1348 – Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣārī (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever says, ‘Lā ilāha illā Allah, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah’ (There is no god but Allah, alone, without partner) ten times, it is as though he had set free four persons from the descendants of Ishmael.” Agreed upon ⦗1⦘.

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Points derived from the ḥadīth:

1 – “Lā ilāha illā Allah” negates divinity for everything other than the Exalted One—whoever or whatever it may be—and affirms divinity exclusively for Allah. This is the tawḥīd for which the messengers were sent and for which the scriptures were revealed. Al-Wazīr said: “The sum of its benefit is that you realise this statement contains disbelief in the ṭāghūt (false deities) and faith in Allah; for when you negate divinity from all else and affirm it solely for Allah, you have disbelieved in the ṭāghūt and believed in Allah.” The scholars are unanimously agreed that anyone who says “lā ilāha illā Allah” without knowing its meaning or acting upon its implications is to be fought until he complies with what it demands of negation and affirmation.

2 – “Waḥdahu lā sharīka lah” (alone, without partner) reinforces and clarifies the import of “lā ilāha illā Allah” and that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah.

3 – Shaykh al-Islām said: “It is necessarily known from the religion of Islam, and the ummah is unanimous, that the foundation of Islam and the very first matter people must believe is the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah. Through this testimony the unbeliever becomes a Muslim, the enemy a loyal ally, and one whose blood was lawful becomes protected in life and wealth. Then, if that testimony issues from the heart, he has entered into faith,”