“A-úthu billáhi minash shaytánir rajeem. Bismilláhir rahmánir raheem.
Al hamdu lillahi nahmaduhu wanasta’eenahu, wanastagh-firuhu, wanatoobu ilayhi, wana’oothu Billaahi min shuroori an-fusinaa, wamin sayyi aati a’maalinaa. May- Yahdillahu fa huwal muhtad, wa may- yudlill falan tajidaa lahu waliyan murshida. Wa ash-hadu an Laa ilaaha ill-Alláh, wahdahoo laa shareeka lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhoo warasooluh”
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today our subject is the virtues of “La ilaha illallah” (There is no ilah-god, power, diety- but Allah).
Tawheed is to assert the Oneness of Allah (swt)’s Lordship, Worship, His Names and Attributes. It is the most just possession a person can have and whoever makes Allah (swt) one in belief and actions has done right by giving all forms of worship to the one who deserves them, and that is Allah (swt) Alone.
In the Quran, Allah Ta’ala clearly states:
“Allah bears witness that there is nothing worthy of worship other than Him, and so have the Mala’ika (Angels) and the knowledgeable who are following the righteousness, there is nothing worthy of worship except for him the Aziz (All-Mighty), the Hakeem (All-Wise).” (Al-Imran:18)
Shirk, on the other hand, is to ascribe partners with Allah (swt) in His Lordship, Worship, Names and Attributes. So who ever commits Shirk has indeed committed the greatest injustice as Allah (swt) said:
“And (remember) when Luqman said to his son when he was advising him: “O my son! Join not in worship others with Allah. Verily joining others in worship with Allah is a great Zulm (oppression) indeed.” (Luqman:13)
Shirk is associated with ignorance as Allah Taala states: “Say is it other than Allah you order me to worship Oh you ignorant people?” (Az-Zumer:64)
Whereas, Tawheed is associated with knowledge as Allah Ta’ala says:
“So Know! That there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah and ask Allah to forgive your sins and those of the Mu’mineen and Mu’minaat (believing men and women), verily Allah knows where you move around and where you rest.” (Muhammad:19)
Muhammad Bin Abdul Wahab (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) said:
“Know this – may the mercy of Allah be upon you – that the obligation of understanding ‘La ilaha illallah’ comes before the obligation of Prayer and Fasting, so it is compulsory that the Abd (slave) looks for the meaning of the Shahaada with a much greater effort than he would when looking for the proper manners of prayer and fasting. The prohibition of shirk and belief in Taghut is greater in degree than the prohibition of marrying one’s mother and aunt (incest).”
To disbelieve in Taghut is to reject and disassociate oneself in belief from all types of false deities. “… And whoever rejects Taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold…” (Al-Baqarah:256)
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The virtue and greatness of “La Ilaha Illallah” can be deeply understood by the story of Allah’s Messenger Moses.
Allah’s Messenger said,
“Musa (Moses) said: ‘O my Lord, teach me something by which I can remember You and supplicate to You.’ Allah answered: ‘Say, O Musa, La ilaha illallah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah).’ Musa said: ‘O my Lord, all your slaves say this.’ Allah said: ‘O Musa, if the seven heavens and all of their inhabitants besides Me, and the seven earths were in a pan (of a scale), and La ilaha illallah was in (another) pan, La ilaha illallah would outweigh them.’”
“By Him in Whose hand is my soul, if the heavens and the earth and all that are in them and everything that is in between were brought and placed in one pan of the Balance, and the witnessing that there is no god but Allah were placed in the other, the latter would outweigh the former.”
Anas said: “I heard Allah’s Messenger saying,
‘Allah the Most High said, “O son of Aadam! If you came to Me with sins filling the earth, then you met Me without associating anything with Me, I would come to you with its (the earth’s) fill of forgiveness.”‘
He then said: “They (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) also recorded the Hadith of ‘Itbaan:
‘Indeed Allah has forbidden for Hell the person who says:”There is nothing worthy of being worshipped but Allah,” seeking thereby the Face (pleasure) of Allah.’”
When a person says this statement, and he comes with its conditions and its requirements, Allah favors him and gives him what He has promised him, making him forbidden for the Fire. And this is a great bounty and favor. However, whoever comes with At-Tauhid and has abstained from that which contradicts it, yet has committed some sins and acts of disobedience and died without repenting, then he is under the Will of Allah. If Allah wills, He will punish him, then – after some time – He will make the Fire forbidden for him, and if He wills, He will forgive him and make the Fire forbidden for him initially (without punishment).
Earn The Right To Have The Prophets Intercession On The Day Of Judgement
Abu Hurayra inquired from the Prophet: “O Messenger of Allah, who will be the most fortunate of people to receive your intercession on the Day of Resurrection?”
The Prophet replied: “O Abu Hurayra, I knew, because of your love of what I say, that no one other than you would ask me of this. The most fortunate of people to receive my intercession on the Day of Resurrection are those who said: la ilaha illallah purely and sincerely from the heart.”
The Prophet said: “O Mu`adh ibn Jabal! No one witnesses that there is no god but Allah and that I am Allah’s Messenger truthfully from his heart except Allah has made him unlawful for the Fire.”
Mu`adh said: “O Messenger of Allah, shall I not tell the people so that they will be glad?”
He replied: “If you do, they will rely on it (and leave everything else).”
Muslim says: “Mu`adh narrated it at the time of his death to avoid sinning (by keeping it to himself).”
The Prophet said: “The best remembrance of Allah is to say: There is no god but Allah.”
Mu`adh ibn Jabal said that the last time he spoke with the Prophet he asked him: “What action is most beloved to Allah?”
And the Prophet replied: “That you die with your tongue still moist with the mention (dhikr) of Allah.”
Anas reports that the Prophet — Allah bless and greet him — was once asked the same question as Mu`adh in hadith and he replied: “Knowledge of Allah.” It was then asked: “And which action adds to this in merit?” He repeated: “Knowledge of Allah.” They said: “We ask about actions and you answer concerning knowledge?” The Prophet — Allah bless and greet him — said: “A few actions are greatly useful as long as there is knowledge; while a lot of actions are useless if there is ignorance.”
After the passing of the Prophet — Allah bless and greet him — from this world Abu Bakr said to the Companions: “I asked Allah’s Messenger what basic thing was necessary for salvation and he replied that whoever accepts the Word which I brought and which I offered to my uncle Abu Talib and which he rejected: this Word constitutes salvation for him.”
The Prophet (saw) said: “Shall I tell you something that is the best of all deeds, constitutes the best act of piety in the eyes of your Lord, will elevate your status in the hereafter, and carries more virtue than the spending of gold and silver or taking part in just struggle and battling and being slain in the Way of God? It is the dhikr or remembrance and mention of Allah.”
May Allah (SWT) give us the capability to understand the virtues and greatness of La Ilaha Illallah.
Ammaa ba’ad:
Innalláha wa malaaikata yusallúna alan nabi. Yá ay yuhal latheena ámanu sallú alayhi wasalli mú tas leema. Allahumma salli alá Muhammad, wa ala áli Muhammad, kama salayta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali Ibrahim. Allahumma barik ala Muhammad, wa alaa áli Muhammad, kama barakta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali ibrahim. Fil ála meen, innaka hameedun majeed.”