Does merely uttering the two testimonies protect a person's blood and wealth?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Our brother asks another question, saying: Does merely uttering the two testimonies protect a person, and protect his blood and wealth? And if he lacks knowledge of the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah" while he repeats it night and day, is that sufficient for him? Will it admit him to Paradise and save him from the Fire?
Answer:
The phrase "La ilaha illa Allah" and the phrase "I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah"—these two testimonies are the foundation of the religion and the basis of the faith. So whoever utters them, having not said them before, is protected in his blood and wealth, and he is ruled to be a Muslim.
Then he is observed, and his understanding and comprehension are assessed. If he accepts the truth and is upright, his sincerity is known. But if he refuses and persists in his disbelief, shirk, and worship of idols, trees, stones, or the people of the graves, or persists in mocking the religion and insulting it, or in any of the nullifiers of Islam, this testimony will not benefit him; he will be an apostate.
So he is first ruled to be a Muslim, and then, by coming with what contradicts Islam and necessitates apostasy, he is ruled to be an apostate, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Ibn Majah 2535Sahih (Darussalam).
So if a person utters the two testimonies without having uttered them previously, he is ruled to be a Muslim, as was the case in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified in the authentic hadiths, in the hadith of Usamah and others, the hadith of Ibn 'Umar, the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, and others. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan an-Nasa'i 3969Sahih (Darussalam) And in the other wording: .
The point is that if he comes with this testimony, his blood and wealth are protected, provided he had not come with them before. Then his case is examined: if he is upright upon the religion of Allah, he has the ruling of the Muslims. But if he refuses and remains in his disbelief and misguidance, the testimony does not benefit him by mere utterance. The hypocrites say it, yet they are in the lowest depth of the Fire, because they said it but did not act upon it; rather, they disbelieved in it, lied to Allah and His Messenger, or doubted the religion of Allah.
And so are those about whom Allah said: [At-Tawbah: 65] [At-Tawbah: 66]. They were people who displayed Islam and participated in the works of the Muslims, but their mockery of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and of Islam became apparent. Therefore, Allah revealed regarding them: [At-Tawbah 9:65] "Do not make excuses; you have disbelieved after your faith" [At-Tawbah: 66].
The scholars have agreed that whoever commits a nullifier of Islam is ruled by that nullifier, even if he says, "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah," and even if he prays and fasts. This is because this testimony only benefits when its right is fulfilled; if its right is neglected, it does not benefit its utterer. And Allah is the One to be sought for help.
The presenter: And Allah is the Helper, may Allah reward you with good.
Our brother asks another question, saying: Does merely uttering the two testimonies protect a person, and protect his blood and wealth? And if he lacks knowledge of the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah" while he repeats it night and day, is that sufficient for him? Will it admit him to Paradise and save him from the Fire?
Answer:
The phrase "La ilaha illa Allah" and the phrase "I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah"—these two testimonies are the foundation of the religion and the basis of the faith. So whoever utters them, having not said them before, is protected in his blood and wealth, and he is ruled to be a Muslim.
Then he is observed, and his understanding and comprehension are assessed. If he accepts the truth and is upright, his sincerity is known. But if he refuses and persists in his disbelief, shirk, and worship of idols, trees, stones, or the people of the graves, or persists in mocking the religion and insulting it, or in any of the nullifiers of Islam, this testimony will not benefit him; he will be an apostate.
So he is first ruled to be a Muslim, and then, by coming with what contradicts Islam and necessitates apostasy, he is ruled to be an apostate, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Whoever changes his religion, execute him.
من بدل دينه فاقتلوهSo if a person utters the two testimonies without having uttered them previously, he is ruled to be a Muslim, as was the case in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified in the authentic hadiths, in the hadith of Usamah and others, the hadith of Ibn 'Umar, the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, and others. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
I have been commanded to fight the people until they bear witness to La ilaha illallah (there is none worthy of worship except Allah) and that I am the Messenger of Allah
أمرت أن أقاتل الناس حتى يشهدوا أن لا إله إلا الله وأني رسول الله، فإذا فعلوا ذلك عصموا مني دماءهم وأموالهم إلا بحقهاExcept by the right of Islam.
إلا بحق الإسلامThe point is that if he comes with this testimony, his blood and wealth are protected, provided he had not come with them before. Then his case is examined: if he is upright upon the religion of Allah, he has the ruling of the Muslims. But if he refuses and remains in his disbelief and misguidance, the testimony does not benefit him by mere utterance. The hypocrites say it, yet they are in the lowest depth of the Fire, because they said it but did not act upon it; rather, they disbelieved in it, lied to Allah and His Messenger, or doubted the religion of Allah.
And so are those about whom Allah said:
Say, "Is it Allah and His verses and His Messenger that you were mocking?"
قُلْ أَبِاللَّهِ وَآيَاتِهِ وَرَسُولِهِ كُنتُمْ تَسْتَهْزِئُونَMake no excuse; you have disbelieved after your belief.
لا تَعْتَذِرُوا قَدْ كَفَرْتُمْ بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْSay, "Is it Allah and His verses and His Messenger that you were mocking?"
قُلْ أَبِاللَّهِ وَآيَاتِهِ وَرَسُولِهِ كُنتُمْ تَسْتَهْزِئُونَ The scholars have agreed that whoever commits a nullifier of Islam is ruled by that nullifier, even if he says, "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah," and even if he prays and fasts. This is because this testimony only benefits when its right is fulfilled; if its right is neglected, it does not benefit its utterer. And Allah is the One to be sought for help.
The presenter: And Allah is the Helper, may Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.