leo
7th June 2008, 11:56 AM
There's no God but Allah
Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: "I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and I am the Messenger of Allah. No slave meets Allah with this testimony, having no doubt in it, but shall enter Heaven." (Muslim)
The words 'La ilaha il Allah' are often heard in the media, especially in the nightly news reports. Typically, video footage shows Muslims protesting in the streets or attending a funeral while chanting these words. They translate into 'There is no god but Allah'. However, the full phrase is actually, 'La ilaha il Allah, Muhammad-ur-Rasool-Allah,'
Which means, "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad (pbuh) is His messenger." These words are known as the Kalimah, the Declaration of Faith, which is the first pillar of Islam, and the complete submission to Allah Almighty. All anyone who wants to embrace Islam has to do is say these words in front of a witness to become a Muslim.
However, it is not enough to utter these words. A Muslim must follow through these words with actions to be considered a full-fledged believer. There are seven conditions that go along with the Declaration of Faith. To ignore or negate even one of these conditions puts a Muslim outside the pale of Islam.
Awareness: The meaning of the Declaration of Faith must be completely understood. You simply cannot utter these words without knowing what is required of you as a new Muslim. The main point is believing in and worshipping Allah alone, without partners.
Confidence in Conviction: This means that you absolutely are certain that the Declaration of faith is true and you undeniably believe in Allah and that Muhammad (pbuh) is the Final Messenger.
Sincerity: The Declaration of Faith requires sincerity and an open heart. You must stand before Allah affirming that you will not engage in shirk, or associating partners with Allah, and that you pledge to do your utmost to be devout in the religion of Islam.
Honesty: Anyone who affirms his or her state of Islam by repeating these words must do so in truthfulness. During the lifetime of the Prophet, there were many hypocrites who often declared they were Muslim in public when in fact they were lying so that they could sow discord amongst new Muslims. No one should ever repeat the Declaration of Faith unless they believe it beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Adoration: You love these words because they are your testimony that you are a Muslim and that Islam is your religion. They mean that you love Allah and His Messenger more than anything you possess or anyone in this World. And you adore following the Quran and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, right down to the very last letter.
Submission: These are the actions that must follow the Declaration of Faith. Giving up your past way of life which was steeped in sin and submitting to Allah's Will which means you follow the way of life prescribed in the Holy Quran and Sunnah of Muhammad (pbuh).
Acceptance: Not only should all Muslims follow the Quran and Sunnah but they should accept this new way of life by enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil. All Muslims seek to perform deeds that will gain Allah's pleasure and seek to avoid the deeds that will incur Allah's wrath. These seven conditions are not only required of new converts to Islam but are especially compulsory upon all Muslims.
They should be renewed constantly by all Muslims to ensure that we are fulfilling each and every right that Allah has upon us. It's unfortunate but many Muslims today simply say these words emptily with absolutely no follow through. Often they ignore the Sunnah and are lacking in the deeds prescribed in the Holy Quran. The Declaration of Faith is composed of only a few simple words. However, their weight is immeasurable, as they must be backed up by a code of Islamic living.
BY SUMAYYAH MEEHAN
30 May 2008
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/editorial/2008/May/editorial_May64.xml§ion=editorial&col=
Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: "I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and I am the Messenger of Allah. No slave meets Allah with this testimony, having no doubt in it, but shall enter Heaven." (Muslim)
The words 'La ilaha il Allah' are often heard in the media, especially in the nightly news reports. Typically, video footage shows Muslims protesting in the streets or attending a funeral while chanting these words. They translate into 'There is no god but Allah'. However, the full phrase is actually, 'La ilaha il Allah, Muhammad-ur-Rasool-Allah,'
Which means, "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad (pbuh) is His messenger." These words are known as the Kalimah, the Declaration of Faith, which is the first pillar of Islam, and the complete submission to Allah Almighty. All anyone who wants to embrace Islam has to do is say these words in front of a witness to become a Muslim.
However, it is not enough to utter these words. A Muslim must follow through these words with actions to be considered a full-fledged believer. There are seven conditions that go along with the Declaration of Faith. To ignore or negate even one of these conditions puts a Muslim outside the pale of Islam.
Awareness: The meaning of the Declaration of Faith must be completely understood. You simply cannot utter these words without knowing what is required of you as a new Muslim. The main point is believing in and worshipping Allah alone, without partners.
Confidence in Conviction: This means that you absolutely are certain that the Declaration of faith is true and you undeniably believe in Allah and that Muhammad (pbuh) is the Final Messenger.
Sincerity: The Declaration of Faith requires sincerity and an open heart. You must stand before Allah affirming that you will not engage in shirk, or associating partners with Allah, and that you pledge to do your utmost to be devout in the religion of Islam.
Honesty: Anyone who affirms his or her state of Islam by repeating these words must do so in truthfulness. During the lifetime of the Prophet, there were many hypocrites who often declared they were Muslim in public when in fact they were lying so that they could sow discord amongst new Muslims. No one should ever repeat the Declaration of Faith unless they believe it beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Adoration: You love these words because they are your testimony that you are a Muslim and that Islam is your religion. They mean that you love Allah and His Messenger more than anything you possess or anyone in this World. And you adore following the Quran and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, right down to the very last letter.
Submission: These are the actions that must follow the Declaration of Faith. Giving up your past way of life which was steeped in sin and submitting to Allah's Will which means you follow the way of life prescribed in the Holy Quran and Sunnah of Muhammad (pbuh).
Acceptance: Not only should all Muslims follow the Quran and Sunnah but they should accept this new way of life by enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil. All Muslims seek to perform deeds that will gain Allah's pleasure and seek to avoid the deeds that will incur Allah's wrath. These seven conditions are not only required of new converts to Islam but are especially compulsory upon all Muslims.
They should be renewed constantly by all Muslims to ensure that we are fulfilling each and every right that Allah has upon us. It's unfortunate but many Muslims today simply say these words emptily with absolutely no follow through. Often they ignore the Sunnah and are lacking in the deeds prescribed in the Holy Quran. The Declaration of Faith is composed of only a few simple words. However, their weight is immeasurable, as they must be backed up by a code of Islamic living.
BY SUMAYYAH MEEHAN
30 May 2008
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/editorial/2008/May/editorial_May64.xml§ion=editorial&col=