al-Hafiz al-Hakami mentions seven conditions that have been derived from the Qur’an and Sunnah.

These seven conditions, he emphasises, must be fulfilled for it to benefit the one who utters it, in this life and the next. To fulfil these conditions means for the slave to have gathered them in himself and adhere to them, without nullifying any of them. Merely counting its words and memorising them is insufficient.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaq b. ‘Abd al-Mushin al-Badr mentions that our Righteous Ancestors (al-Salaf al-Salih) used to highlight the critical importance of the conditions of La ilaha ill Allah and the obligation of fulfilling them[1].

al-Hasan al-Basir for instance was told: “People say that one who says La ilaha ill Allah will enter Jannah.” He replied:

“Whoever says La ilaha ill Allah and fulfils its rights and obligations will enter Jannah.”

al-Hasan also said to al-Farzdaq who was burying his wife, “What did you prepare for this day?” He said: “The testimony La ilaha illa Allah for the past seventy years.” al-Hasan said:

“What an excellent preparation, however La ilaha ill Allah has conditions; and beware of falsely accusing chaste women.”

Wahb b. Munabbih said to the one who asked him: “Is not the key to Jannah ((La ilaha ill Allah))?” He replied:

“Of course, however there is no key except that it has teeth, so if you come with keys which have teeth then it will be opened for you, otherwise it will not be opened for you.”

The keys, Wahb b. Munabbih is referring to, are the conditions of ((La ilaha illa Allah) which are binding upon every legally responsible person.

What follows are the seven conditions, their meanings and the evidences from the source-texts establishing these conditions.

1. Knowledge  (الْعِلْمُ)

Knowledge which negates ignorance of it. It means to have knowledge of its meaning and what it intends in terms of what it negates and what it affirms.

Allah says:

فَاعلَم أَنَّهُ لا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ

{Know! that there is none worthy of worship except Allah}

[Muhammad (47): 19]

Allah said:

شَهِدَ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ لا إِلٰهَ إِلّا هُوَ وَالمَلائِكَةُ وَأُولُو العِلمِ قائِمًا بِالقِسطِ ۚ لا إِلٰهَ إِلّا هُوَ العَزيزُ الحَكيمُ

{Allah bears witness there is none worthy of worship except Him and the angels and those given knowledge, He is always maintaining [creation] in justice. There is no deity worthy of worship except Him, the Exalted in Might, the Wise}

[Aal ‘Imran (3): 18]

Imam Muslim (43/26) reports in his Sahih; ‘Uthman said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ  said:

مَنْ مَاتَ وَهُوَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ

“Whoever dies while having knowledge there is none worthy of worship except Allah, he will enter Paradise.”

2. Certainty  (اليَقِينُ)

Certainty which negates doubt. It means the one who utters it should have complete certainty in the indications of these words. Iman does not benefit anyone except one who has knowledge -based certainty and not assumptions. Now imagine if doubt were to enter him.

Allah the Mighty and exalted said:

إِنَّمَا المُؤمِنونَ الَّذينَ آمَنوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسولِهِ ثُمَّ لَم يَرتابوا وَجاهَدوا بِأَموالِهِم وَأَنفُسِهِم في سَبيلِ اللَّهِ ۚ أُولٰئِكَ هُمُ الصّادِقونَ

{The believers are only those who have believed in Allah and His Messenger and then doubt not but strive with their properties and their lives in the cause of Allah It is those who are the truthful}

[al-Hujurat (49): 15]

To not entertain any doubt has been made a condition by Allah in proving the truthfulness of one’s Iman. The one who does entertain doubts is from amongst the hypocrites – we seek refuge in Allah from being amongst them. Allah said about the hypocrites:

إِنَّما يَستَأذِنُكَ الَّذينَ لا يُؤمِنونَ بِاللَّهِ وَاليَومِ الآخِرِ وَارتابَت قُلوبُهُم فَهُم في رَيبِهِم يَتَرَدَّدونَ

{It is only those who believe not in Allah and the Last Day and whose hearts are in doubt that ask your permission [to stay at home]. So in their doubts they waver}

[al-Tawbah (9): 45]

Abu Hurayrah said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ  said:

أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، وَأَنِّي رَسُولُ اللهِ، لَا يَلْقَى اللهَ بِهِمَا عَبْدٌ غَيْرَ شَاكٍّ فِيهِمَا إِلَّا دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ

“I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah; no slave meets Allah with them both without having any doubt in them except that he will enter Paradise.”

