إجازة الشيخ أحمد بن محمد بن أحمد لبن بقراءة الإمام عاصم

موضوع: Names of Allah (GOD) الإثنين 12 مارس 2012, 11:39 pm

Names of Allah (God)

Names of Allah (GOD) Ouuu0010

DR. Muhammad Rateb Al nabulsy

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of Creations, and Peace and blessings be upon our prophet Muhammad, the faithful and the honest.
Oh, Allah, we know nothing but what You teach us. You are the All- Knower, the Wise. Oh Allah, teach us what is good for us, and benefit us from what You taught us, and increase our knowledge.
Show us the righteous things as righteous and help us to do them, and show us the bad things as bad and help us to keep away from them.
O Allah our Lord, lead us out from the depths of darkness and illusion, unto the lights of erudition and knowledge, and from the muddy shallows of lusts unto the heavens of Your Vicinity.

Allâh’s Beautiful Name: Allah:

Now, we will be explaining the thirty-third of Allah’s Beautiful Divine Names, namely that which is mentioned in the following Quranic Verse:
“So know that there is no god but Allah, and ask forgiveness for your sin, and also for (the sins of) believing men and women. And Allah knows well your moving about and your place of rest.” [XLVII; 19]

The words

“So know that there is no god but Allah”

sum up Islamic Monotheism, because they include the entire religion of Islam, the entire Faith and the entire good righteous work. That is why Muslims repeat these words over and over again, in all places and times, so much so that they have forgotten their real meaning. When we say that these words are the token of Islamic Monotheism, this means that the whole religion of Islam stands on them.

Didn’t Allah say:
“And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad) but We revealed to him that there is no god but Me (Allah). So worship Me (Alone).” [XXI; 25]
The words

“There is no god but Allah”

(i.e. no one but Allah has the right to be worshipped) is the essence of the Messages of all of Allah’s Holy Prophets and Messengers. In other words, all revealed religions and all messages of all Prophets and Messengers can be summed up in these words of Monotheism:

“There is no god but Allah.”

And we, as Muslims, repeat these words hundreds and hundreds of times. If we knew its real meanings, we would be in a far better condition than that in which we are now. Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), says
“The best supplication is that (offered) at ‘Arafat; and the best of all that I, and the Prophets before me, have said is: ‘There is no god but Allah, Alone, with no partner.’”
Yes, indeed! The very best words that Allah’s Messenger, Muhammad, (PBUH), and all other Prophets and Messengers, said, are:

“There is no god but Allah.”

The testimony that there is no god but Allah, i.e. no one but Allah has the right to be worshipped, is, as it were, a fortress: whosoever enters it is safe and secure from Allah’s Divine Torment. It is the testimony of Islamic Monotheism. Therefore, we have to stop at it, reflect on it, and deliberate its numerous meanings and lessons.

But first of all, we have to explain its linguistic meaning. Scholars of Islamic theology say: The word “Allah” is “a proper noun that refers to that Perfect and Absolute Divine Self, Which is Infinitely Pre-existent, and Whose Existence is Definitive” In existence, there is only One Divine Self, i.e. Allah, Whose Existence is Definitive. Other existing things are either tentative (i.e. possible to exist or not exist) or impossible (i.e. can never exist).

In other words, the word “Allah” is a proper noun that refers to that Perfect and Absolute Divine Self that is infinitely Pre-existent and Whose Existence is Definitive. It refers to the Creator, the Originator, the Shaper, the Maker, the Sovereign, the Almighty, the Omnipotent, the Proud, the One and Only, the Unique, among all the other Beautiful Divine Names of Allah. This means that all of Allah’s Beautiful Divine Names and Attributes are summed up in the word “Allah”, which refers to the One Who is qualified with all Attributes of Perfection and Oneness. But what does the Arabic word “Ilah” (god) mean?

The Arabic word “Ilah” (god) is derived from the word “Aliha”, which means: “to worship”, which, in turn, means: “to love and obey”. In other words, worship is made up of love and obedience. Obedience without love is not worship, nor is love without obedience: Worship is utmost love combined with utmost obedience.

Once again: the word “’Abada” (to worship) means “to love and obey”, but who is the one worshipped? It is Allah, because, as religious scholars say, no one but Allah has the right to be worshipped. Who deserves to be worshipped? It is the Creator; and there is no Creator but Allah. Who deserves to be worshipped? It is Allah, the Provider, the Giver, the Withholder, the Exalter, the Debaser, the Honor Giver, the One Who does whatever He pleases, the All Mighty, the Omnipotent, the Irresistible Subduer, the All-Powerful, …etc. If all of Allah’s Beautiful Divine Names and Attributes are put together, they refer to “Allah”, i.e. the only One Who has the right to be worshipped.

