The
Effects Of
LAA ILAHAH ILALLAAH
By
the esteemed Scholar Shaykh Saalih
ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan [1]
The kalimah (word) Laa
ilahah ilallaah (that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah), if
it said with truthfulness and sincerity from the heart, and acted upon in that
which it necessitates - outwardly and inwardly - then its effect will indeed be
praiseworthy upon both the individual and the society.
From the most important of its effects are:
[1] Uniting
the word of the Muslims:
This will result in strengthening
the Muslims and assisting them in defeating their enemies - as long as they
continue to follow and practice the same single religion, and as long as they
adhere to the same single 'aqeedah (belief). Allaah - the Most High - said:
"And hold fast
altogether to the rope of Allaah and do not be divided."
[Soorah Aal-'Imraan
3:103].
"It is He Who has strengthened you with His help and with the
Believers, and moreover, He has put love and affection between their hearts. If
you were to spend all that is in the earth, then never could you have united
their hearts, but Allaah has united them. Indeed He is the all-Mighty, the
all-Wise."
[Soorah al-Anfaal
8:62-63].
And differing in matters of 'aqeedah
(beliefs) is the cause for splitting, disunity and hostility, as Allaah - the
Most High - said:
"Indeed those who
split-up their religion and become sects, you have no part with them in the
least."
[Soorah al-An'aam 6:159]
"But people have cut-off
their affair of unity between them and have become sects, each party rejoicing
in that which is with itself."
[Soorah al-Mu'minoon 23:53]
So
people cannot truly be united except upon the correct concept of eemaan
(faith) and the correct 'aqeedah of Tawheed, which are both direct
implications of Laa ilahah ilallaah. One need only consider the
condition of the Arabs before and after Islaam.
[2] Prevalence of safety and peace in a unified society,
which believes in and abides by Laa
ilahah ilallaah. Since the individuals in such a society will take care in
doing only that which Allaah has made halaal (lawful) and abandoning
that which Allaah has made haraam (unlawful) - acting in accordance with
what the 'aqeedah necessitates upon them. So this will prevent people from
enmity, oppression and injustice, whilst directing them towards co-operation,
love and deep brotherhood for the sake of Allaah, acting upon His - the Most
High's - saying:
"Indeed the
Believers are but brothers."
[Soorah al-Hujuraat 49:10]
This
is clearly reflected in the life of the Arabs before and after believing in Laa
ilahah ilallaah. Before Islaam, they lived in hostility and insecurity,
constantly fighting and killing each other. However, when they embraced Islaam
this all changed, and the same people lived with each other in peace and an
atmosphere of love and brotherhood prevailed, as Allaah - the Most High - said:
"Muhammad is the
Messenger of Allaah, and those who are with him are
strong and mighty against the unbelievers and merciful and kind amongst each
other."
[Soorah al-Fath 48:29].
"And remember the
favour of Allaah upon you; for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in
love, so that by His grace you became brothers."
[Soorah Aal-'Imraan
3:103].
[3] Achievement
of happiness,
attainment of the khilaafah
(succession of power and authority) in the earth, maintaining purity of the
religion and being steadfastness against the onslaught of false beliefs and
foreign ideologies. Allaah said:
"Allaah has promised
to those amongst you who truly have eemaan
(true faith and belief) and act in obedience to Allaah and His Messenger, that
He will grant them rulership upon the earth, just as He granted it to those before
them, and that He will establish their Religion for them and grant them the
authority to practice their Religion which He chose and ordered them with. And
He will certainly change their situation to one of security, after their fear.
Providing that they worship and obey Me, not
associating anything else in worship with Me. Then, whoever rejects this favour
by disobedience to their Lord - then they are the rebellious
transgressors."
[Soorah an-Noor 24:55].
So Allaah - the Most Perfect - has made achievement of
these lofty goals conditional upon worshipping and obeying Him and not
associating any partners with Him. And this is
the true meaning of Laa ilahah ilallaah.
