The Test Answers for the class series: Understanding "Laa Ilaaha Illallaah" (1-25)

* Note: The test answers are based on that which we’ve covered in this class series.
    

1.    The title of this series is “Understanding La Illaha Illallaah”.

2.    It is important to understand La Illaha IllAllaah correctly for various reasons. Amongst those reasons are because this is the most important aspect in the life of a Muslim, one cannot properly worship Allaah without understanding La Illaha IllAllaah correctly as it is the first obligation upon the people. La Illaha IllAllaah is the key to Paradise.

3.    The statement of Shaykhul Islam Ibn Qayyim al- Jawziyyah that La Illaha IllAllaah is the first of the affair and that last of it is because the way one enters into the fold of Islam is by way of the statement of La Illaha IllAllaah, so that is the first of the affair. It is the last of the affair because the way that a Muslim should leave this earth is having his/her statement to be La Illaha IllAllaah. The Messenger of Allah (SalAllaahu alaihe wa sallam) said, “Whoevers last statement at the time of death is La Illaha IllAllaah enters into the Paradise.”

4.    The proof of Allaah sending all the Messengers to call their people to La Illaha IllAllaah is in Qur’an (one of the main text as a proof for this) is in 16:36 “And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): “Worship Allaah alone, and avoid taghut (all false deities)…”
Also as an establishment of this point is in 21:25 where Allah (Subhanna wa at ala) mentions: “And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad SalAllaahu alaihe wa sallam) but We revealed to him (saying): La Ilaha Illa Ana (None has the right to be worshipped but I (Allaah), so worship Me (Alone and none else).”
And these two proofs are specific to the question.

5.    The other names that La Illaha IllAllaah are the Kalaima at Tawheed (The statement of  Tawheed) because in this statement “La Illaha IllAllaah“ is where you find the establishment of the Oneness of Allah (Subhanahu wa at ala) in His Lordship, Kalaima Ikhlaas (The statement of sincerity) because in this statement it establishes that all worship is for Allaah (Subhanahu wa at ala). Also the term “The Shahadah” is mentioned because the people are called to bear witness to it. Coming from the statement of The Messenger (SalAllaahu alaihe wa sallam) when he sent Muadh to Yemen to call the people of the book to al-Islam he mentioned call them to testify “Ashadu an la ilaha illAllaah” to be testified that none has the right to be worshipped except for Allaah.

6.    There are two pillars to La Illaha IllAllaah

7.    The 2 pillars to Laa Illaaha Illallaah are negation and affirmation

8.    The meaning of negation as a pillar of La Illaaha Illallaah means to negate anything having the right be worshipped except Allaah and the meaning of affirmation as a pillar of La Illaaha Illallaah is to affirm that Allaah is singled out in all worship alone.

9.    The principle that we covered to be extracted is “At Takliyah before At Tahleeyah” meaning there must be the removal before beautification.  Shirk must be removed before one beautifies him/herself with Tawheed.

10.    The proof for this principle is in Qur’an (2:256) where Allah (Subhanahu wa at ala) mentions, “There is no compulsion in the religion. Verily, The right path has to become distinct from the wrong path. So whoever disbelieves in the taghut (all false deities) and believes in Allaah has grabbed hold to the firm handhold, which doesn’t break. And Allaah is All-Hearing and All-Knowing.” In the area of the statement “…Whoever disbelieves in the taghut…” this is the negation (at Takliyah, the removal of shirk) and “…believes in Allaah…” is the affirmation (at Tahleeyah, the beautification).

11.    To say La illaha Illallaah means “There’s no god but Allaah” is incorrect and the proof is in Qur’an (31:25) where Allaah states, “If you were to ask them, “Who has created the heavens and the earth?”, they will say : “Allaah.” Allaah is addressing the Prophet Muhammad (SalAllaahu alaihe wa sallam) that if he were to ask the polytheists this. This verse shows that the polytheists believed that Allah (Subhanahu wa at ala) is The Creator. Although that they believed that Allaah is The Creator, this did not enter them into the fold of al-Islam. So to say “There’s no Creator except for Allaah” would mean that the polytheists were believers cause they believed this. Amongst the proof is in (23:84-85) , where Allaah states, (:84)“Say: “Whose is the earth and whoever is therein? If you know!” (:85) “They will say: It is Allaah’s!” Say: “Will you not them remember?” And also in (12:106) where Allaah mentions: “And most of them do not believe in Allaah except that they are polytheists.” Meaning they believe that Allaah is The Creator however they associate partners with Him.