Therefore, worship is ultimate love combined with ultimate obedience; and you shall never be able to worship Allah, i.e. love and obey Him, unless you know Him. In other words, worship consists of three stages (knowledge, love, and obedience) and is conducive to real happiness and prosperity. This is the first meaning of Allah’s Beautiful Name “Allah”.

The second meaning is derived from the Arabic word “Aliha”, which means: “to be baffled or confused”. In this sense, the word “Allah” refers to the One and Only Lord, Who is Infinitely Great, Mighty and Majestic that the minds of His slaves get confused and baffled at, and are by no means able to conceive, His Infinite Divine Greatness, Might or Majesty. This is the second meaning of Allah’s Beautiful Name “Allah”.

The third meaning of this Divine Name is derived from another meaning of the Arabic word, “Aliha”, which means: “to seek refuge with”. In this sense, the word “Allah” refers to the One with Whom all creatures seek refuge. Hence, the statement “There is no god but Allah” means that no one but Allah is the All Mighty, the All Great Lord with Whom all creatures, including human beings, can seek refuge or shelter.

In fact, the statement “There is no god but Allah” negates completely the existence of another god besides Allah in the whole universe. In this context, some scholars say that the first meaning of this Divine Name was first proposed by the venerable Companion, Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him. He said that the statement “There is no god but Allah” means that Allah, Alone, is the One Who really and irresistibly can do good or harm, honor or debase, give or withhold.

Others said that it means: “There is no god whose Grace is sought, no god whose justice is feared or not feared, no god whose provision is eaten, no god whose Command is obeyed or disobeyed, no god whose forgiveness is sought, no god whose Bidding and Forbidding are respected or violated, and no god whose Grace is given or withheld, except Allah, Who is the Lord of believers, the One Who forgives sins of believers, the One with Whom believers seek refuge, the One Who covers sins of wrong-doers, the ultimate goal of the hopeful, and the ultimate goal of the knowledgeable.”

Dear readers! I would like you to deliberate the first testimony in Islamic monotheism, namely the statement: “There is no god but Allah”, simply because the entire religion is summed up in this statement. Some religious scholars say: “The testimony: “There is no god but Allah” is the token of good knowledge and monotheism, expressed by the tongue of Praise and Right Guidance before the King Worthy of all Praise.” Yes, indeed! It is the token of good knowledge and Monotheism.

You know that the ultimate end of knowledge is Monotheism, and the ultimate end of work is piety. If you believe in the Oneness of Allah and be dutiful to Him, you will certainly feel that you are well balanced, that none but the Lord, Allah, has control of you affairs, that Allah is the Only One Whom you should strive to please, and that you are not dispersed among several ones than Him.

But when do you become a monotheist? When do you turn only to Allah with love and devotion? When do you worship Him, Alone, and none but Him? When do you obey Him, Alone, and none but Him? When do you turn to Him, Alone? When do you hope for Him, Alone? When do you fear Him, Alone? And when do you aspire only after His Generosity? The answer is: only when you firmly believe that He is the One and Only God, i.e. none but He deserves to be worshipped.

This is a very delicate notion: So long as you feel that anyone, besides Allah, can do you any good or any harm, you will not be able to worship Allah, Alone. Therefore, Allah does not command you to worship Him except after He reassures you that all matters belong to Him, Alone, for judgment and decision. You can understand the statement “There is no god but Allah” as follows: Allah is the Only One Who deserves to be worshipped. To this effect, Allah, All Mighty, says

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موضوع: رد: Names of Allah (GOD) الإثنين 12 مارس 2012, 11:56 pm

“O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you and those who were before you, so that you may attain self-protection.”
[II; 21]

Therefore, the testimony: “There is no god but Allah,” means that no one but Allah has the right to be worshipped. Who has the right to be worshipped? The All-Provider does. Who has the right to be worshipped? The All-Giver, the Withholder, the Exalter, the Abaser, the One who grants honor, the One Who humiliates, the All-Powerful, the Subduer, the Omnipotent, the All Mighty, the Irresistible, the All-Potent, the Omniscient, …etc, i.e. the Owner of all of the Beautiful Divine Names and Attributes, does. This is the first meaning Of Allah’s Divine Name “Allah”.

The second meaning is that Allah is Infinitely Great, Mighty, and Majestic that the minds of His creatures, including mankind, are confused and baffled at His Infinite Greatness, Might, Majesty, Beauty, Justice, Mercy, and Love for His slaves. In other words, Allah’s Divine Name “Allah” means that He is Infinite.

The third meaning: There is no one you can seek refuge with but Allah.

Some said: The testimony: “There is no god but Allah” Means if you have an aspiration, you should aspire only after Allah, Alone; if you fear, you should fear only Allah, Alone; if you love, you should love only Allah, Alone. There are so many beautiful persons and things in this world: women, places, Houses, Palaces, cars, …etc. If you desire to love anything or anyone, you should love only Allah, Alone. This is the fourth meaning of Allah’s Beautiful Name “Allah”: He is the Only One Whom human beings should aspire after, hope for, or love. He is the One Who removes distress. In this context, Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), says

“A slave must fear nothing but his own sin and aspire after none but his Lord.”

