THE TRUE MUSLIM

by

Dr. Diyaaud-deen Al-Qudsy

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More clarification on the meaning of

Laa ilaha illa Allah: -

Laa ilaha illa Allah doesn’t only mean that there is no god but Allah, it also means that there is no other deity that deserves to be worshipped except Allah which means giving up the worshipping of all false deities and worshipping the single, true and only deity, Allah. There are other objects, creations, authorities, systems etc. that people take as deities and worship them besides Allah.

It is incumbent to refute and reject this because whoever performs any worship to any creation and not to Allah alone has indeed taken that creation as a deity even if he does not say to it: “ You are my Lord.” .

Therefore saying (Laa ilaha) means that that one should have also rejected all false deities that are worshipped and has also refused to worship these false deities in order to worship the only true deity, Allah.

In order for a person to be able to truly refute and reject the false deities that are worshipped he must know who and what these false deities are.

Without knowledge of them he will not be able to reject, refute and disbelieve in them even if he claims that he can.

The word ilah means something that is worshipped, hence whoever is worshipped has indeed been set up as a deity.

In order to make this more clear let us take the following examples: -

Allah subhana wa ta’ala has prohibited alcoholic beverages. If a ruler legislates a law permitting the trading and drinking of alcoholic beverages then he has exceeded his limits by making permissible what Allah prohibited thereby setting himself up as a deity besides Allah. No matter how much he claims that he is Muslim and prayed, fasted and performed hajj he has still become a taghut. It is incumbent to reject, takfeer and fight such people. Whoever accepts and obeys these laws or helps him to implement and execute these laws or does not (takfeer) call this ruler a disbeliever has indeed worshipped him besides Allah and has taken him as a deity and become a disbeliever even though he may not clearly state, ‘You are my Lord.’

The meaning of (Laa ilaha) has not materialized in such a person no matter how much he says Laa ilaha illa Allah with his tongue, prays, fasts and claims that he is muslim. His not the muslim of the Islam that Allah accepts and is pleased with as long as the meaning of (Laa ilaha) is not realized in his life according to all its meanings.

The words Laa ilaha illa Allah has been made meaningless in our contemporary age. It has become words that are repeated with the tongue without any knowledge of what it comprises and what responsibilities the one testifying to it carries which he must implement in his life.

Merely pronouncing it without knowledge of its meaning or having knowledge of its meaning but without implementing it in all spheres of life is of no benefit and neither Islam nor Imaan is actualized in this way.

This is what is taking place in our times, Laa ilaha illa Allah is on the tongues of millions of people, repeating it several times a day. More astonishing than all that is that the taghuts permit the pronouncing of it in every place and even they themselves pronounce it. Infact they pay the salaries of the Mua’zins and Imaams who pronounce and recite it from the minarets and the mimbars.

Why would the taghuts do that when they know that this word in its true meaning is war against them, it exhorts one to calling them disbelievers and to wage war against them.

The reason for it is that the taghuts know that this word has become meaningless to the people with the exception of being a word that is repeated with the tongue without any knowledge of its contents, its prerequisites and its significance and without endeavoring to practice it as Allah requires.

In order to substantiate and clarify that lets take an example: -

If someone ascends the mimbar or the minaret and says: “ Indeed I reject and call (kaafir) disbeliever one who does not rule by what Allah revealed and permits what Allah prohibited and prohibits what Allah permitted because in so doing he has announced himself as a deity besides Allah. Whoever helps him and obeys him in that or does not reject him nor considers him a disbeliever and does not endeavor to remove him has thus disbelieved like him even if he testifies to Laa ilaha illa Allah, prays, fasts, performs pilgrimage and declares that he is Muslim.’’, will the taghuts allow this person to say these words on the minarets or the mimbars!?

Of course not, for one who says these words whether on the mimbars or minarets or any other place his end is imprisonment or exile and even execution. In fact even if someone does not openly announce this but believes it then he is in the eyes of the taghuts an element of terrorism although what he said is actually what the words Laa ilaha illa Allah means and what it orders.

Without this meaning and without acting upon this meaning one will not benefit from merely uttering it even if he repeated it a thousand times a day.

In order for the words Laa ilaha illa Allah to benefit a person and for him to become a muslim it is compulsory for him to withdraw from and oppose the disbelievers, living or dead.

Withdrawing from and dissociating from the disbelievers means hating them, showing enmity towards them, detesting, disliking and opposing them. Hence if a person testified to Laa ilaha illa Allah and adhered to the obligations like prayer, fasting, zakaat, hajj, went on jihad and ordered people with the good and forbid the evil as well as other aspects of the religion but he does not have hatred towards those that oppose and are enemies of Islam, in fact he loves them, even if it is only one person, then he has disbelieved even if the person is very closely associated with him.

Whoever gathers together with the mushriks and lives with them is not given the ruling of being in Islam except if he clearly dissociates himself from them and shows that he is displeased with the (kufr) disbelief and misguidance that they are in.

Allah ta’ala says:

Indeed there has been an excellent example for you in Ibrahim (Abraham) and those with him, when they said to their people: “Verily, we are free from you and whatever you worship besides Allah, we have rejected you, and there has started between us and you, hostility and hatred for ever, until you believe in Allah Alone. (60:4)

In this verse Allah subhana wa ta’ala orders us to follow the example of Ibrahim, peace be upon him and those believers with him for indeed they believed in Allah alone and rejected the taghuts and rejected those that worshipped the taghuts. They stayed away from the worship of false deities as well as those who worshipped these false deities. They also declared that such people were disbelievers who deserve their enmity and hatred until they believe in Allah alone. Just as they disbelieved in the taghuts so too did they disbelieve, hate and show their enmity towards those who worshipped the taghuts.

This is the meaning of Laa ilaha illa Allah, whoever says it knowing its meaning, acting upon its prerequisites and keeping away from what nullifies it, is a true muslim according to Allah.

Allah jalla wa ‘alaa makes this clear to us in another verse:

You (O Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), even though they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred (people). For such He has written Faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with Ruh from Himself. And He will admit them to Gardens (Paradise) under which rivers flow, to dwell therein (forever). Allah is pleased with them, and they with Him. They are the Party of Allah. Verily, it is the Party of Allah that will be the successful. (58:22)

In This verse Allah makes it clear to us that whoever loves the disbelievers, is loyal to them, even if they are their closest relatives, associates with them, lives with them and mixes with them without a valid reason according to Shariah, then his claim of Imaan is a false claim.

Allah jalla wa ‘alaa says:

And it has already been revealed to you in the Book (Quran) that when you hear the verses of Allah being denied and mocked at, then sit not with them, until they engage in a talk other than that; (but if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them. Surely, Allah will collect the hypocrites and disbelievers all together in Hell. (4:140)

Narrated from ibn Masud, may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him said:

The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, also said:

Narrated from ‘Ayesha, may Allah be pleased with her, she said: ‘the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with the both of them, is reported to have said:

(Ibn Jarir at-Tabari)

The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

When a mushrik (polytheist) becomes a believer, unless he dissociates himself from the mushriks (polytheists) and joins the community of believers, Allah does not accept any of his deeds.

(Ibn Majjah)

Gathering together with the mushriks, living with them, increasing their numbers and failing to dissociate from them means (kufr) disbelief.

If a person lives in one of the societies today that shows its disbelief in different forms and various ways but he does not show his dislike, does not dissociate himself from this society and its disbelieving people and their lifestyles and activities then he is from them. We give him the ruling according to what is apparent of him, as we have been ordered. We give him the ruling that he is a disbeliever, and his inner- self and secrets are with Allah.

This is the position of the muslim towards the enemies of Islam and those that stand in line with them and help them.

It does not mean dissociation from and treating with unkindness those disbelievers that do not stand on the side of those fighting Islam, and those that have not openly announced their enmity for Islam and its people. That means treating with kindness and spending on relatives like fathers, sons, brothers; visiting them, being generous to them and giving them gifts, thereby awakening a desire in them to enter Islam and softening of their hearts.

Allah jalla wa ‘alaa says:

But if they (both) strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not; but behave with them in the world kindly, and follow the path of him who turns to Me in repentance and in obedience. Then to Me will be your return, and I shall tell you what you used to do. (31:15)

Allah also says:

Narrated from Hisham ibn Urwa, my father informed me, ‘Asma' bint Abu Bakr informed me saying:

“My mother came to me, hoping (for my favor) during the lifetime of the Prophet so I asked the Prophet, “May I treat her kindly?” He replied, “Yes.” Ibn 'Uyaina said, “Then Allah revealed: 'Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion, nor drove you out of your homes, Verily Allah loves those who deal with equity.'.... (60.8).”

(Bukhari, vol. 8, bk.73, no.9 )

Whereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “ One who wears this has no share (of reward) in the Hereafter.”

Then these garments were sent to Allah’s Messenger (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as booty, and he presented one of these silk garments to Umar, may Allah be pleased with him. Thereupon Umar said: “You did not have good things to say about this garment previously so why do you give it to me now?’’

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