The Requirements of The Declaration of Faith

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Requirements of The Declaration of Faith (1/4)

Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan



It is clear from what has preceded, that the meaning of laa ilaaha illAllah is: None has the right to be worshipped except the One [true] Deity; which is Allah, Alone, without any partner. He alone is the One Who deserves to be worshiped.
Therefore, this great kalimah implies that whatever else is worshiped besides Allah is not a true deity that deserves to be worshiped; rather, all such deities are false. It is for this reason that many of the commands to worship Allah are also accompanied by a [command] to negate worship along with Him, because the worship is not correct if others are worshipped along with Him. Allah the Most High said:

“Worship Allah Alone, and do not associate anything else as partners with Him.” [Soorah An-Nisa, 4: 36]

Allah, the Most High also said: “Whosoever disbelieves in at-taaghoot and believes in Allah, has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that never breaks. And Allah is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.” [Soorah al-Baqarah, 2:256][1]
Allah the Exalted [also] said: “We sent a Messenger to every nation ordering them to worship Allah Alone, obey Him, and make their worship purely for Him; and that they should avoid everything worshiped besides Allah.” [Soorah an-Nahl, 16:36]
The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam said: “Whoever says laa ilaaha illAllah and rejects whatever is worshiped besides Allah, his blood and his wealth become sacred and his account is with Allah.”[2]
Every Messenger said to his people: “O my people! Worship Allah Alone. You have none other than Him that has the right to be a deity to be worshiped.” [Soorah aI-A’raaf, 7:59]
And there are evidences other than this.
Imam Ibn Rajab, rahimahullaah, said: “To explain this meaning and to clarify it: When a person says laa ilaaha illAllah, it means, according to him, that none has the right to be deified and worshiped except Allah. And al-Ilaah is the One Who is obeyed and not disobeyed; due to awe and veneration of Him, and due to love, fear, hope and reliance upon Him; as well as being the One Who is asked from and is supplicated to. And none of this is correct, except for Allah the Mighty and Majestic.[3]”
This is why when the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam said to the unbelievers of the Quraysh: Say laa ilaaha illAllah, they retorted: “Has he made all the deities into a single Deity to be worshiped [i.e Allah]. Indeed, this is something very peculiar!” [Soorah Saad, 38:5]
They [the unbelievers] understood that this kalimah rendered false the worship of any and every deity and restricted worship to just Allah Alone, and they did not want this. So it is clear that laa ilaaha illAllah, along with its requirement, implies: That Allah Alone should be singled out with worship; and that the worship of other than Him should be abandoned. So when a person says laa ilaaha illAllah, he is proclaiming that it is obligatory to single out Allah Alone with worship, and he is [at the same time] denouncing the worship of other than Him; such as [the worship] of idols; [the dead in the] graves; the pious and righteous.
The falsehood of those who worship the [dead in the] graves, and the likes, can be seen in that they believe laa ilaaha illAllah merely implies the affirmation that Allah exists, or that He is the Creator and the One Who has the ability to originate or other similar beliefs; or that it just means judgment and sovereignty (haakimiyyah) belongs solely to Allah. They think that whoever holds such beliefs and explains laa ilaaha illAllah in this manner, then they have reached the absolute truth of tawheed - even if they do what they do as regards worshipping others along with Allah, or believe in [directing worship to] the dead; drawing closer to them by offering sacrifices to them; making vows to them; ritually walking around and circumambulating (tawaaf] their graves and seeking Divine blessings (tabarruk) from the earth around them! These people are unaware that even the unbelieving Arabs held these beliefs, and that they acknowledged and affirmed that Allah was the Creator Who has the ability to originate. They claimed that they worshiped others along with Him because these [other deities] would bring them closer to Allah; they did not believe that [these deities] were the actual ones who created, or were the providers of sustenance.
So [the fact that] judgment belongs solely to Allah (haakimiyyah) is only a part of the overall meaning of laa ilaaha illAllah, it is not the main implication of it. Thus it is not enough to judge by the Prescribed Laws of Allah (sharee’ah) in matters concerning rights, prescribed punishments (hudood) and disputes, whilst neglecting the existence of shirk in the very worship of Allah itself! If the meaning of laa ilaaha illAllah was as these people claimed, then there would have been no dispute between the Messenger sallallahu alaihi wasallam and between the mushrikoon, those who worshiped idols and others along with Allah. Indeed, if the Messenger sallallahu alaihi wasallam had just asked them to affirm that Allah is the One Who has the ability to originate and create, or to affirm that Allah exists, or if he asked them to judge in accordance with Allah’s Prescribed Laws concerning issues of blood, property and rights - whilst remaining silent about the issue of [singling out Allah Alone with] worship - then they would have hastened in responding to the Messenger sallallahu alaihi wasallam. However, they were a people who understood the Arabic ********, and therefore they clearly understood that if they were to say laa ilaaha illAllah, they would be affirming the falsity of worshipping idols and that this kalimah was not a mere phrase devoid of meaning. This is why a group of them said:
“Has he made all the deities into a single Deity to be worshiped. Indeed, this is something very peculiar!” [Soorah Saad, 38:5]
And Allah said about them: “When it is said to them: Say laa ilaaha illAllah, they puff themselves up with pride. And they say: Are we to abandon our deities that we worship, because of a mad poet?” [Soorat as-Saafaat, 37:35-36]
Allah, and that they would have to single out Allah Alone with worship, and that if they said it and continued worshipping idols then they would be contradicting themselves; so they refrained from this contradiction. However, the present-day grave- worshippers do not refrain from this hideous contradiction. They say laa ilaaha iilAllah yet they contradict it by worshipping the dead and drawing closer to their shrines by directing various acts of worship to them. So woe be to those who have less knowledge concerning the [true] meaning of laa ilaaha illAllah than even Aboo Jahl and Aboo Lahab!

