(1) Al-Tirmidhi records the report (no. 2208) in the Book of Tribulations, chapter “Portents of the Hour,” through the chain: Muhammad b. Bashshar – Ibn Abi ‘Adi – Humayd – Anas. Muslim also transmits it (no. 148) in the Book of Faith, chapter “The Disappearance of Faith at the End of Time,” through ‘Abd b. Humayd – ‘Abd al-Razzaq – Ma‘mar – Thabit – Anas; and again through ‘Uthman – Hammad – Thabit – Anas with the wording: “The Hour will not come until people no longer say on earth: Allah, Allah.” This tradition gives no licence for chanting the divine name in isolation, for its meaning is simply that no one will remain on earth who truly affirms Allah’s oneness and worships Him sincerely. Imam Ahmad makes this explicit in his Musnad (3/162), through ‘Affan – Hammad – Thabit – Anas, in the wording: “The Hour will not come until it is no longer said on earth: la ilaha illa Allah.” The chain is sound. Nothing authentic is reported from the Prophet ﷺ, his Companions, or the early generations praised for their virtue that they engaged in dhikr with the single, isolated name, for dhikr is an act of praise, and praise must be expressed in a complete, meaningful sentence. The Prophet ﷺ said—according to the hadith related by al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa’i, and Ibn Majah from Jabir b. ‘Abd Allah—“The best form of dhikr is la ilaha illa Allah, and the best supplication is al-hamdu lillah.” The isnad is hasan, and Ibn Hibban declared it sahih (no. 2326). How misguided, therefore, is the claim that “the tawhid of the common folk is la ilaha illa Allah, whereas the tawhid of the elect is Allah, Allah.” In the Muwatta’ we find the marfu‘ report of Talha b. ‘Ubayd b. Kurayz: “The best statement I and the prophets before me have ever uttered is: la ilaha illa Allah wahdahu la sharika lah.” Imam Ahmad likewise records in the Musnad (4/36), from an unnamed Companion: “The most excellent words are subhan Allah, al-hamdu lillah, la ilaha illa Allah, and Allahu akbar,” with a sound chain. Muslim (no. 2695) transmits from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Uttering subhan Allah, al-hamdu lillah, la ilaha illa Allah, and Allahu akbar is dearer to me than everything upon which the sun rises.” (*) For Biographical sources on narrators: Ibn Sa‘d, Tabaqat 7/102; Ibn Abi Hatim, al-Jarh wa-l-Ta‘dil 3/454–455; Ibn Hibban, al-Thiqat 3/64; Ibn Hibban, Mashahir ‘Ulama’ al-Amsar no. 126; al-Mizzi, Tahdhib al-Kamal p. 405; al-Dhahabi, Tadhhib al-Tahdhib 1/216/2; Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib 3/238–239; al-Khazraji, Khulasat Tadhhib al-Kamal p. 114.