Question:

What is the meaning of “La ilaha illallah” (There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah)?

Answer:

Know that, may Allah have mercy on you, this phrase is what distinguishes disbelief from Islam. It is the ‘word of righteousness’ (kalimat al-taqwa), the firmest handhold, and the phrase that Abraham, upon him be peace, made an enduring word among his descendants so that they might return.

The intended meaning is not merely uttering it with the tongue while remaining ignorant of its meaning. After all, the hypocrites recite it while dwelling in the lowest depths of the Fire beneath the disbelievers, despite the fact that they pray and give charity. Rather, the intended meaning is to utter it while knowing it in the heart, loving it, loving its people, and hating and opposing whatever contradicts it. As the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, said: “Whoever says ‘La ilaha illallah’ sincerely”—and in another narration, “sincerely from his heart,” and in another, “truthfully from his heart.” In another hadith: “Whoever says ‘La ilaha illallah’ and disbelieves in what is worshipped besides Allah,” alongside other traditions indicating that most people are ignorant of this testimony.

Know then that this phrase consists of negation and affirmation: the negation of divinity from all created beings besides Allah the Exalted—even Muhammad, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, and Gabriel, let alone other saints and righteous figures.

Once you understand this, reflect upon this divinity that Allah has affirmed for Himself and denied for Muhammad, Jibril (Gabriel), and others—that any of them should possess even the weight of a mustard seed of it. Know that this divinity is what the common people of our time call “the secret” (al-sirr) and “sainthood” (al-wilayah). To them, the “god” (ilah) means the “wali” (saint) who possesses the secret—the one they call the fakir or the shaykh, whom the common people also refer to as “the master” (al-sayyid) and similar terms. This is because they imagine that Allah has granted a special status to certain elite creations, such that He is pleased when people take refuge in them, put their hope in them, call upon them for rescue, and treat them as intermediaries between themselves and Allah.

Thus, those whom the people of polytheism in our time claim are their intermediaries are the very ones whom the ancients called “gods” (aliha), for the intermediary is the “god.” Consequently, a person’s declaration of “La ilaha illallah” constitutes the invalidation of all intermediaries.

The disbelievers testify to Allah’s Lordship (Tawhid al-Rububiyyah)

If you want to know this completely, it is through two matters:

First: To know that the disbelievers whom the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, fought against, killed, plundered their wealth, and made their women lawful, acknowledged Allah, the Glorified, regarding the “Tawhid of Lordship” (Rububiyyah)—that none creates, provides sustenance, gives life, causes death, or governs affairs except Allah alone.

As Allah the Exalted says: “Say (O Muhammadﷺ): ‘Who provides for you from the sky and from the earth? Or who owns hearing and sight? And who brings out the living from the dead and brings out the dead from the living? And who disposes the affairs?’ They will say: ‘Allah.’“ [Yunus: 31]

This is a monumental and crucial matter: to understand that the disbelievers acknowledged all of this and affirmed it, yet that did not cause them to enter Islam, nor did it render their blood or wealth inviolable. They also used to give charity, perform Hajj and Umrah, engage in worship, and abstain from certain prohibited things out of fear of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.

However, the second matter is what rendered them disbelievers and made their blood and wealth lawful: the fact that they did not testify to Allah’s Tawhid of Divinity (Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah), which is that none is called upon, hoped in, sought rescue from, slaughtered for, or vowed to except Allah alone, with no partner—neither a close angel nor a sent prophet. Whoever seeks rescue from other than Him has disbelieved; whoever slaughters for other than Him has disbelieved; whoever makes a vow to other than Him has disbelieved, and so on.

The polytheists whom the Messenger fought used to invoke the righteous, and thus disbelieved despite acknowledging Allah’s Lordship

The completion of this is to know that the polytheists whom the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, fought against used to invoke righteous figures such as the angels, Jesus, Ezra, and other saints. Thus, they disbelieved through this, despite acknowledging that Allah is the Creator, Provider, and Administrator.

Once you know this, you know the meaning of La ilaha illallah, and you know that whoever invokes a prophet or an angel, appeals to them, or seeks rescue from them has exited Islam. This is the disbelief for which the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, fought them.