[1] Imam Ibn-Qayyim rahimahullah, said in I‘laamul-Muwaqqi’een (1/53): “At-Taaghoot is anyone concerning whom a person exceeds the limits, whether it is with regards to someone [who is pleased to be] worshipped, obeyed, or followed.”

[2] Reported by Muslim (no.37)

[3] Kalimatul-Ikhlaas (p.25).

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Requirements of The Declaration of Faith (2/4)

Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan


Whoever utters this kalimah, knowing its meaning, acting by its inward and outward requirements, negating shirk and affirming worship for Allah Alone, having an unwavering belief in what it implies, and acting in accordance with it - then he is a true Muslim. Whoever utters it and acts upon its requirements outwardly, but without believing in what it necessitates, then he is a hypocrite (munaafiq). Whoever utters it with his tongue, but acts contrary to it with [acts of] shirk that negate the kalimah, then he is a self-contradicting mushrik.[1]
So it is essential to not only utter this kalimah, but to also have knowledge of its meaning, since this will be a means towards acting in accordance with its essential requirements. Allah, the Exalted, said: “Except those who bear witness to the truth and have knowledge.” [Soorah az-Zukhruf, 43:86]
Acting according to its requirements means worshipping Allah Alone and rejecting the worship of anything else besides Him; this being the greatest implication of this kalimah.
Also, from the requirements of laa ilaaha illAllah is to accept Allah’s Prescribed Laws (sharee’ah) in matters of worship, social transactions and in what is lawful and unlawful, as well as to reject all other laws besides it. Allah the Most High said:
“Or do they have partners with Allah who have prescribed for them a religion that Allah has not ordained?” [Soorah ash-Shooraa, 42:21]
It is therefore obligatory to accept the Prescribed Laws of Allah in matters concerning worship, social transactions, judging between people in that which they differ regarding their personal situations and other matters, whilst [at the same time] rejecting man-made laws. What this means is to reject all the innovations and deviations that have been introduced and propagated by the devils - from amongst mankind and the jinn - in the matter of worshipping Allah. Indeed, whoever accepts anything of this has actually committed shirk in [the matter of] obedience to Allah, just as Allah said in this verse:
“Or do they have partners with Allah who have prescribed for them a religion that Allah has not ordained?” [Soorah ash-Shooraa, 42:21]
And Allah the Most High said: “If you were to obey them, then indeed you would be mushriks.” [Soorah al-An’aam, 6:121]
“They take their rabbis and their priests to be lords besides Allah.” [Soorah at-Tawbaa, 9:31]
In an authentic narration the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam once recited the above verse to ‘Adee ibn Haatim at-Taa’ee radhiyallahu anhu, said: O Messenger of Allah, we do not worship them. So he replied: “Do they not make lawful to you, that which Allah has made unlawful, which you then deem as lawful? And do they not make unlawful to you that which Allah has made lawful which you then deem as unlawful? He said: Yes indeed. So the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam said to him: “this is worshipping them.”[2]
Shaykh ‘Abdur-Rahrnaan ibn Hasan, rahimahullaah, said: “In this hadeeth is a proof that obeying the rabbis and priests in those matters which constitute disobedience to Allah is actually [an act of] worshipping them besides Allah. This is one of the major [types of] shirk that Allah does not forgive…”[3]
(Continued)

