it will open for you; otherwise, it will not.” By the key’s teeth, he meant the conditions of “There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.”1

Through the scholars’ comprehensive examination of the texts of the Quran and Sunnah, it has become clear that “There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah” is accepted only when seven conditions are fulfilled:

1 — Knowledge of its meaning in terms of negation and affirmation, which excludes ignorance.

2 — Certainty, which excludes doubt and misgiving.

3 — Sincerity, which excludes polytheism and ostentation.

4 — Truthfulness, which excludes lying.

5 — Love, which excludes hatred and aversion.

6 — Submission, which excludes abandonment.

7 — Acceptance, which excludes rejection.

One scholar gathered these seven conditions into a single line of verse:

Knowledge, certainty, sincerity, and truthfulness, together with …
Love, submission, and acceptance of it.

Let us pause briefly over these conditions to clarify what each one means and cite some of its evidence from the Quran and Sunnah.2

— The first condition is knowledge of its intended meaning in terms of negation and affirmation, which excludes ignorance. Whoever utters it must know that it negates every kind of worship directed to anyone besides Allah and affirms worship for Allah alone, as in His words—Glorified is He