1st Condition – Knowledge

1. Knowledge (Al-’ilm) – which is in opposition to ignorance

The person uttering the shahaadah should know what the shahaadah means and what it entails. The knowledge of it should be present both in the heart and when uttered on the tongue. If a person merely states it and does not know what it means they have not fulfilled this condition.

Knowledge of Allaah and knowledge about the nature, concepts and methodology of worship are essential to the practice as well as the understanding of Islam. The beneficial knowledge is the one that leads to complete disassociation from false deities and to the devotion of intentions to Allaah alone.

The proof that knowledge is a requirement for the one professing Islaam is the saying of Allaah, The Most High, in souratu Muhammad verse 19:

فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ

“And know that Laa ilaaha illallaah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allaah) [47:19].

In an authentic hadeeth collected in saheeh Muslim the Prophet Muhammad (salallaahu ‘alayhi was-salam) said:

“He who died knowing (fully well) that there is no true God worthy of being worshipped except Allaah entered al-Jannah (Paradise).”

I often give the example of when I was in grade 2 and I asked my classmate (who was non-muslim) to repeat the shahaadah after me, which she did. I was excited to have ‘converted’ someone, however she had no clue as to what she was saying, and hence did not really become a Muslim. When I tell others this, some admit they have done the same.

InshaAllaah, The next Condition we will cover is Certainty

To read more on all the conditions Click Here

8 Conditions of Laa ilaaha illallaah

It is not enough for a person to merely utter the statement Laa ilaaha illallaah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah) for them to enter Islam or be a Muslim. There are conditions that have to be met by the individual uttering the shahaadah. These conditions are 8, and we will go through each one of them in the following posts, if Allaah wills. All conditions must be met, and the absence of anyone of them makes the shahaadah (testimony) of the individual invalid. Laa ilaaha illallaah is the key to paradise, and the conditions are like the ridges of the key. For the gate of paradise to open the person must come with the key having the right ridges.

Conditions of Laa ilaaha illa Allaah

1. Al-’ilm – Knowledge

2. Al-yaqeen – Certainty

3. Al-iklaas – Sincerity

4. As-sidq – Truthfulness

5. Al-Mahabbah – Love

6. Al-inqiyaad – Submission

7. Al-qabool – Acceptance

8. Al-Kufr biT-Tawaagheet – Disbelief in Tawaagheet (pl. of Taaghuut- all false deities- refer to previous post )

InshaAllaah I will use notes from Dr.saleh’s classes for the explanations of the conditions. Click here for audio. The transcribed notes are available online but the link is not working. When I can view it I will post the link inshaAllaahu ta’ala.

Laa ilaaha illallaah has 2 pillars

Laa ilaaha illa Allaah à none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, and anything that is worshiped besides Him is done so in falsehood. 

This statement has two pillars that make it complete. Both pillars have to be attested to for a person to be considered a Muslim. 

1^st Pillar:   Negation: Laa ilaaha – none has the right to be worshipped
The first pillar is to negate and deny any worship as well as all forms of divinity attributed to other than Allaah 

2^nd Pillar:   Affirmation: illa Allaah – except Allaah
The second pillar is to affirm that all worship and attributes of divinity is for Allaah alone 

Therefore one must negate, deny, and disbelieve that anything should be worshipped besides Allaah, and affirm and believe that it is only Allaah that possess attributes of divinity and is deserving of worship by Himself subhaanahu wa ta’alaa (far removed is He from any imperfection, the Most High).  This meaning along with its pillars came in the Quran. In Souratul Baraqarah (chapter 2) Verse 256 Allaah the Most High says: 

فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللّهِ

“Whoever disbelieves in Tâghût and believes in Allâh, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break” [2:256] 

NOTE:          The word Tâghût covers a wide range of meanings: It means anything worshipped other than the Real God (Allâh), but the one who does not accept to be worshipped will not be considered as a Tâghût, i.e. all the false deities. It may be Satan, devils, idols, stones, sun, stars, angels, human beings, who were falsely worshipped and taken as Tâghûts. Likewise saints, graves, rulers, leaders, etc., are falsely worshipped and wrongly followed. Sometimes “Tâghût” means a false judge who gives a false judgement (see V.4:60). [See Tafsir Ibn Kathir and (V.4:51)]. If the one worshiped is not pleased with it, he is not considered a taghoot. Eg. Prophet Essa (Jesus) is not a taghoot eventhough he is worshiped.

In another ayah in Souratu az-Zukhruf, verses 26-27, Allaah tells us of Prophet Ibrahim’s (alayhis-salam) saying to his father who was an idol worshipper: 

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ لِأَبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِ إِنَّنِي بَرَاء مِّمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ / إِلَّا الَّذِي فَطَرَنِي فَإِنَّهُ سَيَهْدِينِ

“And (remember) when Ibrâhîm (Abraham) said to his father and his people: ‘Verily, I am innocent of what you worship, Except Him (i.e. I worship none but Allâh Alone) Who did create me; and verily He will guide me.” [43:26-27] 

In both verses there is firstly a negation/disbelief in anything being worshipped besides Allaah, and then there is an affirmation of making worship only for Allaah “except Him who created me”. 

This affirmation is also present in souratul-Faatiha when we say:

إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ

-You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything).

What does the Shahaadah mean?

Ash-hadu an la ilaaha illal-laah
Wa Ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasulullaah

I Testify That There is No Deity Worthy of Worship Except Allaah
& That Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah

It is not correct to say that Laa ilaaha illallaah means “There is no god but Allaah” or “There is no creator but Allaah” or “no existing diety except Allaah”. These are all incorrect regarding the meaning of Laa ilaaha illallaah. 

The pagan Arabs in the time of the Prophet (salallaahu ‘alayhi was-sallam) worshipped idols, but they did not deny or reject the fact that Allaah existed and was the sole Creator, and the one who provides, and that He was the one who originates and controls affairs.
As Allaah informs us in the Quran in Souratu Luqman(31) verse 25] 

And if you (O Muhammad) ask them: “Who has created the heavens and the earth,” they will certainly say: “Allâh.”

 What they refused to accept was that all acts of worship should be for Allaah alone. They knew and understood that accepting Laa ilaaha illallaah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah) meant that they would have to stop worshipping their false gods and make all worship sincerely for Allaah only. This is why they said when the Prophet called them to the statement Laa ilaaha illallaah:

 “Has he made the âlihah (gods) (all) into One Ilâh (God – Allâh). Verily, this is a curious thing!” [Saad:5] 

So they were amazed and surprised with the idea of combining all the worship they devoted to their countless gods into one God, Allaah. The fact is that there are many deities that people take as gods for worship, whether they are idols, saints, prophets, angels, statues, animals, or trees. However, these are false gods that do not deserve to be worshipped. If we say that Laa ilaaha illallaah means “there is no god but Allaah” it does not negate the fact that worshiping other gods is false.  There is only one TRUE God and He is Allaah (the one free from all imperfections, the Most High), and all other deities are false and thus have no right to be worshiped. As Allaah (the Mighty, the Majestic) said in His noble Book, what means::

That is because Allâh, He is the Truth, and that which they invoke besides Him is Al-Bâtil (falsehood, Satan and all other false deities); and that Allâh, He is the Most High, the Most Great. [Luqman:30]