If a polytheist were to say: “We know that Allah is the Creator, Provider, and Administrator; we only consider these righteous figures to be close [to Allah], and we invoke them, make vows to them, approach them, seek rescue from them, and intend thereby status and intercession, while we fully understand that Allah is the Creator and Administrator.”

Then say: “This speech of yours is the creed of Abu Jahl and his likes, for they used to invoke Jesus, Ezra, the angels, and the saints intending that very thing.”

As Allah the Exalted says: “And those who take Auliya’ (protectors and helpers) besides Him (say): ‘We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allah.’“ [Az-Zumar: 3]

And He says: “And they worship besides Allah things that hurt them not, nor profit them, and they say: ‘These are our intercessors with Allah.’“ [Yunus: 18]

When you reflect upon this thoroughly, you will realize that the disbelievers testified to Allah’s Tawhid of Lordship—meaning His uniqueness in creation, provision, and governance—while they called upon Jesus, the angels, and the saints intending that they bring them closer to Allah and intercede with Him.

You will also realize that among the disbelievers—especially the Christians—there are those who worship Allah night and day, renounce worldly pleasures, give in charity whatever comes to their hands, and seclude themselves from people in a hermitage. Despite this, they remain disbelievers, enemies of Allah, abiding eternally in the Fire, due to their belief regarding Jesus or other saints—invoking them, slaughtering for them, or vowing to them.

Thus, the nature of Islam—the one to which your Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, invited people—becomes clear to you. It becomes clear to you that many people are far removed from it, and the meaning of his saying, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, becomes clear to you: “Islam began as something strange, and it will return as something strange just as it began.”

Therefore, for the sake of Allah, O my brothers, hold fast to the foundation of your religion—its beginning and end, its root and its pinnacle: the testimony that “there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.” Know its meaning, love it, love its people, and make them your brothers even if they are far away. Disbelieve in the Taghuts (false deities), show enmity toward them, abhor them, and abhor whoever loves them, argues on their behalf, does not declare them disbelievers, says “What do I have to do with them?”, or says “Allah did not obligate me concerning them.” Whoever says that has lied against Allah and fabricated a falsehood; for indeed, Allah has obligated them concerning them, made it mandatory upon them to disbelieve in them and dissociate from them, even if they be their brothers and children. So, for the sake of Allah, hold fast to that so that you may meet your Lord without associating anything with Him. O Allah, cause us to die as Muslims and join us with the righteous.

The disbelief of the polytheists of our time is greater in disbelief than those whom the Messenger of Allah ﷺ fought

Let us conclude our speech with a verse mentioned by Allah in His Book, which makes clear to you that the disbelief of the polytheists of our time is greater than that of those whom the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, fought. Allah the Exalted says: “And when harm touches you upon the sea, those that you call upon besides Him vanish from you except Him (Allah Alone). But when He brings you safely to land, you turn away (from Him). And man is ever ungrateful.” [Al-Isra: 67]

You have heard that Allah, the Glorified, mentioned regarding the disbelievers that when adversity touched them, they would abandon their masters and shaykhs, refrain from seeking rescue from them, and instead sincerely devote themselves to Allah alone with no partner, seeking rescue from Him alone. Yet when ease came, they associated partners [with Him].

Yet you see the polytheists of our time—some of whom may claim to be people of knowledge, possessing asceticism, striving, and worship—when adversity touches them, they may seek rescue from other than Allah, such as [historical figures like] Ma’ruf or Abdul Qadir al-Jilani, or those greater than them such as Zayd ibn al-Khattab and Az-Zubayr, or even greater than them such as the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace. And Allah is the One whose help is sought. Even greater in sin than that is when they seek rescue from Taghuts, disbelievers, and rebellious demons, such as “Shamsan, Idris, Yunus,” ¹ and their likes. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

Praise be to Allah first and last, and may peace and blessings be upon the best of His creation, Muhammad, and all his family.

1. Translator note: Shamsan, Idris, and Yunus were historical names of local figures, shrines, or tombs in the Arabian Peninsula and surrounding regions during the 18th century. ↩