Reported by Muslim (44/27)

3. Sincerity  (الإِخْلَاصُ)

Sincerity is the opposite of polytheism (shirk), hypocrisy and all forms of showing off.

Sincerity is to purify one’s action with a righteous intention which is free from all association of partners with Allah. It means to not give any share of your intention to anyone other than Allah.

Allah the Most High said:

إِنّا أَنزَلنا إِلَيكَ الكِتابَ بِالحَقِّ فَاعبُدِ اللَّهَ مُخلِصًا لَهُ الدّينَ

{So worship Allah (alone), being sincere to Him in religion}

[al-Zumar (39): 2]

And He said:

وَما أُمِروا إِلّا لِيَعبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخلِصينَ لَهُ الدّينَ حُنَفاءَ وَيُقيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وَيُؤتُوا الزَّكاةَ ۚ وَذٰلِكَ دينُ القَيِّمَةِ

{And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, making the religion sincerely for Him (alone)}

[al-Bayyinah (98): 5]

Abu Hurayrah reported from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ  that he said:

أَسْعَدُ النَّاسِ بِشَفَاعَتِي يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ، مَنْ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، خَالِصًا مِنْ قَلْبِهِ

“The happiest person with my intercession on the Day of Judgement is the one who said La ilaha ill Allah, sincerely from his heart.”

Reported by al-Bukhari, no. 99.

‘Itban b. Malik reports from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ  that he said:

إِنَّ اللهَ حَرَّمّ اانَّارِ مَنْ قَالَ لَا إِلهَ إِلّّا الله يَبْتَغِي بِذلِكَ وَجْهَ اللهِ

“Indeed Allah has prohibited the Fire for the one who says La ilaha ill Allah, seeking thereby the Face of Allah.”

Reported by al-Bukhari, no. 5401 and Muslim, between 657 and 658, no. 263.

4. Truthfulness  (الصِّدْقُ)

The opposite of which is lying.

It means to utter this statement truthfully from one’s heart. If he said it with his tongue but was not truthful in his heart then he is a lying hypocrite.

Allah the Exalted said:

 (1) الم

(2) أَحَسِبَ النّاسُ أَن يُترَكوا أَن يَقولوا آمَنّا وَهُم لا يُفتَنونَ

 (3) وَلَقَد فَتَنَّا الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِهِم ۖ فَلَيَعلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذينَ صَدَقوا وَلَيَعلَمَنَّ الكاذِبينَ

{Alif Lam Mim. Do people think they will be left to say, “We believe” and they will not be tried? But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars}

[al-‘Ankabut (29): 1-3]

He, the Exalted also said:

 (8)وَمِنَ النّاسِ مَن يَقولُ آمَنّا بِاللَّهِ وَبِاليَومِ الآخِرِ وَما هُم بِمُؤمِنينَ

(9)يُخادِعونَ اللَّهَ وَالَّذينَ آمَنوا وَما يَخدَعونَ إِلّا أَنفُسَهُم وَما يَشعُرونَ

(10)في قُلوبِهِم مَرَضٌ فَزادَهُمُ اللَّهُ مَرَضًا ۖ وَلَهُم عَذابٌ أَليمٌ بِما كانوا يَكذِبونَ

{And of the people are some who say, “We believe in Allah and the Last Day”, but they are not believers. They think to deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceive not except themselves and perceive it not. In their hearts is a disease, so Allah has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because they used to lie}

[al-Baqarah (2): 8-10]

Anas said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ  said:

مَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ يَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، صِدْقًا مِنْ قَلْبِهِ، إِلَّا حَرَّمَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى النَّارِ

“There is none who testifies there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, truthfully from his heart, except that Allah will prohibit the Fire for him.””