Monotheism is comfort, psychological balance and well being, while polytheism is discomfort, imbalance and psychological disorder. When someone feels that another human being has control over his affairs and that he does not like him but is so desirous to destroy him: such feeling is abnormal, horrible and destructive. If you believe that your affairs are in the hand of another one than Allah, All Mighty, this belief is enough to crush you.

Therefore, if you are to love, you should love none but Allah; and if you are to fear, you should fear none but Allah; if you are to rely on anyone, you should rely on none but Allah; and if you are to be confident, you should be confident of none but Allah.

Does a mortal human being deserve to be worshipped? Does a human being that was nonexistent, but then Allah, All Mighty, brought it into existence, and in the end will be non-existent again, deserve to be worshipped? Definitely not!

Omran Bin Houssein narrated that Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), asked his father, Houssein, before the latter converted to Islam, “O Houssein! How many gods do you worship?” Houssein answered: “I worship six or seven in the earth and one in the heaven.”

Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), said, “And whom do you worship for your hope and fear?” Houssein said, “The one in the heaven.” Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), said, “Then, the one in the heaven suffices you. O Houssein! If you convert to Islam, I shall teach you a few words that shall do you a lot of good.” Houssein converted to Islam and came to Allah’s Messenger, asking him, “O Messenger of Allah! Teach me those words.” Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), said, “Say: ‘O Allah! Show me my guidance and protect me against the evil of my own self.” [Narrated by At-Tirmithi]

You do not need gods of the earth; you need only One God, namely Allah, All Mighty, Who is in the heaven. This is Monotheism - the essence of psychological health - because a monotheist is someone who believes that all his affairs are in the Hand of One God, Allah, All Mighty, Whom he fears, After Whom he aspires, Whose Good Pleasure he seeks, and Whose Divine Commands he obeys.
The foregoing are some of the meanings of Allah’s Divine Name “Allah”.

There is a delicate point that I would like to make clear as regards the testimony of Monotheism, “There is no god but Allah”. If we gather up all Prophetic Hadiths that speak about its merits, we find a great many of them; and they all confirm that it lurks behind human happiness and prosperity in every sense of the word. Let us consider the opposite of Monotheism, i.e. polytheism.

Before you believe that there is no god but Allah, you have a lot of gods, i.e. powerful wealthy affluent human beings whom you fear, aspire after, and seek to please: This is polytheism. If you fear a certain human being, aspire after another, hope for a third, seek to please a fourth, or humble yourself before a fifth, …etc, your good work is dispersed among numerous false gods and is by no means for the sake of your Real God, the Lord, Allah, All Mighty.

Therefore, before you believe that there is no god but Allah, your good work is wasted and dispersed among a number of false deities, simply because you love, fear, aspire after, hope for other fellow humans who can do you no good or harm, because they are mere human beings just like you. But once you firmly believe that there is no god but Allah, you love none but Him, fear none but Him, hope for none but Him, and aspire after none but Him, you simply think to yourself, “Why should I disobey my Lord and Maker, the Almighty Allah, Lord of all worlds, for the sake of a mere human being, who is, just like me, under Allah’s Divine Power and Might and is in Allah’s Divine Hand, just as I am?”

I have told you before the story of one of the Umayyad Caliphs, Yazeed Bin Mou’awiyah, who issued an order to his ruler over Basra. The ruler was not willing to obey Yazeed’s order because it seemed to clash with certain principles of the religion of Islam. Therefore, he asked the well-known venerable Tabi’i (one of the next generation after that of the Prophet’s Companions), Al-Hassan Al-Basri, what to do. Al-Hassan Al-Basri said something that summed up the whole Islamic Monotheism: “You should know that Allah can protect you against Yazeed, but Yazeed cannot protect you against Allah.”

Therefore, Allah is the Only One Who has the right to be worshipped. When you see someone disobeying Allah in order to please a fellow human, neglecting righteous deeds in order to please another, committing sinful deeds in order to please a third, or deviating from the Right Way in order to pleases a fourth, …etc, this means that his monotheism is very weak because he sees other fellow humans as gods that deserve to be worshipped, i.e. loved and obeyed, besides Allah, All Mighty.

This is a kind of Polytheism. But what is Monotheism? Monotheism is to worship only the Lord, Allah, All Mighty, Alone, i.e. to rid yourself completely of anyone else but Allah: you love none but Allah, fear none but Allah, aspire after none but Allah, hope for none but Allah, and seek to please none but Allah.

The best thing man can say is, “There is no god but Allah”. Even the most tyrannical human being and the worst enemy of Allah, Pharaoh, uttered these words when he got caught up in the sea and felt that he was certainly going to drown:

“I believe that there is no god but He (Allah), in Whom the children of Israel believe.”

