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As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I am regular visiter o your great web site may allah reward you for your great great great work i have one stupid question even though i million percent know that la ilaha illallah mohammadur rasulallah but still i am sorry for this question and may allah forgive me if my question is wrong
*** if a person beleive in one allah and all his messagers but he say laimah as only lailaha illalla that means there is no god but allah . he is not making any shirk he believes in all authentic hadiths he beleives in mohammed as last prophet and his every word only that kalima he say la ilaha illalla is he commit shirk plz clarify. 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Meaning of La ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

May Allah Subhanah reward you with the best of this world and the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble efforts in the propagation of the Truth. We humbly hope, beg, and pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgives us our shortcomings, and saves you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire. Ameen.

Ref: Laa ilaaha illalaah, Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah

(Translation: ‘There is absolutely no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and Mohamed (saws) is the Messenger of Allah.’)

In Islam, what we must determine at all times, if we indeed wish to be guided aright, is what is the command of Allah Subhanah, and what did the Prophet (saws) do to fulfill this command.  In Islam, the condition to the Right Path is to follow whatever is the command of Allah and His Messenger (saws).

The ‘kalima’ or testification that the Messenger of Allah (saws), invited all mankind to was Laa ilaaha illalaah, Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah ‘I bear witness that there is no god, but Allah; and I bear witness that Mohamed is the Messenger of Allah’.  This is what he asked the people who wanted to embrace Islam to recite, and this is what he himself and his noble companions recited.

Brother whenever one requires to say the Kalima e Shahada you must pronounce it in full eg: La ilaha illallah, Mohamedar Rasul Allah.

Many Muslims do say only La ilaha illallah only when they want to stress something to support their dialogue or conversation to create an effect, but it is not their intention to recite the kalima e Shahada.

The short version by itself is not enough if one wants to profess his loyalty and dedication to Islam. The belief in Allah alone is not sufficient without the declaration of the Prophet saws as the Messenger of Allah for one who wants to profess Islam as his deen. To be counted as a Muslim one is strictly required to believe with conviction that there is no god except Allah swt and that the Prophet Mohamed saws is His Messenger.

To give ‘shahaadah’ or testify to the Truth of Allah and His Messenger (saws), and a statement which is considered the very testimony and a declaration of faith in the deen of Islam is:

Ash-hado anna laa ilaaha illalaah, wa ash-hado anna Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah.

(Translation: ‘I bear witness that there is absolutely no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Mohamed (saws) is the Messenger of Allah.’)

When one makes or declares the above statement or profession of ‘faith’ and bears witness that there is absolutely no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and that Mohamed (saws) is the Messenger of Allah…..one enters into a solemn covenant with the Lord Creator encompassing the six fundamentals or essentials of belief:

1. Belief in the Absolute Oneness and Uniqueness of the Lord Creator, Allah Subhanah.
2. Belief in the appointment of all the Prophets of Allah, culminating in the belief that Prophet Mohamed (saws) is the Last and Final Messenger of Allah and the ‘seal’ of the office of Prophethood.
3. Belief in all the previous Revelations of Allah Subahnah, culminating in the belief that the Glorious Quran is the Last and Final Revelation of the Lord Most High.
4. Belief in all the Angels of Allah Subhanah.
5. Belief in the concept of the Hereafter: Day of Judgment, Paradise, and Hell Fire.
6. Belief in the concept of ‘Qadr’ or the Divine Decrees of the Lord Who Created.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is only ones. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Members of Islamhelpline