[1] The Shaykh, hafidhahullaah, further explained in al-Muntaqaa min Fataawaa (1/9-10)
“Whoever utters the testification of laa ilaaha illAllah muhammadur-rasoolallah, the ruling of him being a Muslim starts there and then and his blood is sacred. If he acts upon the requirements inwardly and outwardly, he is a true Muslim, and for him are good-tidings, both in this world and in the Hereafter. If he acts upon the requirements, but does so only outwardly, then he is judged to be a Muslim based upon his outward conduct and he is treated as a Muslim, even though inwardly he is a hypocrite (munaafiq) whose affair is left to Allah. If he does not act upon the requirements of laa ilaaha illAllah, but satisfies himself with merely pronouncing it, or he acts in opposition to it, then the ruling of apostasy will be applied to him, and he will be treated as an apostate. If he acts upon some of its requirements without acting upon others, then it will have to be seen: If the requirements that he has left constitute apostasy, then he will be judged as an apostate; such as intentionally abandoning the Prayer, or directing any form of worship to other than Allah. If, however, that which he has left does not constitute apostasy, then he will be considered a believer whose faith (iman) is deficient in proportion to what he has left; such as those who commit sins that are of a lesser degree than [the major acts of] shirk.”

[2] Hasan: Reported with this wording by al-Bayhaqee in as- Sunanul-Kubraa (10/116) and lbn Taymiyyah declared it to he hasan in Majmoo Fataawaa (7/67). It has also been reported by at Tirmidhee (no. 3094) with a slightly different wording.

[3] Fathul-Majeed (2/653).
Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, rahimahullaah, clarified this point in more detail in Majmoo’ Fatawaa (7/70-71), stating:
“Those that take their rabbis and priests as lords obeying them in their making lawful what Allah has declared to be unlawful and their making lawful what Allah has declared to be lawful, occurs in one of two ways:-
Firstly: that they know that they [i.e. the rabbis and priests] have changed the Religion of Allah, yet follow them in this act of changing (tabdeel). They thus believe to be lawful that which Alllaah has made unlawful; and unlawful that which Allah Ins made lawful following their leaders in this, along with knowing that they have opposed the Religion of the Messengers of Allah. This is unbelief (kufr), which Allah and His Messenger consider to he shirk – even if they do not actually pray or prostrate to them.
Secondly: that their belief and faith in what is [truly] lawful and unlawful is established. But if they follow them in disobedience to Allah, then their case is just like a Muslim who commits an act of disobedience, which he believes to be an act of disobedience. The likes of such people have the same ruling as the sinful Muslims ... Also, this making unlawful what is lawful, and making lawful what is unlawful, if it occurs from a scholar whose intention is to follow the Messenger, but the truth. [in this matter] was not clear to him, but he feared Allah as much as he was able, then Allah will not take him to task for his mistake. Rather, lie will be rewarded for the scholarly striving (ijtihad) be undertaken in obedience to his Lord. However, whosoever knows that this is a mistake, yet still follows his mistake, turning away from the saying of the Messenger, then such a person has a share of this shirk that Allah has condemned, especially if the person is following his whims and desires in this, supporting it with his tongue and hand, along with having knowledge that this opposes the Messenger. This is shirk, the doer of which is deserving of punishment.”



(Continued)

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Requirements of The Declaration of Faith (3/4)

Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan



So this is the major type of shirk which negates the very tawheed that laa ilaaha illallah points towards.

Likewise, it is obligatory to reject referring judgment back to man-made laws, because it is obligatory to refer judgment back to the Book of Allah and to abandon referring judgment to whatever opposes it from the man-made systems and laws. Allah, the Most High, said: “If you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it back to Allah and His Messenger.” [Soorah an-Nisaa, 4:59]

Allah the Exalted also said: “In whatever you differ, the judgment is for Allah. Such is Allah, my Lord.” [Soorah ash-Shooraa, 41:10]

Allah, the Most Perfect, has declared that the one, who does not judge by what Allah has revealed, has committed unbelief (kufr), wrong-doing (dhulm) and sin (fisq), and faith has been negated from him. So if a person judges by other than what Allah has revealed, deeming it permissible to do so, or deeming that it is better or more appropriate than Allah’s Judgment, then this is [the greater type of] kufr and shirk which totally negates tawheed and which completely nullifies laa ilaaha illAllah. If, however, he does not deem it permissible to do so, rather he believes that it is obligatory to judge by Allah’s Judgment, but he is overcome by desires which cause him to act contrary to it, then this is the lesser type of kufr and shirk which decreases [adherence to] laa ilaaha illAllah and its requirements, [but does not take the person outside the fold of Islam].