A disbeliever wrongly thinks that his wealth, his high social position, his followers and helpers, …etc, can help him. In his sight, all of these are gods, i.e. he loves and obeys them and seeks help from them. But when Allah, All Mighty, decrees something unpleasant for him, all such false gods can avail him nothing against Allah, Al Mighty. Therefore, when distress comes, he feels most sorrowful and regretful, and he and confesses: “There is no god but Allah”.

At the beginning of his life, man may wrongly think that wealth is everything. But the older he grows, the more he sees that wealth is one of many things but not everything. And when death comes, he sees none but Allah, he sees that wealth is but a thing borrowed from the Lord, Allah, All Mighty, and will certainly be returned to Him, he sees that Allah, All Mighty, has given him such wealth in order to help him draw near to Him and seek His Good Pleasure thereby.

I would like to elaborate more on the issue of godhood. Allah, All Mighty, say

“Have you seen him who has taken as his god his own vain desire? Would you then be a disposer [(of his affairs) or a watcher] over him?”
[XXV; 43]

“Have you seen him who has taken as his god his own vain desire?”

In other words, if you love something so much that you disobey Allah for it, this means that you actually worship such thing instead of Allah. Sometimes people describe a certain man who loves his wife, saying, “He married a woman whom he worships.” What does “whom he worships” mean? It means that he loves her, trusts in her, and is most sincere and obedient to her even if she bids him to commit a sinful deed.

This is because worship, as I always say, is utmost love combined with utmost obedience; and if you give such utmost love and utmost obedience to another one instead of Allah, this is real ignorance. That is why it has been rightly said: “Ultimate end of knowledge is Monotheism.” You should be like the holy Prophet, Abraham, i.e. you should see that all things are in Allah’s Hand and under His Infinite Divine Power. Abraham, (PBUH), defied his people, saying

“So plot against me, all of you, and give me no respite. I put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord! There is not a moving living creature but He has the grasp of its forelock. Verily, my Lord is on the Straight Path.”
[XI; 55,56]

When he was about to drown, Allah’s worst enemy, Pharaoh, sought refuge with Allah, Alone. To this effect, Allah, All Mighty, says

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“And We (Allah) took the children of Israel across the sea, and Pharaoh, with his hosts, followed them in oppression and enmity, till when drowning overtook him, he said: ‘I believe that there is no god but He (Allah), in Whom the children of Israel believe, and I am one of the Muslims (those who submit to Allah’s Will).”
[X; 90]

As for Allah’s good friend, the holy Prophet, Jonah, (PBUH), when he was devoured by the whale and, hence, entered into three kinds of darkness, he invoked none but his Lord, Allah, All Mighty, to help him. To this effect, Allah, All Mighty, says

“And remember Jonah: when he went off in anger, and imagined that We (Allah) shall not punish him! But he cried through the darkness: ‘There is no god but You (Allah)! Glorified and Exalted are You! Truly, I have been of the wrong-doers.”
[XXI; 87]

But why did Allah answer Jonah’s, and not Pharaoh’s, invocation, although they were both in distress, and they both confessed: “There is no god but Allah”? Religious scholars said, “Pharaoh did not know Allah before his distress, therefore, his invocation did not avail him anything in time of distress; while the holy Prophet, Jonah, (PBUH), knew Allah before his distress, so when distress came his invocation availed him. This is the first difference. What did Pharaoh say?

“Then he gathered (his people) and cried out: ‘I am your lord, most high.”
[LXXIX; 23,24]

But Jonah, (PBUH), was in deep sorrow when he invoked:

“Had he not been of those who glorify (Allah), he would have indeed remained inside its (the whale’s) belly till the Day of Resurrection.”
[XXXVII; 143,144]

I would like you to notice that whenever a human being is caught up in trouble or distress, he forgets everything, even those whom he takes for gods besides Allah, and turns to his Lord, Allah, All Mighty, Alone, in prayer and supplication. It is wise to know the fact that “There is no god but Allah” in times of weal not only in times of woe.

A friend of mine once told me that some atheists were flying on board an airplane that was suddenly caught up in a horrible storm. They began to roar with earnest supplication to the Lord, Allah, All Mighty, for help. In the same context, the Holy Quran tells the story of someone caught up in a horrible storm in a rough sea where his ship was like a feather in the wind. At that horrible moment, he sees nothing and seeks help from none but Allah. A true believer sees that all things are in the Hand of Allah, All Mighty, Alone. To this effect, the Quranic Verse goes

“The Path of Allah, to Whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. Verily, all matters in the end go to Allah (for decision).”
[XLII; 53]

This Quranic Verse bears a very delicate notion: It says: “Verily, all matters in the end go to Allah (for decision).” But in whose hand were all matters? The answer is: Of, course they were, they are, and they will always be in Allah’s Hand, but atheists or disbelievers wrongly see that matters are in the hand of others than Allah, All Mighty; while true believers see that all matters, small or big, were, are, and will always be in Allah’s Hand. That is why it has been rightly said: “Mankind learn nothing better than Monotheism.”