12.    The translated meaning: “There’s no god but Allaah” is incorrect from two angles.
The Scholars mentioned that if one was to say this then that would mean that nothing else is worshipped other than Allaah and other things are worshipped besides Allah. Allaah describes this in Qur’an (11:101), “We did not wrong them, but they have wronged themselves, so their gods that they called on besides Allaah did not benefit them in any way when the commandment of your Lord came, nor did they increase them in anything except destruction.” There are other gods, however the presence of these other gods are false gods, false deities. And the second angle is that a god is worshipped and to say that there is no god but Allaah would mean that everything that is worshipped is Allaah.

13.    The correct translation of Laa Illaaha Illallaah is that There is nothing or noone who has the right to be worshipped except for Allaah.

14.    The 8 conditions of Laa Illaaha Illallaah are:
    1. Al Ilm (knowledge) which negates ignorance
    2. Al Yaqeen (certainty) which negates doubt
    3. Al Ikhlaas (sincerity) which negates polytheism
    4. Al Sidq (truthfulness) which negates lying and hypocrisy
    5. Al Mahabbah (love) which negates hatred
    6. Al Inqiyad (the submission or surrender) which negates abandonment
    7. Al Qubool (acceptance) which negates rejection
    8. Al Kufr bi taghut -the disbelief of the false deities

15.    The proofs for the first condition (Al Ilm, knowledge) are in Qur’an (47:19), (43:86) and in Sahih Muslim #26

16.    The proofs for the second condition (Al Yaqeen, certainty) are in Qur’an (49:15), (9:45) ,  (#3372 of Sahih Al Bukhari and #31 of Sahih Muslim) and #29 of Sahih Muslim.

17.    The proofs for the third condition (Al Ikhlaas, sincerity) are in Qur’an (39:3), (98:5),  in (Sahih Muslim #33 and Sahih Al Bukhari #425) and Sahih Al Bukhari #99

18.    The proofs for the forth condition (Al Sidq, Truthfulness) is in Qur’an (2:8-10),
(29:1-3),in Sahih Muslim #32 and in Sahih Al Bukhari #128

19.    The conditions for ibaadah to be accepted are 3 and are extracted from (18:10):

“Say (O Muhammad SalAllaahu alaihe wa sallam): “I am only a man like you. It has been revealed to me that you Ilah (God) is One Ilah (Allaah). So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in worship of his Lord.”

    1. Islam (as a condition is extracted from,“..Whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord…”)
    2. Ikhlas (as a condition is extracted from, “…associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord.”)
    3. It’ibaah (as a condition is extracted from, “…let him work righteous actions..”)

20.    The Prophet (SalAllaahu alaihe wa sallam) advised Muadh not to convey the glad tidings of that whoever said La Illaha IllAllaah truthfully from his/her heart, the hellfire will be prohibited from them. Muadh mentioned “Should I not inform the people?” The Prophet (SalAllaahu alaihe wa sallam) mentioned “Do not inform them for they will depend upon this alone.” The principle (that we covered) is the repelling of the harm (repelling the people depending on that statement alone and leaving off actions) is giving precedence to bringing about the good (the people being given the glad tidings).

21.    The Prophet (SalAllaahu alaihe wa sallam) said: “Whoever concealed knowledge, Allaah will make him wear a bridle of fire upon his face on the Day of Judgment .”

22.    The Ulema covered that it is permissible to conceal knowledge for the purpose of repelling  a greater harm.

23.    The proof from the Sunnah which establishes that ignorance is blameworthy is in found in the Sunan of Abu Dawood that verily the cure for the ignorance is the question.

24.    Imaam Al-Bukhari mentioned in his book: “Chapter, knowledge before the statement and the action.”

25.    This statement is to be found in The Book of Knowledge.

….In shaa Allaah I will post the last 25 answers at another time. May Allaah reward you for your patience, Ameen.

If there are any mistakes that I have made in relaying these answers in text form please forgive me.

These classes by our brother Abu Yusuf Khaleefah are on Paltalk (religion>Islam>What is Islam1) on Wednesdays and Sundays @ 9pm est

May Allaah preserve, protect and bless our noble brother Abu Yusuf Khaleefah for giving us his time in giving these most beneficial classes and May Allaah allow us to benefit and implement that which we learn from them seeking the pleasure of Allaah, Ameen.