Reported by al-Bukhari, no. 128 and Muslim, no. 32.

5. Love  (المَحَبَّةُ)

It means to love this great and blessed statement and what it demands and indicates. By extension, it also means to love the people who act by it and adhere to its conditions and to hate whatever nullifies it.

Allah the Exalted said:

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَتَّخِذُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَنْدَادًا يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِلَّهِ

{And among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals (to Him). They love them as they should love Allah. But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah.}

[al-Baqarah (2): 165]

And Allah said:

يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا مَن يَرتَدَّ مِنكُم عَن دينِهِ فَسَوفَ يَأتِي اللَّهُ بِقَومٍ يُحِبُّهُم وَيُحِبّونَهُ

{O you who have believed, whoever amongst you reverts from his religion – Allah will bring forth (in place of them) people He will love and who will love Him…}

[al-Ma’idah (5): 54]

Anas b. Malik reported from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ  that he said:

ثَلَاثٌ مَنْ كُنَّ فِيهِ وَجَدَ حَلَاوَةَ الْإِيمَانِ : أَنْ يَكُونَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِمَّا سِوَاهُمَا ، وَأَنْ يُحِبَّ الْمَرْءَ لَا يُحِبُّهُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ، وَأَنْ يَكْرَهَ أَنْ يَعُودَ فِي الْكُفْرِ كَمَا يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يُقْذَفَ فِي النَّارِ

“Whoever possesses three qualities will taste the sweetness of faith: 1. Allah and His Messenger are dearer to him than anything else, 2. that he loves a person and he loves him only for the sake of Allah and 3. he hates to revert to disbelief just as he hates to be thrown into the fire.”

Reported by al-Bukhari, no. 16 and Muslim, no. 43.

al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib reported from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ  who said:

إِنَّ أَوْثَقَ عُرَى الْإِيمَانِ: أَنْ تُحِبَّ فِي اللهِ، وَتُبْغِضَ فِي اللهِ

“Indeed the firmest grasp of Iman is that you love for the sake of Allah and hate for the sake of Allah.”

Reported by Ahmad, no. 18524 and graded hasan by al-Albani in Sahih al-Targhib, no. 3030.

Thus, the people of La ilaha illa Allah, love Allah with a sincere and exclusive love, whilst the people of polytheism (shirk), love Him and love others alongside Him with a similar level of love, or even greater love. This nullifies the meaning and demands of La ilaha ill Allah.

6. Submission (الإِنْقِيَادُ)

It means to submit to what it indicates. Thus it is the opposite of abandonment.

Allah the Exalted said:

وَمَن يُسلِم وَجهَهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحسِنٌ فَقَدِ استَمسَكَ بِالعُروَةِ الوُثقىٰ ۗ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ عاقِبَةُ الأُمورِ

{And whoever submits his face to Allah while he is a doer of good – then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold. And to Allah will be the outcome of [all] matters}

[Luqman (31):22]

The meaning of muhsin, is that he is a muwahhid; one who singles out Allah with all those things which are exclusive to Him and does not share them to anything other than him.

And Allah said:

وَأَنيبوا إِلىٰ رَبِّكُم وَأَسلِموا لَهُ مِن قَبلِ أَن يَأتِيَكُمُ العَذابُ ثُمَّ لا تُنصَرونَ

{And return in repentance to your Lord and submit to Him before the punishment comes upon you; then you will not be helped}

[al-Zumar (39): 54]

7. Acceptance  (القُبُولُ)

This means to accept with one’s heart and tongue all the things necessitated by this pure statement. The opposite is to reject it.