The second difference: When Jonah, (PBUH), said
“There is no god but You (Allah)! Praised and Exalted You are!” he spoke to the Lord, Allah, directly, as if he saw Allah with his own eyes. But Pharaoh said:

“I believe that there is no god but He (Allah), in Whom the children of Israel believe.”

In other words, Pharaoh seems to have heard of a god in whom Moses and his people believed and in whose hand was everything, and when he began to drown, he realized that it was Moses’ god who caused him to drown; therefore, he said

“I believe that there is no god but He (Allah), in Whom the children of Israel believe.”

In short, if you know Allah in weal, He knows you in woe. That is why Allah, All Mighty, answered Jonah’s, but not Pharaoh’s, invocation. Jonah was of those who extolled praises of the Lord, Allah, All Mighty, while Pharaoh was not.

Irrespective of the level of your Faith, the kind of your religion, or the level of your Monotheism, whenever you are caught up in trouble or distress, you roar out, “O Allah!” But if your Faith, before distress is come, is strong and firmly established, you say, “O Allah! There is no god but You.” In other words, if your Faith in Allah, All Mighty, is already strong and deeply rooted, before distress is come, this means that you have already deposited something good with Allah, namely righteous work, firm belief in Him and His Infinite Divine Mercy, Pardon, Love and Power.

In this context, religious scholars say: When Pharaoh said, “There is no god but He (Allah), in Whom the children of Israel believe”, he did not say it by way of servitude to the Lord, Allah, All Mighty, but rather for his own safety and escape from death; and great is the difference between someone who is forced to believe in Allah and someone who believes in Him out of his own free will.

Everybody knows that the present world was divided into East and West and into nations that sanctify the individual and those that sanctify the group. Both parties first went to extremes, but then went back to the middle, i.e. Islamic moderation.

Both parties went back to Islamic moderation not because they believed in Islam as Allah’s Revealed Religion or that it was Allah’s Course of life, but simply because circumstances that accompanied their extremism forced them to go back to moderation. Those who believed in the individual and gave individual interests supremacy over those of the group were forced to go back to Islamic moderation and take the group’s interests into consideration.

Similarly, those who believed in the group and gave the group’s interests supremacy over those of the individual were also forced to go back to Islamic moderation and take the individual’s interests into consideration. In this context, Allah, All Mighty, addresses Muslims, saying

“Thus, We have made you a just moderate nation, that you may be witnesses over mankind and the Messenger be a witness over you. And We made the Qiblah (prayer direction towards Jerusalem) to which you used to turn your face (in prayer), only to test those who followed the Messenger from those who would turn on their heels. Indeed it was heavy except for those whom Allah guided. And Allah would never make your faith (prayers) to be lost. Truly, Allah is All-Kind, Most Merciful.”
[II; 143]

“Thus, We have made you a just moderate nation”

When Pharaoh said, “There is no god but Allah” as he was about to drown, he said that only to get rid of drowning. Similarly, when the children of Israel got out of the sea, safe and secure, they came across people worshipping idols. They asked Moses, (PBUH), to make similar idols for them to worship. But Moses, (PBUH), reminded them, “Did you not see how Allah, All Mighty, made the sea solid for you to cross?” Religious scholars say that they believed in Moses only to get rid of Pharaoh.

In other words, their belief in Allah and His Messenger, Moses, was not pure; it was blemished by a certain interest, namely to get rid of Pharaoh and his tyranny. This means that the best and most sublime kind of Faith is to believe in the Lord, Allah, All Mighty, only because He is really the Creator and, therefore, deserves to be worshipped.

Some religious scholars say that all people’s righteous deeds and words are carried by a special Angel up to the Lord, All Mighty, except for the words, “There is no god but Allah”, which goes up to the Lord by itself. To this effect, Allah, All Mighty, says

“Whosoever desires might, then to Allah belongs all Might. To Him ascend the goodly words, and righteous work exalts him (man); but those who plot evil things, theirs will be severe torment; and the plotting of such will perish.”
[XXXV; 10]

While I was reading a Prophetic Hadith, I found a very delicate point, namely “He who is increased in knowledge but not in guidance …” It seems that there are two parallel lines, one for knowledge and another for guidance. Line of knowledge goes along with acquiring knowledge by attending, lessons or lectures, for example, or by reading books, from which we get pieces of information, ideas, conceptions, beliefs, opinions, …etc.

But the line of guidance goes along with acts of devotion and when we translate theoretical knowledge into rightly guided acts. Sometimes, the line of guidance is far behind that of knowledge. For example, you know that there is no god but Allah, yet you fail to love Him or obey Him duly or adequately. Both lines of Knowledge and guidance should always go together on equal footing.

