In the authentic collection it is narrated from the Prophet—may peace and blessings be upon him—that he said, “Whoever declares, ‘There is no deity worthy of worship but Allah,’ and rejects whatever is worshipped apart from Allah, his wealth and his blood become inviolable, and his reckoning rests with Allah.” (1) The explanation of this heading will follow in the subsequent chapters.
In the authentic collection: that is, Sahih Muslim.
“His wealth and his blood become inviolable”: it is forbidden to seize his property or to kill him on the basis of what is outwardly apparent from him.
“His reckoning rests with Allah”: Allah, Exalted is He, will take account of the one who utters this statement and will reward him in accordance with his intention and belief.
Tarjama (heading): the title placed at the beginning of a book or chapter. What is meant here is the author’s phrase: “Chapter: An Explanation of Monotheism and the Testimony that There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.”
Overall meaning of the hadith: The Messenger—peace and blessings be upon him—makes clear that a person’s life and property do not become inviolable except when two conditions are combined:
- He pronounces, “There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.”
- He disavows whatever is worshipped besides Allah.
When these two conditions are fulfilled, he is to be left alone outwardly and his inner state is consigned to Allah. If he is truthful in his heart, Allah will reward him with the gardens of bliss; if he is a hypocrite, Allah will punish him with painful torment. In this world, judgment is passed only on what is outwardly evident.
Relevance of the hadith to the chapter: it is among the clearest texts explaining the meaning of “There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.”