وعن أبي سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: (قال موسى: يا رب، علمني شيئاً أذكرك وأدعوك به. قال: يا موسى: قل لا إله إلا الله. قال: يا رب كل عبادك يقولون هذا. قال: يا موسى، لو أن السموات السبع وعامرهن غيري، والأرضين السبع في كفة، ولا إله الله في كفة، مالت بهن لا إله الله) [رواه ابن حبان، والحاكم وصححه].
Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (radi Allaahu anhu) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:
“Musa (Moses) (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said: ‘O my Rabb, teach me something through which I can remember You and supplicate to You.’
Allah answered: ‘Say, O Musa, La ilaha ilIa-Allah‘.
Musa said: ‘O my Rabb, all your slaves say these words’.
Kitāb-ut-Tawheed : Chapter 2:
The Excellence of Tawheed and the Sins it wipes away
ولهما في حديث عتبان:
فإن الله حرم على النار من قال: لا إله إلا الله يبتغي بذلك وجه الله
‘Itban (radi Allaahu anhu) narrated that the Prophet (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:
“Indeed Allah has forbidden for Hell the person who testifies: ‘There is nothing worthy of worship in truth (no true God) but Allah’, seeking thereby nothing but Allah’s Face (pleasure).”
(Al-Bukhari, Muslim).
Extracted From: Kitāb-ut-Tawheed – Dawud Burbank [Audio Series|En] Mainly based upon Imam AbdurRahman Al-Sadi’s explanation, which can be used as study aid while listening to the series. In addition, Dawud Burbank rahimahullaah also explains some Points from Shaykh Uthaymeen and other Imaams as well.
Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:
The Second Level is Eemaan
المرتبة الثانية : الإيمان : وهو بضع وسبعون شعبة ، فأعلاها قول : لا إله إلا الله ، وأدناها إماطة الأذى عن الطريق ، والحياء شعبة من الإيمان
The second level is al-Eemaan (true faith) and it has seventy and odd branches, its highest of them is the saying of “Laa ilaaha illAllaah” and the lowest of them is removal of that which is harmful from the path; and al-hayaa (a sense of shame) is a branch of eemaan.[42]
[42] : Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan’s Explanation :
Eemaan is more inclusive than Islaam, so every believer is a Muslim, but not every Muslim is a believer. So eemaan is more inclusive with respect to itself, and it is more specific with regard to its people.
There has indeed come to you a Messenger from Allaah from amongst yourselves; it grieves him that you undergo suffering. He is eager and anxious for your guidance and he is full of compassion and mercy for the believers. [9:128]37
[37] : Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan’s Explanation:
The first pillar of the pillars of Islaam is composed of two matters:
The first: The testification Laa ilaaha illaAllaah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah).
The second: The testification ‘Muhammadan rasoolullaah‘ (Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah).
So these two are a single pillar. The first part means making ones worship purely and sincerely. And the second part means following the Messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.
Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:
ومعناها لا معبودَ بحقٍّ إلا اللهُ وحده؛ (لا إله) نافيًا جميعَ مَا يُعْبدُ مِنْ دونِ اللهِ (إلا الله) مُثْبِتًا العبادةَ له وحدَهُ لا شريكَ لهُ في عبادتِهِ، كما أنَّه ليس له شريك في مُلْكِه
And its meaning is none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah; laa ilaaha(nothing has the right to be worshipped) is a negation of everything which is worshipped besides Allaah. Illallaah(except Allaah) affirms worship for Allaah Alone, and that none is given any share of worship along with Him, just as He has no sharer in His Sovereignty.34
[34]: Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan’s Explanation:
His saying, “And its meaning is none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah”: the meaning of laa ilaaha illAllaah is not as is said by the people of falsehood: “there is no creator and there is no provider except Allaah”, because this is tawheed-ur-Ruboobiyyah (tawheed of Lordship), the people of shirk agreed to that, but they would not say laa ilaaha illAllaah. He the Most High said:
When it was said to them, “laa ilaaha illAllaah” (none has the right to be worshipped but Allaah), they became proud, and they say, “are we to abandon worshipping our gods for a crazy poet?” [37:35-36]
“Aalihatinaa” means: those things which we worship.
Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 27 Part A Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]
Allaah bears witness that “Lā ilāha illā Huwa”. Likewise the Angels & the people of knowledge bear witness. Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah| Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank
Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:
So the proof for the shahaadah (testification) is:
Allaah bears witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Him; and likewise the Angels and the people of knowledge bear witness. He Who maintains justice, none has the right to be worshipped but Him, the All-Mighty the All-Wise [3:18]33
[33]: Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan’s Explanation:
His saying, He the Most High, “He testified“: meaning He judged and He decreed and He informed and He made clear and He made it binding.
[84] And know that the beginning of Islaam is the testification that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.
[85] And that whatever Allaah says is just as He said and nothing can contradict what He says and He is true to what He has said.
[86] And to have eemaan (true faith) in all of the revealed laws.
He rahimahullaah said, “And you should know, O Muslim, O taalib al-`ilm (seeker of knowledge),” meaning you should be certain and understand clearly “that the beginning, the first part of Islaam is the testification that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah.” These two are the first pillar from the pillars of Islaam as occurs in the hadeeth of Jibreel in which Jibreel `alayhissalaam said to the ProphetsallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam:
“Tell me about Islaam.” He said, “Islaam is that you testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah and that you establish the prayer and that you give the Zakaat and that you fast Ramadaan and that you perform Hajj to the house if you are able to make the way to it.”[1]
[5] And none besides Him (Allaah) has the right to be worshipped.
–
The Explanation:
This is Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah (Tawheed of Worship). The phrase ‘Laa ilaaha’ means: none has the right to be worshipped in truth besides Him.[1]
As for if you were to say (that it means), “nothing is worshipped except Him (Allaah)” or “there is nothing worshipped other than Him (Allaah);” then this is baatil (false and futile) because there are many things which are worshipped beside Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. So if you say, “there is nothing worshipped besides Allaah” then you have made every object which is worshipped to be Allaah. And this is the position of the people of wahdatul-wujood (وحدة الوجود – unity of existence: the people who say that Creator and the creation are one and the same thing). So the person who says this, if he actually believes that then he is from the people of wahdatul-wujood (unity of existence). As for if he doesn’t actually believe that, but he only says it, blindly following other people, or he just heard it from someone, then this is an error and it must be corrected. And some people say this as an opening supplication in the prayer; so one of them says, “Nothing is worshipped besides You,” whereas the reality is that Allaah is truly and rightfully worshipped, whereas everything as beside Him is worshipped falsely and without right. He, the Most High said,
That is because Allaah – He is the One Who is worshipped in Truth and whatever they call upon besides Him, is baatil (false and futile). And Allaah, He is the Most High, the Most Great.
(Sooratul-Hajj (22), aayah 62)
Footnotes:
[1] لَا مَعْبُودَ بـِحَقٍّ غَيْرُه
Posted with kind permission from Dawud Burbank rahimahullaah
IMAAM AN-NASAA·EE reported in his “`Amalul-Yawm wal Laylah” (no. 250):
<<Aboo Bakr ibn Naafi` related to us, saying: Bahz narrated to us, saying: Hammaad ibn Salamah narrated to us, saying: Thaabit narrated to us: from Anas:
that some people said to Allaah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم): “O best one of us, and the son of the best of us! O our chief and the son of our chief!” So Allaah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said: << O people! Say what you have to say, and do not let Satan mislead you into following desires. I do not want you to raise me above the position which Allaah -the Most High – gave to me. I am Muhammad the son of ‘Abdullaah. His Slave and His Messenger. >>
Also reported by Ahmad, Ibn Humayd in “al-Muntakhab”, Ibn Mandah in “atTawheed”, and others.
So the proof for the shahaadah (testification) is:
Allah bears witness that Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), and the angels, and those having knowledge (also give this witness); (He is always) maintaining His creation in Justice. Laa ilaah illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. [Al-Qur’an 3:18] 33
[33]:
His saying, he the most high, “He testified“: meaning He judged and He decreed and He informed and He made clear and He made it binding. So bearing witness from Allaah revolves around these five meanings: judging, decreeing , informing ,clarifying and making binding.