Thus laa ilaaha illAllah is a complete and integral way of life. It is obligatory for the Muslims to follow this way in their [modes of] worship and in their conduct and behavior. It is not merely a word that is uttered for gaining blessings, or to be merely uttered as part of the morning and evening recommended supplications; without understanding its meaning, or acting upon its requirements, or traversing its path - as many of those who utter it with their tongues, but oppose it in their beliefs and behavior, actually think!

From the requirements of laa ilaaha illAllah is to affirm the Names (asmaa) and Attributes (sifaat) of Allah; those that He called and described Himself with, or those that His Messenger sallallahu alaihi wasallam called and described Him with. Allah the Exalted said: “To Allah belong the most Beautiful Names, so call upon Him by them. And leave those who reject and twist (ilhaad) His Names, they will be requited for what they used to do.” [Soorah al-A’raaf, 7:180]

It is stated in Fathul-Majeed: “The root meaning of ilhaad in the ******** of the Arabs implies: Turning away from the objective, swerving away, deviating ... All of the Names of the Lord, the Exalted, are Names and Attributes by which He acquainted His worshippers and which point towards His perfection. Ibn al-Qayyim, rahimahullaah, said: “Ilhaad [of the Divine Names and Attributes] occurs through either: a complete denial and rejection of them; rejecting them by divesting them of their true meanings; distorting them by means of figurative interpretations (ta’weelaat); or by giving the Names of Allah to His creation, such as the deviation of the people who believe in experiencing union with Allah (ahlul-ittihaad), for they give these Names to worldly things, whether [they] are praiseworthy or blameworthy.[1] [2]

So whoever commits ilhaad in Allah’s Names and Attributes, either by divesting them of their correct meaning (ta’teel), by figurative interpretation (ta‘weel) or by out rightly rejecting them (rafd) - as has been done by the Jahmiyyah, the Mu’tazilah and the Ash’arees - have actually contravened what laa ilaaha illAllah signifies. This is because the true deity deserving of worship is He with Whom nearness is sought (yatawassalu) by calling upon Him with His Names and Attributes.

[1] Badaa’i’ul-Fawaa’id (1/169).

[2] Fathul-Majeed (2/742-743).

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Requirements of The Declaration of Faith (4/4)

Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan Allah the Most High said about this: “So call upon Him by them.” [Soorah aI-A’raaf, 7:180]
So that which has no names, nor any attributes, then how can it be a deity? How will you call upon that deity? What will youcall upon that deity with?[1]
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah) said: “The people differed in many issues related to actions and rulings (ahkaam), but at no time did they ever differ about a single verse concerning the [Divine] Attributes. Rather, the Companions and their Followers were agreed in affirming them and leaving them as they are; along with affirming their meanings and their reality?[2]
This indicates that it is the greater of the two types [of verses] that have been clarified and that concern for explaining it is of the utmost importance, since it is from the completeness of understanding the two testimonies of faith, and affirming it is from the most essential part of tawheed. This is why Allah, the Most Perfect, the Most High, as well as His Messenger have clearly and un*****ocally explained it such that there can be no doubt or ambiguity about it. As for the verses related to rulings and actions, then it is mainly the elite from the people who understand their meanings. As for the verses related to the Attributes, they both the general people and the elite share in understanding them, in that they both understand the basic meaning, not that they understand their true nature or how they actually are.”[3]
Ibnul-Qayyim also said: “It is known by the natural state (fitrah), by the sound intellects and by the heavenly Books, that whoever lacks the attributes of perfection cannot be the true Ilaah, nor the Controller of affairs, nor the Lord and Sustainer. Rather, such a being is imperfect, possessing faults and deficiencies; who will not be deserving of complete and total praise, neither in this world or the Hereafter. This is because complete and total praise in this world and the Hereafter is only for whoever possesses the attributes of perfection and magnificence, which would then make him deserving of complete and total praise. Due to this, the Pious Predecessors who wrote books concerning the correct beliefs and concerning affirming the Attributes of Allah and that He is above His creation; and concerning His Speech and Him Speaking - they called such books: Tawheed. This is because negating the Attributes, rejecting them and disbelieving in them, is actually a rejection of the Creator and a denial of Him. Indeed tawheed requires affirming Allah’s Attributes of perfection, along with negating any resemblance, defects and imperfections for Him.”[4]

