So know
that Laa ilaaha ill Allah (that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah),
and ask forgiveness for your sin, and also for (the sin of) believing men and
believing women. And Allah knows well your moving about, and your place. Quran
IMPORTANCE
- Definitely there could be no greater andd more important a statement than 'Laa
ilaaha illa Allah' (there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah).
–
It is
the statement of declaration of belief in the Tawheed of Allah which is the
dividing line between Imaan and kufr - It was the call of all of the previous
Messengers and Prophets.
- Allah (T)
Himself attested to the importance of this statement in the Quraan: He (T)
said: "...and know that Laa ilaaha ill Allah (that there is no deity
worthy of worship but Allah)..." [47:19, 20:8, 3:18, 59:22-3]
As long as
this statement is an obligation for an unbeliever to declare in order for him
to become a Muslim, and also, since a person who pronounces it faithfully his
property and life are safeguarded in this world, it becomes an obligation upon
any Muslim who wants to understand the Deen of Islaam to realize its meaning,
merits, principles, conditions and its place in life.
-Remembering
Allah (Dhikr Allah) is one of the most important commandments of Allah. This He
Himself commanded in many verses of the Quraan, especially after the
performance of important religious obligations:
"...Then
when you leave Arafat, remember Allah (by glorfying and praising Him) at the
Mash`ar il-Haraam. And remember Allah (by invokingAllah for all good) as He has
guided you..." [2:198]
"Then
when you have accomplished your 'Manasik' (all the rights of Hajj); remember
Allah as you remember your father with a strong remembrance..." [2:200] He
(T) also said: "...and establish prayers for My remembrance." [20:14]
The best
way to remember Allah is described to us in the Hadeeth of the Messenger (S),
he said: "...and the best (supplication) I and the other prophets who were
sent who were sent before me proclaimed was: There is no deity worthy of
worship but Allah, He is Alone and has no partner. To Him belongs the Ownership
(of everything), and to Him belongs all Praise, and He has total power over all
things." [Laa ilaaha ill Allah, wah.dahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul mulku wa
lahul h.amdu wa huwa `alaa kulli shay'in Qadeer.]
At-Tirmidhi
The Messenger of Allah (S) also said: "The best remembrance of Allah is to
say 'laa ilaaha ill Allah' (there is no deity worthy of worship except
Allah)."
All of the
above points highlight the importance of this 'kalima' which we will try to
explain in some more detail so that a clearer understanding of it can be
achieved.
THE PLACE
OF LAA ILAAHA ILL ALLAH IN THE LIFE OF A MUSLIM - It is pronounced daily by him
in: (a) The call to prayer. (b) At the beginning of their prayers (c) During
Tashahud. (d) During times of 'Dhikr', which is before and after prayers, in
the late evening and also in the early mornings. (e) With this 'Kalima' did
Allah send all His Messengers. (f) About it and its obligations will people be
questioned (g) To establish it when the swords of Muslims are drawn for Jihaad.
(h) The first question in the grave will be about this 'Kalima'. (i) It is the
key to Al-Jannah. (j) It is what the Muslims are commanded to invite to as is
estbalished in the Hadeeth of Muadh when he was sent to Yemen to call the
people to Islaam. The Messenger of Allah (S) said: "You are going to
encounter with a people of the Book, so let the first thing you call them to is
the proclamation of 'laa ilaaha ill Allah' (there is no deity worthy of worship
but Allah)..." [Bukhari]
THE MERITS
OF THE 'KALIMAH' (LAA ILAAHA ILL ALLAH)
Abu Sa`eed
al-Khudri said, that the Messenger of Allah (S) said: "Moses (AS) said: O
Lord! Teach me something that I can remember You with and I can supplicate You
with. He (T) said: Say 'Laa ilaaha ill Allah', O Musaa. He (Musaa) said: All of
your servants say this. He (T) said: If the seven Heavens and those who dwell
in them other than Me and the seven Earths are put into one pan (of the scale)
and 'Laa ilaaha ill Allaah' is put into the other; 'Laa ilaaha ill Allah' would
be heavier." [Ibn Hibbaan and Haakim] The Messenger of Allah (S) said:
"The best Dhikr (remembrance) is 'Laa ilaaha ill Allah' (There is no deity
worthy of worship but Allah)..."
The
Messenger of Allah (S) said: "A person from my Ummah will be summoned in
the presence of all creatures on the Day of Judgement. Ninety-nine records (of
his deeds) would be unfolded, each extending as far as the range of the vision
can stretch, then he would be asked: 'Do you deny any of these deeds?' He will
reply: 'No, My Lord.' He will be asked: 'Do you have any excuse or any good
deed?' The man who will be scared will say: 'No' It will be said to him: 'Yes
you have some good deeds. No iniquity will befall you.' A card wll then be
shown to him, on it will be written: 'Laa ilaaha ill Allah, Muhammad Rasool
Allah.' He will say: 'O Allah! What cards and records are these.' It will be
said to him: 'No injustice shall befall you.' The (ninety-nine) records will
then be placed in one pan of the scale and the card on the other. The card will
then outweigh the records." [At-Tirmidhi and Al-Haakim] All of These
Merits of the 'Kalimah' Are Summarized by Ibn Rajab As Follows: - Al-Jannah is
its reward. - Uttering it before death will cause one to be admitted to the
Jannah. - It is a refuge from the Fire of Hell. - It is a cause for a Muslim to
be forgiven. - It is the best of good deeds. - It wipes out sins. - It
traverses all bariers in order to be accepted by Allah, the Almighty - It is a
statement whose pronouncer will be accepted by Allah. - It is the best
proclamation ever uttered by the Prophets. - It is the best celebration of His
praises. - It is the best of deeds and it multiplies into many good deeds. - It
is a protection against Satan. - It is a safety from the darkness and the
punishment of the graves and from the Day of Resurrection. - The eight doors of
Paradise will be accesssible to its pronuncer. - People who pronounce it will
certain come out of the Fire of Hell, even after they have been cast into it
for falling short of observing its obligations.