Allah the Exalted said:

إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا إِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ

{Truly, when it is said to them: there is none worthy of worship except Allah, they puffed themselves up with pride (i.e. denied it)}

[al-Saffat (37):35]

Abu Musa al-Ash’ari said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ  said:

مَثَلُ مَا بَعَثَنِي اللَّهُ بِهِ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْعِلْمِ ، كَمَثَلِ الْغَيْثِ الْكَثِيرِ أَصَابَ أَرْضًا فَكَانَ مِنْهَا نَقِيَّةٌ قَبِلَتِ الْمَاءَ ، فَأَنْبَتَتِ الْكَلَأَ وَالْعُشْبَ الْكَثِيرَ ، وَكَانَتْ مِنْهَا أَجَادِبُ أَمْسَكَتِ الْمَاءَ ، فَنَفَعَ اللَّهُ بِهَا النَّاسَ فَشَرِبُوا وَسَقَوْا وَزَرَعُوا ، وَأَصَابَتْ مِنْهَا طَائِفَةً أُخْرَى إِنَّمَا هِيَ قِيعَانٌ لَا تُمْسِكُ مَاءً وَلَا تُنْبِتُ كَلَأً ، فَذَلِكَ مَثَلُ مَنْ فَقُهَ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ وَنَفَعَهُ مَا بَعَثَنِي اللَّهُ بِهِ فَعَلِمَ وَعَلَّمَ ، وَمَثَلُ مَنْ لَمْ يَرْفَعْ بِذَلِكَ رَأْسًا وَلَمْ يَقْبَلْ هُدَى اللَّهِ الَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ

“The example of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is like abundant rain falling on the earth, some of which was fertile soil that absorbed rain-water and brought forth vegetation and grass in abundance. And another portion of it was hard and held the rain-water and Allah benefited the people with it and they utilised it for drinking, making their animals drink from it and to irrigate the land for cultivation. And a portion of it was barren which could neither hold the water nor bring forth vegetation (then that land gave no benefits).

The first person is the example of the person who comprehends Allah’s religion and gets benefit (from the knowledge) which Allah the Exalted has revealed through me and learns and then teaches it to others.

The (last example is that of a) person who does not care for it and does not take Allah’s guidance revealed through me (he is like that barren land.)””

Reported by al-Bukhari, no. 79

8. Disbelieving in Taghut (الكُفرُ بِالطَّاغُوتِ)

Shaykh Muhammad al-Wasabi mentions an eighth condition which is to disbelieve in the tawaghit (pl. of taghut). The tawaghit refer to anything that is worshipped besides Allah.

Thus to disbelieve in tawaghit means to reject anything else as an object of worship and to have iman in Allah as the sole Lord, Creator and the only One worthy of worship in truth.

Allah said:

قَد تَبَيَّنَ الرُّشدُ مِنَ الغَيِّ ۚ فَمَن يَكفُر بِالطّاغوتِ وَيُؤمِن بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ استَمسَكَ بِالعُروَةِ الوُثقىٰ لَا انفِصامَ لَها ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَميعٌ عَليمٌ

{The right course has become distinct from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing}

[al-Baqarah (2): 256]

Tariq b. Ashim reports from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ  that he said:

مَنْ وَحَّدَ اللَّهَ ، وَكَفَرَ بِمَا يُعْبَدُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ حُرِّمَ مَالُهُ وَدَمُهُ وَحِسَابُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ

“Whoever says La ilaha ill Allah and disbelieves in what is worshipped other than Allah, He has made his wealth and blood sacred and his reckoning is with Allah.”

Reported by Muslim, no. 23 and Ahmad, 3:472.

Sources:

Hafiz b. Ahmad al-Hakami, Ma’arij al-Qubul Bi Sharh Sullam al-Wusul Ila ‘Ilm al-Usul Fi al-Tawhid, ed. Muhammad Subhi b. Husayn Hallaq, (al-Dammam: Dar Ibn al-Jawzi, 1420/1999), 2:518ff.

[1] http://al-badr.net/muqolat/2575 (Last accessed: 08.08.16).

Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Wahhab al-Wasabi al-‘Abdali, al-Qawl al-Mufid fi Adillat al-Tawhid, (San’a: Maktabat al-Irshad, 1427/2006).