allah (Mighty and Majestic)," with this restriction you deny this belief that its proponents claim, namely that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) is the entire 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 true existent who is worshipped truly, and that there is nothing in existence that is worshipped except Him. Therefore, this word or this restriction is obligatory to mention, even if it was not found in the past. And thirdly, may Allah reward you: when we say "There is no true object of worship except Allah (Mighty and Majestic)," this phrase may have been correct for those who mentioned it in the past, and we do not object to them if they mentioned it. But when you mention this phrase, it may be a correction or confirmation of a statement they intended, and they will not bring 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 go ahead.
The questioner : O Shaykh, may Allah reward you. Regarding the definition of "La ilaha illa Allah," or the explanation of its meaning, you said that it means "There is no true object of worship in existence except Allah." I do not know; yesterday I was reviewing this meaning, the words 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," and none of them mentioned the word "in existence." That is to say... 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" now... I mean, if we were to place the Shaykh al-Islam and Ibn al-Qayyim... the scholars of the Sunnah who defined the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah," none of them mentioned the word "in existence"!! And may Allah reward you. "In existence" might mean that... in past eras they were worshipped, but they do not exist. Does it mean that the word "existence" came from where? May Allah reward you, so explain it to us?
The Shaykh : By clarifying the reality, may Allah reward you. Do you not distinguish what is implied in 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 between the two matters with me? Say: Yes, I distinguish.
The questioner : I distinguish, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Be patient for the completion. Existence is what exists now, or 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 invalid. But "in existence," and existence is since Allah said "Be" and it was, the existent. So Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is the true object of worship always and forever. So the word "existence" does not mean the restriction that was put in your mind and your attention to the meaning led you to restrict it with the word "now." And this word is correct if it is restricted in the mind and not in the wording, the meaning would be invalid. But the word "existence" is not restricted, neither in the mind to "now" nor in the wording. Therefore, there is no problem in the matter.
Another questioner: ...
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 "there is no dust," and if you were told the same thing, is there dust for the one who said "There is no true object of worship 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 word, and what follows from it now is that some of our knowledgeable brothers, and we hope that Allah will increase us and them in knowledge, say that this phrase exists. 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 true object of worship in existence except Allah"... we agree?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : We agree?
The questioner : Our Shaykh, yesterday we were reading in a book...
The Shaykh : May Allah reward you. It appears that you did not pay attention to my earlier statement or reminder to you that here some of our noble brothers say that this restriction exists. So what do you say? Do you want to affirm it? Please go ahead.
Another questioner: It is found in al-Qarafi's *Al-Istithna* and in Ali al-Qari's *Al-Tajrid*.
The Shaykh : I hope you will raise your voice.
Another questioner: I found "in existence" in the book *Al-Istithna* on the rulings of exceptions by al-Qarafi. He discussed negation, saying "There is no god," and he said "in existence, there is no true object of worship in existence." And Ali al-Qari also said this in his treatise *Al-Tajrid* on the grammatical parsing of the word of tawhid (the oneness of Allah).
The Shaykh : What Allah willed.
Abu Malik: If you please, may Allah reward you... I am asking you, what is your objection to this word? What is the reason for your objection to it, my master?
The questioner : ... .
Abu Malik: No, it is not an objection, I am asking you.
The questioner : ... .
Abu Malik: After our Shaykh allows us.
The Shaykh : Please proceed.
Abu Malik: The truth is that mentioning this restriction is a necessary matter, even if it was not found previously among the early scholars, because its absence does not indicate that it is not permissible to intend it. That is the point. And secondly, paying attention to this meaning from the perspective of 'aqidah (creed) is something that must be done so that an important issue in 'aqidah is eliminated, which is the issue of the unity of existence. When you say "There is no true object of worship in existence except Allah (Mighty and Majestic)," with this restriction you deny this belief that its proponents claim, namely that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) is the entire 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 true existent who is worshipped truly, and that there is nothing in existence that is worshipped except Him. Therefore, this word or this restriction is obligatory to mention, even if it was not found in the past. And thirdly, may Allah reward you: when we say "There is no true object of worship except Allah (Mighty and Majestic)," this phrase may have been correct for those who mentioned it in the past, and we do not object to them if they mentioned it. But when you mention this phrase, it may be a correction or confirmation of a statement they intended, and they will not bring 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 go ahead.