Some men say to us: Say, "There is no god but Allah," and you will enter Paradise.

The questioner : There are some men who say to us: Say, "There is no god but Allah," and you will enter Paradise. They claim that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever says, 'There is no god but Allah,' will enter Paradise," with words only and no deeds. Are they correct? Please advise us and guide us in this matter, and may you be rewarded.

The Shaykh : They are not correct. The meaning of saying "There is no god but Allah" is that a person says it with his tongue, believes its meaning in his heart, and acts in accordance with its implications. For this reason, if a person says "There is no god but Allah" but denies even a single letter of the Qur'an, he is a disbeliever, and "There is no god but Allah" will not benefit him.
And if a person says "There is no god but Allah" but abandons prayer, for example, he is a disbeliever, and "There is no god but Allah" will not benefit him. However, if a person says "There is no god but Allah" and it is his last word, he will say it sincerely for the sake of Allah. In that state, he is unable to do more than that, so it will be the means of his entry into Paradise.

The questioner : May Allah bless you.