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This is because Islamic religion is not only to believe in the Oneness of Allah, All Mighty, but also to worship Him, Alone. The Holy Quran abounds in stories of Allah’s holy Prophets and Messengers.

They all told their people to worship Allah, Alone, because they had no other god but Him:

“And to the people of Thamoud, We sent their brother Salih. He said: ‘O my people! Worship Allah! You have no other god but Him. Indeed there has come to you a clear Sign from your Lord, this she-camel, a clear Sign to you from Allah. So leave her to graze in Allah’s earth, and touch her not with harm, lest a painful torment should seize you.”
[VII; 73]

This Quranic Verse

“Worship Allah! You have no other god but Him”

is repeatedly used in the Holy Quran; and it actually sums up the Calls and Messages of all Prophets and Messengers. In other words, religion is to believe that there is no god but Allah, All Mighty, and to worship Him, Alone. This is because the ultimate end of human knowledge is monotheism, i.e. to believe in the Oneness of Allah, All Mighty, and the ultimate end of human work is to obey Him.
In some religious relics, it is narrated that when a believer says, “There is no god but Allah”, Allah, All Mighty, gives him all the good lots of disbelievers in Paradise, which they would get if only they believed in Allah, All Mighty.

This is because when a believer says, “There is no god but Allah”, he disproves all disbelievers; therefore, he deserves to get all their shares in Paradise.
Now, what does Allah, All Mighty, command us to do in His Divine Book, the Holy Quran? He, Glory to Him, says

“You must know that there is no god but Allah, and ask forgiveness for your sin, and also for (the sins of) believing men and women. And Allah knows well your moving about and your place of rest.”
[XLVII; 19]

Yes, indeed! We must know that there is no god but Allah; and knowledge needs research, study, examination, tests, proofs and evidences until we attain definitive irrevocable certitude that there is no god but Allah, All Mighty. Tentative non-definitive knowledge is by no means sufficient or adequate. To this effect, Allah, All Mighty, says

“(True) believers are only those who believe in Allah and His Messenger, and afterward doubt not but strive with their wealth and lives for the Cause of Allah. Those! They are the truthful!”
[XLIX; 15]

In interpretation of the initial letters at the beginning of some Surahs (Chapters) of the Holy Quran, like:
“Ha. Meem. ‘Ein. Seen. Qaf.”
[XLII; 1,2]
for example, some religious scholars say: The “Ha” refers to Allah’s Perfect Divine Forbearance, Wisdom, Judgment, and Decision, the “Meem” to His Sovereignty and Glory, the “’Ein” to His Might, Majesty, Highness, Greatness, Knowledge and Justice, the “Seen” to His Exaltedness, Sublimity, and Secrecy, and the “Qaf” to His Subjugation and Irresistible Power.

In this context, in a Divine Hadith, Allah, All Mighty, says, “By My Forbearance, Wisdom, Judgment, Glory, Sovereignty, Might, Greatness, Justice, Knowledge, Highness, Secrecy, Sublimity, Power, Majesty, and Subjugation, I shall not torment with the Fire those who say, ‘There is no god but Allah’.” But why does not Allah punish them? The answer is: because they know that all matters are in Allah’s Hand, so they commit themselves to His Divine Commands and Religion.

So, why should He punish them? The whole Islamic Religion can be summed up in one simple fact, namely that all matters are only in Allah’s Hand.
By the way, I would like to remind the dear readers of some of the Quranic Verses that have to do with Islamic Monotheism. Allah, All Mighty, says:

“And to Allah belongs the Unseen of the heavens and the earth, and to Him return all affairs (for decision). So worship Him and put your trust in Him. And your Lord is not unaware of what you do.”
[XI; 123]

“Say: ‘O Allah, Owner of the Kingdom! You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take away the kingdom from whom You will. You endue with honor whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will. In Your Hand is the Good. Verily, You are Powerful over all things.”
[III; 26]

“In Your Hand is the Good. Verily, You are Powerful over all things.”
This Verse provides evidence of a very delicate point, namely that in the whole universe, there is no absolute evil, i.e. evil that is really meant to be evil.

“Nay! But worship Allah (Alone) and be among the grateful (to Him).”
[XXXIX; 66]

“You killed them not, but Allah killed them. And you (Muhammad) threw not when you did throw, but Allah threw, that He might test believers by a fair trial from Him. Verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.”
[VIII; 17]

“Surely, His is the Creation and Commandment. Blessed is Allah, the Lord of all worlds.”
[VII; 54]

“Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the Disposer (and Guardian) over all things.”
[XXXIX; 62]

“Say: ‘He is Allah, the One.”
[CXII; 1]

“And you cannot escape in the earth or in the heaven (from Allah). And besides Allah you have no protector or helper.”
[XXIX; 22]

“Say (O Muhammad): ‘I am only a human like you. It has been revealed to me that your god is only one god (Allah). So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work deeds of righteousness and associate none as a partner, in the worship, to his Lord.”
[XVIII; 110]

