(Worksheet) Lessons On The Conditions Of La Ilaha IllAllah

A Compilation Of Some Of The Works Of The Scholars On The Conditions Of La Ilaha IllAllah

(Worksheet) Lessons On The Conditions Of La Ilaha IllAllah (A Compilation Of Some Of The Works Of The Scholars On The Conditions Of La Ilaha IllAllah)

Compiled and Translated by: Abu ‘Abdis Salaam Siddiq Al Juyaanee & Umm ‘Abdis Salaam Al Grenaadiyyah

Shaikh Saalih Fawzaan (hafithahullah) said in his explanation of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab’s (rahimahullah) book entitled “Tafseeru Kalimatit Tawheed,”

“What is intended by La ilaha illAllah is that it is an articulation with the tongue, a belief in the heart, working in accordance with it, having an alliance with its people, and having enmity to those who oppose it. This is loving for Allah and hating for Allah. All of this is necessitated by La ilaha illAllah. With this, it is said that La ilaha illAllah has seven conditions. Some of the ‘Ulama have composed them (the seven conditions) in (the following) lines of poetry:

Knowledge, Certainty and Sincerity and your Truthfulness with

Love and Submission/Compliance and Acceptance for it

Shaikh Sa’d bin ‘Ateeq (rahimahullah) added an eighth condition and said,

And its value is increased by the Disbelief from you for all Things other than the (True) God (Allah) which have been (falsely) made gods.

The pillars for La ilaha illAllah are two: a negation and an affirmation. A negation by itself is not sufficient (just as) an affirmation by itself is not sufficient. Rather it is incumbent to have them both.”

[end of Shaikh’s quote]

Al Imaam ‘Abdul ‘Azeez bin ‘Abdullah Bin Baaz (rahimahullah) also mentions the conditions of La ilaha illAllah as being eight in his book “Ad Duroosul Muhimmah Li ‘Aamatil Ummah.” Therein he mentioned the same lines of poetry with the additional line added by Shaikh Sa’d bin ‘Ateeq (rahimahullah).

Knowledge, Certainty and Sincerity and your Truthfulness with

Love and Submission/Compliance and Acceptance for it

And its value is increased by the Disbelief from you for all

Things other than the (True) God (Allah) which have been (falsely) made gods.

Haafith Al Hakamee (rahimahullah) said in (Sullamul Wussul ila Ilmil Usool), the following lines of poetry about the conditions of La ilaha illAllah:

And seven conditions have been specified

In the revealed text they have been mentioned in truth

For verily it will not benefit the one who says it

With a mere articulation until they fulfill all of them (the conditions of La ilaha illAllah)

Knowledge and Certainty and Acceptance

Submission/Compliance, know (understand) what I am saying

Truthfulness and Sincerity and Love

May Allah grant you and give you success in attaining that which He loves

[end of Shaikh’s quote]

The following seven conditions along with that which they negate have been mentioned by Haafith Al Hakamee (rahimahullah) in Ma’arij Al Qabool. As aforementioned, Imaam Bin Baaz mentioned an eighth condition in his wonderful little book “Ad Duroosul Muhimmah Li ‘Aamatil Ummah”, it was also mentioned by Shaikh Sa’d bin ‘Ateeq (rahimahullah) in his beautiful line of poetry, as well as other than them from the ‘Ulamaa.

1. Knowledge which negates ignorance.

2. Certainty which negates doubt.

3. Sincerity that negates shirk.

4. Truthfulness which negates falsehood.

5. Love which negates hatred.

6. Submission/Compliance which negates refusal or abandonment.

7. Acceptance which negates rejection.

8. To disbelieve in everything that is worshipped besides Allah.

The following are the proofs that the ‘Ulamaa have mentioned for the conditions of La ilaha illAllah:

1-Knowledge (‘Ilm):

فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا الله

“So know (O Muhammad) that La ilaha illAllah (none has the right to be worshipped in truth except Allah).”

