Islamic Piety
The meaning of the testimony of faith
By Ustadz Haron MagadapaCebu Daily News
The testimony (LA ILAHA ILLA ALLAH) comprises two concepts: denial and affirmation.
First: The testimony of faith denies everyone and everything other than Allah, the Exalted, the attribute of divinity. All those other than Allah, such as the angels, the Prophets, and the rest of mankind, let alone the idols and the political regimes in the world, are not god nor do they deserve to be worshipped. Thus denial in this respect is not denial of the existence of the alleged gods, rather the denial of divinity which is attributed to them.
Second: The testimony of faith affirms and restricts divinity to Allah alone. The slave must believe Allah is the only true God and dedicate accordingly no act of worship to other than Allah.
Since worship with all its legitimate acts and rites must be dedicated only to the God who deserve it, therefore, the true god to whom worship must be dedicated is the one who enjoys certain attributes, some of which are:
(1) Divinity, the Oneness of Allah Who is singled out as the only true God having no partner to share His divine attributes, nor His domain. He is the One the as-Samad 1;
(2) Self-sufficiency. Allah stands in need of no one: He needs neither a helper nor a spouse or a son;
(3) The capability of doing everything. There is nothing which frustrates his capability. He does anything He wishes without exhaustion or support. If He wills to do a thing, He only says to it, “Be,” and it is;
(4) The absolute life which is unaffected by perishment. Allah is Everlasting, and He is Al- Qayoom.
As – Samad is one of Allah’s beautiful names. It is mentioned in Surah No. 112, it signifies the following: The Lord to Whom recourse is had, or to Whom obedience is “rendered,” without Whom no affairs are “accomplished”; or the One to Whom Lordship ultimately pertains, or the Creator of everything, of Whom nothing is independent, and every created thing depends on Him for his or its means of subsistence, who Oneness everything indicates.
Ever-living, Self-subsisting, by Whom all things subsist.
(5) Alertness: Allah never sleeps nor is He heedless, He is neither seized by slumber or sleep;
(6) Inclusive proprietorship: All existing things belong to Allah alone;
(7) Knowledge: Allah’s knowledge encompasses the whole universe that even an ant weight does not escape his knowledge. He is well aware of the hidden and the apparent, the past, the present, the future, and He knows the inner thoughts of man;
(8) Pride and grandeur: There is nothing greater than Allah neither in His essence or in his grandeur, nor in his supremacy;
(9) Merciful beneficence: Allah does not wrong a thing or punish unjustly rather He loves His devotees, and forgive and the sins of those who repents to Him;
Hence, the One who possesses such attributes deserves to be worshiped as God. Allah, the exalted, after all is the only one Who possesses such attributes. He is the king, the powerful, the wise, the One who knows the seen and the unseen, the merciful, the beneficent.
Only the one to whom the divine attributes belong is a true God Who is worthy of being worshipped and to Whose greatness all creation submit. It is for this reason the testimony of faith constitutes denial of divinity to all other than Allah and conforming it to Allah alone, for He is the only true God
Allah, Who is far removed from every imperfection, exclusively enjoys the attributes of divinity.
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