[1] Imam as-Sa’dee, rahimahullah, said in al-Qawlus-Sadeed (pp. 161-163), whilst explaining the above verse: “The foundation of tawheed is affirming whatever Allah affirmed for Himself, or whatever His Messenger affirmed for Him, as regards His beautiful Names; being aware of what they encompass as regards their majestic and beautiful meanings, worshipping Allah by them and calling upon Him with them. So everything that the worshipper seeks from his Lord - whether regarding his worldly or religious affairs - then he seeks it by calling upon Him with an appropriate Name from amongst the beautiful Names of Allah. So whoever calls upon Him requiring provisions and sustenance, should ask Him by His Name ar-Razzaaq (the Provider). Whoever requires mercy and forgiveness [should call upon Him with His Name] ar-Rahmaan (the Most Merciful), ar-Raheem (the Bestower of Mercy), al-Birr (the Most Kind), al-Kareem (the Most Generous), al-Afu (the Pardoner). ul-Glaafoor (the Oft-Forgiving), at-Tawwaab (the One Who accepts repentance). and their like. What is better than this is that calling upon Him by His Names and Attributes is an act of worship providing that the meanings of His beautiful Names are acquired by the hearts, such that hearts are affected by what they signify and are filled with this awareness. So, for example, the Names [signifying] greatness, pride, magnificence and dread, should fill hearts with awe of Allah and reverence to Him. The Names [signifying] beauty, goodness, kindness, compassion and munificence should fill the heart with love of Allah, a yearning for Him, praise of Him and gratitude to Him. The Names [signifying] might, wisdom, knowledge and power should fill the heart with submissiveness to Allah, fear of Him and humility to Him. The Names that [signify] knowledge, being informed, omnipresence, watchfulness and witnessing, should fill the heart with an awareness that Allah watches over every movement and moment of stillness, and thus makes one guard against having evil thoughts and corrupt intentions. The Names signifying self-sufficiency, richness and beneficence should fill the heart with a realization of being dependant and in great need of Him, turning to Him at all times and under all circumstances”

[2] The creed and consensus of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah regarding the Divine Attributes, has been superbly summarized by Imam at-Tirmidhee, rahimahullah, who said I his Sunan (3/266-268):
“It has been stated by more than one person from the people of knowledge regarding this hadeeth and about the likes of it from the narrations concerning the Attributes, such as [the hadeeth] about the Lord, the Most Blessed, the Most High, descending to the lowest heaven of this world every: night, they said: Affirm the narrations concerning them; have faith (iman) in them, do not imagine them (laa yatawahhamu), nor ask how they are. The likes of this has been reported from Maalik ibn Anas, Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah and ‘Abdullaah ibn al-Mubaarak. They said concerning these ahaadeeth: “Leave them as they are, without asking how (amirroohaa bilaa kayfj.” This is the saying of the people of knowledge from Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah. As for the Jahmiyyah, they reject these narrations and say that this is resemblance (tashbeeh). However, Allah, the Most High, has mentioned in various places in His Book [His Attribute of] Hand; Hearing and Seeing, but the Jahmiyyah make a figurative interpretation (ta‘wee!) of these verses and explain them in a manner other than how it is explained by the people of knowledge. They say: Allah did not create Aadam with His Hand, rather they say: The Hand [of Allah] actually means His Power! Ishaaq ibn Ibraaheem [ar-Raahawayyah] said: Resemblance (tashbeeh) is when someone says: “The Hand [of Allah] is like my hand, or His Hearing is like my hearing. So if someone says this, then this is resemblance. But if someone says what Allah says: Hand, Hearing, Seeing, and he does not ask how these [Attributes] are, nor does he say that Allah’s Hearing is like my hearing, then this is not resemblance. Rather, it just like what Allah, the Most Blessed, the Most High, said in His Book:
“There is none like Him; He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.” [Soorah ash-Shooraa, 42:11]”

[3] Mukhtasar Sawaa’iqul-Mursalah (1/15).

[4] Madaarijus-Saalikeen (1/26).