“And whosoever submits his face (himself) to Allah, while he is a good-doer, then he has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold. And to Allah return all matters (for decision).”
[XXXI; 22]

“See they not that We gradually reduce the land from its outlying borders. And Allah judges; there is none to put back His Judgment, and He is Swift at reckoning.”
[XIII; 41]

“Whatever of mercy Allah may grant to mankind, none can withhold it; and whatever (of mercy) He may withhold, none can grant it thereafter. And He is the All Mighty, the All-Wise.”
[XXXV; 2]

“Is not He Who guides you in the darkness of the land and the sea, and Who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings, going before His Mercy? Is there any god with Allah? High Exalted is Allah above all that they associate as partners (to Him).”
[XXVII; 63]

“It is He (Allah) Who is the only god in the heaven and the only god in the earth. And He is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing.”
[XLIII; 84]

From Prophetic Sunna and Tradition, I have selected the following Hadiths:

Narrated Talha Bin Kareez that Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), said, “The best invocation is that on the Day of ‘Arafat; and the best of all that I, and the Prophets before me, have said is: ‘There is no god but Allah, Alone, with no partner.’”
[Mouwatta’ of Imam Malik]

Narrated Bin ‘Abbas: I was behind Allah’s Messenger, one day, when he said, “O boy! I would like to teach you some words: keep your duty towards Allah, and He protects you. Keep your duty towards Allah, and you find Him with you.

If you are to ask, ask Allah, Alone; and if you are to seek help, seek help from Allah, Alone. And you should know that even if the (whole) nation gathers together in order to do something good to you, they can do nothing good to you except that which Allah has decreed for you; and even if they all gather together in order to do something harmful to you, they can do nothing harmful to you except that which Allah has decreed against you. The pens have been lifted up, and the pages have dried up.”
[Narrated by At-Tirmithi]

If one collects and learns by heart all the Quranic Verses that speak about Monotheism, it would be indeed a great Quranic treasure, which provides one with much tranquility, security and peace of mind and repels fear and anxiety. It makes one feel that no forces in the whole world, except the Lord, Allah, All Mighty, Alone, could ever do one any harm. And if one feels that Allah, Alone, has everything in His Hand and that He, All Mighty, is Most Merciful, All-Rich, Most Loving, All Powerful, Most Compassionate, and All Knowing, this makes one feel not only happy but also safe and secure.

Of the merits of this testimony: “There is no god but Allah” is what Ibn Omar quoted Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), as saying,

“Those who bear witness that there is no god but Allah shall not suffer loneliness upon death. And it is as if I were now looking at those who bear witness that there is no god but Allah upon the Cry (on the Day of Resurrection), shaking dust off their heads, saying, ‘Praise to Allah, Who removed from us grief.’”

Yes, indeed! The grave is really something horrible; and more horrible is the feeling of loneliness while one is in the grave. Didn’t Allah, All Mighty, say

“The Fire: they are exposed to it morning and afternoon; and on the Day when the Hour is come, (Allah shall say): ‘Cause Pharaoh’s people to enter the most painful torment.”
[XL; 46]

Just imagine! Pharaoh’s people have been exposed to the Fire, in the morning and afternoon, for over six thousand years; and on the Day of Judgment, they shall be admitted into Hell-Fire. But those who bear witness that there is no god but Allah suffer no loneliness or torment in their graves, which are made to turn out Gardens of Paradise for them. Why? The answer is: Simply because they have known Allah, All Mighty, and adhered to His Divine Commandments, and simply because they believed in His Oneness and devoted themselves to Him.

I have always given the following example: If you have a certain transaction at a certain government office, and if you know for sure that what you need is only in the hand of the general director of that government office, is it unwise to seek help from anyone else, such as an ordinary clerk, a porter, or an office boy? Of course, not! You go straight ahead to the general director because he is the only one ho can help you. To this effect, Allah, All Mighty, says

“Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship); but He forgives anything else to whom He wills. And whoever sets up partners with Allah (in worship), he has indeed committed a grievous sin.”
[IV; 48]

Imagine that you have a big sum of money in a certain city, so you take the train to that city. On the train, you may commit hundreds of mistakes: you may sit in the wrong compartment, you may have a row with some bad people in your compartment, you may feel hungry, cold or uncomfortable in the compartment, …etc, you may commit millions of mistakes; but the train is still going to the city where you have the big sum of money; it will arrive there on time, and you will certainly get the money.

All the mistakes that you commit on the train are forgiven so long as the train is going to the same city where you will get the money. Now, consider Allah’s Words:

“Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship); but He forgives anything else to whom He wills. And whoever sets up partners with Allah (in worship), he has indeed committed a grievous sin.”
[IV; 48]

There is one mistake that can never be forgiven, namely that you wrongly take a train that is not going to your city but rather to another city, and, consequently, you shall never be able to get to your city or to cash the great sum of money. In other words, choosing the wrong train is an unforgivable mistake because it makes you lose everything. The same idea can be applied to your relationship with the Lord, Allah, All Mighty.

Polytheism means to turn to other false gods than Allah, your Almighty Lord, your Maker and Provider; and false gods can do you no good or harm, or avail you anything against Allah, All Mighty. In other words, Polytheism takes you to the wrong destination. Why is Monotheism a great thing? The answer is: simply because it makes you turn to the One, in Whose Hand are all things, i.e. it takes you to the right destination. In short, if you worship false gods instead of Allah, All Mighty, you go in the wrong direction, and you shall never attain happiness or prosperity.

Once again, dear readers: No one but Allah deserves, or has the right, to be worshipped. The ultimate end of human knowledge is Monotheism (i.e. to bear witness that there is no god but Allah, Alone); and the ultimate end of human work is to obey Allah, Alone.

Anas Bin Malik narrated that Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), said:

“He who says in the morning or evening, ‘O Allah! I bear witness before You, before those who carry Your Throne, and before Your Angels and all of Your creatures, that You are Allah: there is no god but You, and that Muhammad is Your slave and Messenger,’ Allah releases one quarter of him from the Fire; he who says it twice, Allah releases one half of him (from the Fire); he who says it three times, Allah releases three quarters of him (from the Fire); and he who says it four times, Allah releases him all from the Fire.”
[Narrated by Abu Dawood]

Nowadays, you hear a lot of meaningless sayings and false testimonies. But the genuine thing is that, believingly and sincerely, you bear witness that there is no god but Allah and adhere to Allah’s Divine Commandments. And nothing of people’s acts of devotion nowadays is better than the testimony that there is no god but Allah, since their religious observances, such as the prayer and the fast, are blemished with hypocrisy and eye-service and, therefore, lack in true Faith.

As for the words “There is no god but Allah”, they are a kind of remembrance of Allah, All Mighty; and a true believer says them from the depth of his heart. This is one of the merits of the testimony: “There is no god but Allah”. In order to get a high scientific degree, man has to exert a lot of effort and make a lot of study and research; and, similarly, in order to understand words of Islamic Monotheism “There is no god but Allah”, man must exert a substantial and remarkable effort.

This is because without sacrifice and hard work, study and research, contemplation and deliberation, man will not be able to attain firm belief in these words; and unless he really and firmly believes in them, his work is blemished with polytheism:

“Say: ‘If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, wealth that you have earned, commerce in which you fear a decline, and dwellings in which you delight, are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and strife in His Cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (Torment). And Allah guides not the people who are disobedient.”
[IX; 24]

When does man disobey his Lord, Allah, All Mighty? The answer is: when he thinks that seeking to please others is better than seeking to please Him. For example, those who say, “Allah is Greater” with their tongues but obey others than Allah, such as their wives, their bosses, their friends, their lovers, …etc, this means that they actually and virtually believe that their wives, friends or bosses are greater than Allah, simply because they put Allah’s Pleasure in the second place. Those who really say, “There is no god but Allah” and “Allah is Greater” should obey none but Allah.

These words of Islamic Monotheism: “There is no god but Allah” symbolize the motto of the Religion of Islam. And the testimony: “There is no god but Allah. Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”, which is pronounced by those who desire to embrace Islam, include belief in the Oneness of Allah and in the Message of His Messenger, Muhammad, (PBUH), and obedience towards Allah, All Mighty, and His Messenger, (PBUH).

In other words, a true believing Muslim is someone who bears witness that there is no god but Allah, who believes in the Message of Allah’s Messenger, Muhammad, (PBUH), and who worships none but Allah by showing obedience to Him and to His Messenger. This is Islamic religion.

However, we still have a practical point that can be summed as follows:

If you see with your own eye that Allah honors those who are righteous and straightforward but destroys those who are wrongdoers and deviant, your belief in “There is no god but Allah” becomes more firmly established and deeply rooted.

Therefore, contemplation on Allah’s Creation (the universe), deliberation on Allah’s Quranic Verses, and reflection on Allah’s Divine Acts, increase your belief in the Oneness of Allah as substantiated by the testimony: “There is no god but Allah”.

To wrap up, I would like to put forward the following reservation: Allah, All Mighty, has made this present world an abode of labor and the Hereafter an abode of recompense. When He punishes a wrongdoer in this present world, this punishment is meant to be a kind of deterrence for other wrongdoers. And when He rewards a good-doer in this present world, this reward is meant to be a kind of encouragement for other good-doers. Complete and total accounting and reckoning is to be found in Allah’s Words:

“Every Self shall taste of death. And it is on the Day of Resurrection that you shall be paid your due wages in full. And whoever is removed from the Fire and admitted into the Garden (of Paradise), he indeed is successful; and the life of this present world is only the enjoyment of deception.”
[III; 185]

Translation : Khaled Al-Athmeh

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