So the meaning of, “He testified”, is He the Perfect and Most High decreed it upon His servants and He calls them to know of it and He informed them and He made it binding upon them that none has the right to be worshipped except Him.
This right is the greatest right of any of the creation. None of the creation have a right greater than the rights of Allah’s Messenger sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Allah – the Most High – said:
“Indeed We have sent you as a witness rind a bringer of good-tidings and a warner, in order that mankind may believe in Allah and His Messenger, and that you may assist and honour the Messenger.”[Al-Qur’an 48:89]
Therefore it is obligatory to love the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam over and above any of mankind – even above one’s love for himself, his parents and his children. The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “None of you will truly believes until he loves me more then his parents, his children and the whole of mankind.” [1]
And from the rights that are due to the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam are: that he should be honoured, loved and respected – but without any ghulu (exaggeration) or any falling short in the matter. Honouring the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallamduring his lifetime implied honouring his Sunnah (guidance and example) and his noble character and conduct. As for honouring him after his death, then this implies honouring his Sunnah and the Shari’ah (the Prescribed Laws) that he was sent with. Whosoever reflects upon the lives of the Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet) will come to know how these great and virtuous people established the obligation of honouring the Messenger sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
The kalimah (word) La ilahah ilallah (that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah), if it said with truthfulness and sincerity from the heart, and acted upon in that which it necessitates – outwardly and inwardly – then its effect will indeed be praiseworthy upon both the individual and the society.
From the most important of its effects are:
[1] Uniting the word of the Muslims: This will result in strengthening the Muslims and assisting them in defeating their enemies – as long as they continue to follow and practice the same single religion, and as long as they adhere to the same single ‘aqidah(belief). Allah – the Most High – said:
“And hold fast altogether to the rope of Allah and do not be divided.”[Al-Qur’an 3:103]
“It is He Who has strengthened you with His help and with the Believers, and moreover, He has put love and affection between their hearts. If you were to spend all that is in the earth, then never could you have united their hearts, but Allah has united them. Indeed He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.”[Al-Qur’an 8:62-63]
And differing in matters of ‘aqidah (beliefs) is the cause for splitting, disunity and hostility, as Allah – the Most High – said:
“Indeed those who split-up their religion and become sects, you have no part with them in the least.”[Al-Qur’an 6:159]
“But people have cut-off their affair of unity between them and have become sects, each party rejoicing in that which is with itself.”[Al-Qur’an 23:53]
So people cannot truly be united except upon the correct concept of ‘iman (faith) and the correct ‘aqidah of Tawhid, which are both direct implications of La ilahah ilallah. One need only consider the condition of the Arabs before and after Islam.
The Relation of the Shahaadah with the Types of Tawheed
Question 5:But does the Shahaadah Comprise the Types of Tawheed?
The Answer: Indeed it does encompass the types of Tawheed altogether, either by way of inclusion or implication. This is because a persons statement, “I testify that La ilaaha illallaah,” is immediately understood such that the intended meaning is Tawheed al-’Ibaadah (i.e. to single Allaah out with all worship). This type of Tawheed, also called Tawheed al- Uloohiyyah, is inclusive of Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah (i.e. to single Allaah out with Creation, Sovereignty and Control of affairs), because everyone who worships Allaah alone, would not worship Him until he firmly attests that ar-Ruboobiyyh is exclusively His.
It also comprises the Tawheed of al-Asmaa’was-Sifaat,[15] because man does not worship except what he knows to be worthy of worship due to the Names and Attributes He has. This is why Ibraaheem said to his father:
O my father! Why do you worship that which hears not, sees not and cannot avail you in anything?[Qur’aan, soorat Maryam (19): 42].
So, the Tawheed of al-’Ibaadah, which is Tawheed al- Uloohiyyah, comprises both Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah and that of al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat.
