The Virtue of “Laa ilaaha illallaah” – Imaam Ibn Maajah and Imaam Tirmidhee

* IMAAM IBN MAAJAH –rahimahullaah– reported in his ‘Sunan’:

The Book of Manners: Chapter (54): The Virtue of ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah’ (no. 3794) :

“Aboo Bakr narrated to us, saying: al-Husayn ibn `Alee narrated to us: from Hamzah az-Zayyaat: from Aboo Ishaaq: from al-Agharr, Aboo Muslim: that he bore witness that Aboo Hurairah and Aboo Sa`eed bore witness: that Allaah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

<<When the servant says ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah, wallaahu akbar’ (None has the right to worshipped except Allaah and Allaah is greater), (he said:) Allaah -the Mighty and Majestic- says: ‘My servant has spoken the truth: None has the right to be worshipped but Me, and I am greater (than everything.)’

And when the servant says: ‘Laa ilaaha illaallaah, wahdah’ (None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, alone), He says: ‘My servant has spoken the truth: None has the right to be worshipped but Me, alone.’

And when he says: ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah, Laa shareeka lah’ (None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, He has no partner), He says: ‘My servant has spoken the truth: None has the right to be worshipped but Me, and I have no partner.’

And when he says: ‘Laa ilaah illallaah, lahul-Mulku wa lahul hamd’ (None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah. Sovereighty is His, and all praise is for Him), He says: ‘My servant has spoken the truth: None has the right to be worshipped except Me. Sovereighty is Mine, and all praise is for Me.’

And when he says: ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah, wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illaa billaah’ (None has the right to be worshipped but Allaah, and there is no movement and no ability except with Allaah’s aid) then He says: ‘My servant has spoken the truth: None has the right to be worshipped except Me, and there is no movement and no ability except with My aid.’>>

-Aboo Ishaaq said: Then al-Agharr said something which I did not understand. He said: So I said to Aboo Ja`far: ‘What did he say?’ He said:

<<Whoever is granted it at his death will not be touched by the Fire>>.”

Shaikh al-Albaanee –rahimahullaah– said: ‘Saheeh’, [‘as–Saheehah’ (no. 1390)]

* Imaam at-Tirmidhee –rahimahullaah– reported it in his ‘Sunan’: The Book of Supplications:

Chapter (37): What should the servant say when he becomes ill (no. 3430),

and his wording contains the phrases:

( لا إلهَ إلاّ اللهُ وَ اللهُ أكْبَرُ )

( لا إلهَ إلاّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ )

( لا إله إلاّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ )

( لا إلهَ إلاّ اللهُ  لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَ لَهُ الْحَمْدُ )

( لا إلهَ إلاّ اللهُ  وَ لا حَوْلَ وَ لا قُوَّةَ إلاّ بِاللهِ )

(Laa ilaaha illallaah, wallaahu akbar)

(Laa ilaaha illallaah, wahdah)

(Laa ilaaha illallaah, wahdahu laa shareeka lah)

(Laa ilaaha illallaah, lahul-Mulku wa lahul-hamd)

(Laa ilaaha illallaah, wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illaa billaah)

 

and it ends:

“…And he used to say:

<<Whoever says it during his illness and then dies, then the Fire shall not taste him.>>

[ Shaikh al-Albaanee said: ‘Saheeh’].

And the hadeeth occurs in ‘Riyaadus–Saaliheen’ of Imaam an-Nawawee (no. 914).