The greatest statement ever uttered, the foundation of faith and the cornerstone of existence itself لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ — The only One who is worthy of our worship and submission is Allah.
Allah created the heavens, the earth and everything in between them for this fundamental truth: that He Alone is worshipped, loved and obeyed. He sent Messengers and revealed Books for this very reason: so that He Alone is worshipped. For this same reason, the Day of Judgement will be established, the creation will be gathered and questioned, and then taken either into Paradise or Hell.
ُلَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ is the best form of dhikr. It outweighs the seven heavens and seven earths. On the Day of Judgement, it will outweigh all sins on the Scale. When uttered sincerely, it leaves the realms of this earth and ascends to the Magnificent Throne of Allah. It is the guarantor of one’s eternal success. Its utterer will be granted the intercession of the Prophet ﷺ, saved from Hell, and will be honoured with Paradise.
What Does لَا إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ Mean?
There is no god, deity or being which deserves to be worshipped and obeyed except Allah. It means to be a slave of Allah alone, and not of any another being, ideology, object or desire.
With it, we profess Allah’s Lordship over all creation, and thereby His exclusive right to be worshipped Alone.
He Alone has the Most Perfect Names and Attributes. He is the King who has no partner, the One Who has no competitor, the Self-Sufficient Master who has no offspring, and there is nothing like Him. He is Unique; the First who was never preceded by non-existence and the Last who will never come to an end.
How Can We Internalise لَا إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ?
To internalise لَا إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ, we submit ourselves to Allah and worship Him Alone. We fear none but Him and love none as much as Him. We depend only on Him, seek protection only with Him and invoke Him Alone for help and forgiveness. We turn to Him Alone for judgement in all matters. Our bowing, prostration and obedience is solely reserved for Him.
What Are The Virtues of لَا إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ?
1 – The Best Dhikr
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “The best dhikr is لَا إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ.” (Nasā’ī)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The best of what I and the Prophets before me have said is,
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ ، وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ.” (Muwaṭṭa’)
2 – Ascends to the Throne of Allah
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “When a servant of Allah utters the words لَا إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ sincerely, the doors of Paradise open up for these words until they reach the Throne of Allah, so long as its utterer keeps away from the major sins” (Tirmidhī).
3 – A Renewer of Faith
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Renew your faith.” The companions (radiy Allāhū ‘anhum) asked: “How can we renew our faith?” He ﷺ replied: “Be frequent in saying لَا إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ” (Aḥmad).
4 – A Means of Acceptance of Your Duʿā’
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Whoever supplicates with these five phrases, will not ask Allah for anything except that He will grant it to him:
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ ، وَاللهُ أَكْبَرُ، لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ، لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ ، وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِالله”
(Ṭabarānī).
5 – Guarantees Paradise
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Any servant who meets Allah, testifying there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, and that I am the Messenger of Allah, without having any doubt about these (two fundamentals), will enter Paradise” (Muslim).
6 – Makes Hell Unlawful
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Allah has made Hell-fire unlawful for the one who, seeking His pleasure, says لَا” إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ (Bukhārī).
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “There is none who testifies sincerely from his heart that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and Muḥammad ﷺ is his Messenger, except that Allah makes Hell-fire unlawful for him” (Bukhārī).
7 – Last Words = Paradise
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “He whose last words are لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ will enter Paradise” (Abū Dāwūd).
8 – Means of Intercession
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “The most fortunate person who will have my intercession on the Day of Judgement will be the one who said لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ sincerely from his heart” (Bukhārī).
9 – Outweighs the Seven Heavens and the Seven Earths
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “When death approached Allah’s Prophet Nūḥ (ʿalayhi s-salām), he said to his son: ‘… I command you with لَا إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ. Surely if the seven heavens and the seven earths were placed on a pan of a scale, and لَا إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ was placed on the other pan, it would outweigh them’” (al-Adab al-Mufrad).
10 – Outweighs All Sins
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Indeed Allah will choose a man from my ummah in front of all of creation on the Day of Judgement. He (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) will lay out 99 scrolls (of misdeeds) for him; each scroll will be as far as the eye can see.
Then He (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) will ask: ‘Do you deny any of this? Have my assiduous scribes wronged you?’ He will reply: ‘No, O Lord!’ He (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) will ask: ‘Do you have an excuse?’ He will reply: ‘No, O Lord!’ So He (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) will say: ‘On the contrary! Certainly you have a good deed with us, and you shall not be wronged today.’ Then a parchment will be brought out and it will contain أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَّا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ ورَسُوْلُهُ.
Then He (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) will say: ‘‘Come to your scales.’ He will say: ‘O Lord! What good is this parchment next to these scrolls?’ He (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) will say: ‘You shall not be wronged.’ The scrolls will be put on one pan of the scale, and the parchment on the other. The scrolls will be light, and the parchment will be heavy, as nothing is heavier than the Name of Allah” (Tirmidhī).
– Safeguards Against Shaytan
Abū Hurayrah (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhu) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “He who says
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ
100 times in a day will have a reward equivalent to that of freeing 10 slaves. A 100 good deeds will be recorded to his credit, and a 100 of his sins will be blotted out from his scroll. He will be safeguarded against Shaytān on that day till the evening; and none will surpass him in doing better good deeds except someone who has recited these words more often than him.” (Bukhārī 3293)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever says [the above] 100 times in the morning and evening, none will surpass him in doing better good deeds except someone who has recited it more than him.” (Nasā’ī in Sunan al-Kubrā 10410)
– Shield Against All Repulsive Things
Abū Dharr (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhā) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever says
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ يُحْيِيْ وَيُمِيْتُ ، وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ
10 times after Maghrib and Fajr, whilst sitting in the position of tashahhud and before moving, Allah will write 10 good deeds for him for each time he says it. (Likewise) He will forgive 10 sins and raise 10 stages for him. It will be a shield for him against all repulsive things and he will be guarded from Shaytān. No sin will be allowed to reach him that day (i.e. destroy him or invalidate his actions) except for shirk. He will be from the best of people in terms of actions, except for the one who recites it even more than him.” (Tirmidhī 3474)
– Sins Are Forgiven
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever says:
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ ، وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ ، وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللهِ ، سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَالْحَمْدُ للهِ وَلَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَاللهُ أَكْبَرُ
when retiring to bed, all of his sins will be forgiven, even if they are as abundant as the foam of the sea.” (Nasā’ī)
– A Million Good Deeds
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever says:
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ ، يُحْيِيْ وَيُمِيْتُ ، وَهُوَ حَيٌّ لَا يَمُوْتُ ، بِيَدِهِ الْخَيْرُ ، وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ
in the marketplace, Allah shall record a million good deeds for him, wipe a million evil deeds away from him, and raise a million ranks for him.” (Tirmidhī 3429)
– Bring Ease to Your Life
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would invoke Allah at the time of distress with:
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ الْعَظِيْمُ الْحَلِيْمُ ، لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيْمِ ، لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ رَبُّ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَرَبُّ الْأَرْضِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيْمِ (Bukhārī 6345, Muslim 2730)
– Be Forgiven
Ali (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: “Shall I not teach you some words, which if you say, Allah will forgive your sins even if you were already forgiven? He said: “Say:
لَا إِلٰهَ إلَّا اللهُ الْحَلِيْمُ الْكَرِيْمُ ، لَا إِلٰهَ إلَّا اللهُ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيْمُ ، سُبْحَانَ اللهِ رَبِّ السَّمٰوَاتِ السَّبْعِ ورَبِّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيْمِِ ، اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ” (Ahmad 92/1)