[Suratu Muhammad: 19]

And

شَهِدَ الله أَنَّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَالْمَلاَئِكَةُ وَأُوْلُواْ الْعِلْمِ قَآئِمَاً بِالْقِسْطِ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِي

“Allah bears witness that nothing has the right to be worshipped except Him. The Angels and those having knowledge (also give this witness) (He always maintains His creation in justice. Nothing has the right to be worshipped in truth except Him, the All Mighty the All Wise.” [Suratul Aali ‘Imraan: 18]

2-Certainty (Yaqeen):

إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِالله وَرَسُولِهِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَرْتَابُوا وَجَاهَدُوا بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ فِي سَبِيلِ الله أُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الصَّادِقُونَ

“Only those who are the believers who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, and afterward doubt not but strive with their wealth and their lives for the cause of Allah. Those! They are the truthful.” [Suratul Hujaraat: 15]

3-Sincerity (Ikhlaas):

فَاعْبُدِ الله مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ الدِّينَ

“So worship Allah by doing righteous deeds sincerely for Allah’s sake only.” [Suratuz Zumar: 2]

And

قُلْ إِنِّي أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ الله مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ الدِّي

“Say (O Muhammad): “Verily, I am commanded to worship Allah (alone) by obeying Him and doing religious deeds sincerely for Allah's sake only and not to show off, and not to set up rivals with Him in worship.” [Suratuz Zumar: 11]

4-Truthfulness (Sidq):

Narrated Muaadth bin Jabal (radi Allahu anhu) on the authority of the Prophet (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam):

“Whoever testifies that none has the right to be worshipped in truth except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and messenger truthfully from his heart, except that Allah makes haraam for him the fire.” [Bukhaari]

5-Love (Mahabbah):

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَتَّخِذُ مِن دُونِ الله أَندَاداً يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللّهِ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لله

“And of mankind there are some who take (for worship) others besides Allah as rivals (to Allah). They love them as they love Allah. But those who believe love Allah more (than anything else). [Suratul Baqarah: 165]

And

Narrated Anas (radi Allahu anhu), The Messenger (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) said:

“Three (characteristics), if a person has them in him he would have found the sweetness of Imaan: that Allah and His messenger are beloved to him more than anything else, that they do not love an individual except for the sake of Allah, and that they hate to return to kufr (disbelief) after

Allah saved them from it just as they would hate to be thrown into the fire.” [Bukhaari]

6-Submission/Compliance (Inqiyaad):

وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ دِينًا مِّمَّنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لله وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ واتَّبَعَ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَاتَّخَذَ الله إِبْرَاهِيمَ خَلِيل

“And who can be better in religion than one who submits his face (himself) to Allah; and he is a muhsin (a good- doer). [Suratun Nisaa: 125]

And

وَمَن يُسْلِمْ وَجْهَهُ إِلَى الله وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَى وَإِلَى الله عَاقِبَةُ الْأُمُورِ

“And whosoever submits his face to Allah, while he is a muhsin, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold (La ilaha illAllah). And to Allah return all matters for decision.” [Suratul Luqman: 22]

7-Acceptance (Qabool):

وَيَوْمَ نَبْعَثُ فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْهِم مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ شَهِيدًا عَلَى هَـؤُلاء وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ تِبْيَانًا لِّكُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً وَبُشْرَى لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ

“And (remember) the Day when we shall raise up from every nation a witness against them from amongst themselves. And We shall bring you (O Muhammad) as a witness against these. And We have sent down to you the book (the Qur’an) as an exposition of everything, a guidance, a mercy, and glad tidings for those who have submitted themselves (to Allah as Muslims).” [Suratun Nahl: 89]

8-To disbelieve in everything that is worshipped besides Allah:

فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِالله فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىَ لاَ انفِصَامَ لَهَا وَالله سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

“Whoever disbelieves in everything worshiped other than Allah, and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allah is the All Hearer All Knower” [Suratul Baqarah: 256]

And

Narrated Taariq bin Ashyam (radi Allahu anhu), the Prophet (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) said,

Whoever says La ilaha illAllah and disbelieves in everything that is worshipped besides Allah… [Muslim]

Review Questions

1- How many pillars does La ilaha illAllah have?

2- Name the pillars of La ilaha illAllah.

3- Mention the eight conditions for La ilaha illAllah. List the eight conditions in English and Arabic (and memorize them).

For the full worksheet click the following link: