Reflections on La ilaha lila Allah
"That is Allah,
your Lord! There is no god but He, the creator of all things:
Then worship you Him : and He has power to dispose of all
affairs." (Qur'an
6:102)
Although all practising Muslims repeat the
shahadah many times every day, only few understand its
profound meaning, and appreciate its implications. For example,
how many Muslims understand why the shahadah uses the
negative form - La Ilaha ha Ila Allah
(There is no Ilah except Allah), instead of the
affirmative form - Allah is one; and why did the Qur'anic
revelations stress this concept for the thirteen years which the
Prophet (saas) spent in Mecca before migrating to Medina? To
help us in understanding the answer to these questions, and in
better appreciating the implications of La Ilaha Illa Allah, the
Qur'an provides us with the following two facts:
- All the prophets and messengers of
Allah were principally teaching the same thing:
La Ilaha lila Allah:
O my people! worship Allah! you have
no other god but Him (Qur
'an 7:59)
This is precisely what Noah said; Hud
declared (Qur'an 7:65); and Salih affirmed (Qur'an 7:73).
Shuaib gave the same message (Qur'an 7:85). The same doctrine
was repeated and confirmed by Prophets Moussa, Issa, and
Mohammad (saas)
"Say; Truly I am a warner:
no god is there but Allah, the One, Supreme, and
Irresistible." (Qur'an 38:65)
"Say: Verily, I am commanded to serve Allah, and follow with
sincere devotion his deen." (Qur
'an 39:11)
- Many of the unbelievers who opposed the
prophets did not deny the existence of Allah, nor that He was
the sole creator of heavens and earth; and of human beings.
If you were to question them, "Who
created the heavens and earth?" they would be sure to reply,
"they were created by (Him), the exalted in power, full of
knowledge ". (Qur 'an 43:9)
"If you ask them, who created them, they will certainly say,
Allah: how then are they deluded away from the truth)?" (Qur
'an 43:87)
The Muslim scholar Abul A'la Maududi
explains La ilaha illa Allah by using
four basic terms from the Qur'an: Ilah, Rabb,
Ibadah, and deen (see the table below). The
four words, and their derivatives, are repeated many times in
the Qur'an; the word Ilah (147 times), Rabb (975 times), Ibadah
(275 times), and deen (94 times). Note that the word deen is an
all encompassing concept dealing with life as an integrated
whole. It is not restricted to the so called "religious"
observances, practices, and rituals.
In the light of these four basic terms,
La ilaha illa Allah means:
Allah is our Rabb and our
Ilah; there is no Rabb and no Ilah except He. To Him alone we
make Ibadah; and only His deen we adopt and sincerely follow.
In the light of this definition, it is
clear that the whole dispute between the unbelievers and the
Prophets centered around the uncompromising demand of the
prophets that the unbelievers should recognize the very being
whom they acknowledged as their creator, as their Rabb
and Ilah (as defined in the table) , and should
assign this position to none else.
There are many important consequences for
appreciating the full meaning and implications of La
ilaha illa Allah, including the following three:
- Absolute freedom of the human
conscience from servitude to, or subjection by, anyone or
anything; and realization that one's life, livelihood, and
sustenance are all in the hands of Allah and Allah alone.
- The natural urge for making ibadah to
an ilah will be directed towards the true Ilah (Allah), rather
than towards one or more false ilahs (false gods), whether
they be humans, or material things.
- Following the true deen of Allah gives
a sense of direction, and a meaning to one's life in the
present world, and leads to success in the Hereafter.
We pray to Almighty Allah to help us in
appreciating the meaning and implications of La
ilaha lIla Allah, and in translating its meaning
in our daily lives. Ameen.
Four terms Needed to
Understand La Ilaha Illa Allah
| Ilah |
Rabb |
Ibadah |
Deen |
- Deity, God
- One to be worshipped
- One who has power to satisfy your
needs and answer your prayer
- One who is in control of your
affairs
- One who can comfort you; provide
protection and support for you
|
- Lord, Master and owner
- Sustainer, provider and guardian
- Sovereign, ruler and administrator
|
- Worship and devotion
- Submission and obedience
- Subjection and servitude
|
- Ideology
- Government and constitution
- Complete system (way of life)
|
Allah is the Rabb
and the Ilah. There is no Rabb and no Ilah
except He. To Him Alone we make Ibadah. Only His
Deen we adopt and sincerely follow.
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