Footnotes
[15] Tawheed al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat is to single Allaah out with all of the most beautiful Names and superlative Attributes which He has affirmed for Himself or which His Messenger, Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم has affirmed for Him, without Tahreef (changing or distorting the meaning of the Names and Attributes), without Ta’teel (denying or suspending their meanings), without Takyeef (specifying how they are), and without Tamtheel (exemplification). It also involves denying all that which Allaah has denied from Himself.
The Meaning of The Shahaadah: Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah.
Question 13: You explained the meaning of the Shahaadah: La Ilaaha Illallaah. So, what is the meaning of the Shahaadha: Muhammad Rasoolullaah
The Answer: As for the meaning of the testification that Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم) is the Messenger of Allaah [Muhammad Rasoolullaah] then it is the attestation with the tongue and the belief with the heart that Muhammad bin ‘Abdullaah al- Qurashee al-Haashimee is the Messenger of Allaah to all of the creation, to the Jinn and mankind, as stated by Allaah, The Most High:
Verily! I am Allaah’s Messenger to you all. He is the One to whom the Dominion of the heavens and the earth belongs, none has the right to be worshipped but Him; It is He Who gives life and causes death. So believe in Allaah and His Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write, who believes in Allaah and in His Words [this Qur’aan] and follow him so that you may be guided. [Qur’aan, soorat al-A’raaf (7): 158].
The Consequence of the One who Does not Believe in the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– Taken from ‘Silsilah Ahadeeth As-Saheehah’ By the Muhaddith, Shaykh, Allamaa’ Muhammad Nasir uddeen al-Albaani Translated by Abbas Abu Yahya
No. 157 – From Abu Hurairah from the Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– :
‘By Him in whose Hand is my soul; there is not a person who hears about me from thisUmmah, not a Jew, nor a Christian, then does not believe in me, except that he will be from the people of the Hell-Fire.’
[Collected by Ibn Munda in ‘Tawheed’ and Muslim in his Saheeh, likewise Abu ‘Awaanah and Ahmad]
Shaykh Albaani said:
‘The hadeeth is clear in that whoever hears about the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– and what he was sent with, and then it reaches that person in the way that Allaah revealed it to the Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam–, and does not believe in the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– then his path is to the Hell-Fire. There is no difference in this between a Jew, or a Christian, or a fire-worshipper, and the atheist.
Conditions of ‘La ilaha ‘illa Allaah’ ‘There is none worthy of worship in truth except Allaah’ By Hafidh al-Hakami -Rahimahullaah- Taken from his book ‘Ma’arij al-Qabool’ Translated by Abbas Abu Yahya
The first Condition: al-Ilm – Knowledge
The meaning of ‘La ilaha ‘illa Allaah’ and its intent are affirmation and negation, so knowledge negates ignorance.
Allaah –Azza wa Jal- said:
<< So know that La ilaha ‘illa Allaah (none has the right to be worshipped in truth except Allaah) >> [Muhammad: 19]
Allaah –Ta’ala- said:
<< except those who bear witness to the truth >> [Zukhruf: 86]
Which means that they testify to ‘La ilaha ‘illa Allaah’ << while they know>> [Zukhruf: 86] with their hearts and they pronounce its meaning with their tongues.
Allaah –Ta’ala- said:
<<Allaah bears witness that La ilaha ‘illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), and the angels and those having knowledge (also give this witness); (He is always) maintaining His creation in Justice. La ilaha ‘illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.>> [Aali-‘Imran: 18]
Allaah –Ta’ala- said:
<<Say: ‘Are those who know equal to those who do not know?’ It is only men of understanding who will remember (i.e. get a lesson from Allaah’s Signs and Verses)>> [Zumar: 9]
Allaah –Ta’ala- said:
<< It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allaah>> [Faatir: 28]
Allaah –Ta’ala- said:
<< And these similitudes We put forward for mankind, but none will understand them except those who have knowledge (of Allaah and His Signs, etc.)>> [Ankaboot: 43]
In the Saheeh of Imaam Muslim on the authority of ‘Uthmaan –RadhiAllaahu anhu- who said that: the Messenger of Allaah – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – said: ‘Whoever dies knowing ‘La ilaha ‘illa Allaah’ entersParadise.’
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