The Conditions of La ilaha illallah — Is Saying It Enough Without Understanding?
- Muiz As-Siddeeqi
- Jun 18
- 2 min read
The Conditions of La ilaha illallah — Is Saying It Enough Without Understanding?
Question to Shaykh Ibn Baaz:
What are the conditions of saying: Lā ilāha illā Allāh (There is no deity worthy of worship except Allāh)? And is it enough to just say it with the tongue without understanding its meaning and what it requires?
Shaykh Ibn Baaz Answer:
Lā ilāha illā Allāh is the best statement one can utter.
It is the foundation of the religion and the core of the Islamic creed.
It is the very first thing that all the Messengers – peace be upon them – began with when they called their people to guidance.
The first thing the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his people was:
“Say: Lā ilāha illā Allāh, and you will be successful.”
Allāh the Most High said:
“And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad) except that We revealed to him: There is no deity worthy of worship except Me, so worship Me.”
— Surah al-Anbiyāʾ (21:25)
Every Messenger said to his people:
“Worship Allāh alone. You have no god besides Him.”
— Surah al-Aʿrāf (7:59)
This shows that Lā ilāha illā Allāh is the foundation of religion and belief.
But it is not enough to merely say it with the tongue.
The person who says it must know its meaning.
Because it means: “There is no deity truly worthy of worship except Allāh.”
It has conditions, and these conditions must be met.
The Conditions of Lā ilāha illā Allāh are:
Knowledge of what it means
Certainty – without any doubt about it
Sincerity – done purely for Allāh alone
Truthfulness – both in the heart and on the tongue
Love for what it means and for what it calls to
Acceptance – of everything it implies
Submission and full obedience to what it requires
Rejection and disavowal of all false gods the rejection of worshipping anything besides Allāh, and the belief that all such worship is false
All these are required for the statement Lā ilāha illā Allāh to be true and accepted.
So the believing man and woman says it along with:
Rejecting the worship of anyone or anything besides Allāh
Submitting to the truth and accepting it
Loving Allāh and His Oneness
Being sincere to Him
Having no doubt about its meaning
Some people say it but do not believe in it – just like the hypocrites who say it while having doubts or denial in their hearts.
So, it is essential to have knowledge, certainty, truthfulness, sincerity, love, submission, acceptance, and disavowal of shirk.
One of the scholars beautifully summarized its conditions in two poetic lines:
Knowledge, certainty, sincerity, and truthfulness with
Love, submission, acceptance, and disavowal of all worship besides Allāh.
And may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muḥammad, his family, and his companions.
Published in Majallat al-Daʿwah, Issue No. 1018, on Monday, 29th Rabīʿ al-Awwal 1407 AH
Source: Majmūʿ Fatāwā wa Maqālāt al-Shaykh Ibn Bāz, Vol. 3, p. 49
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