THE CONDITIONS OF La ilaha illa-llah..........PART III

Br. Jamaal al-Din Zarabozo wrote:

The THIRD condition of the shahadah is ACCEPTANCE (or al-qabool). I a
person has the knowledge of and certainty in the shahdah, this must followed by
acceptance, with the tounge and heart, of whatever that shahadah implies.
Whoever refuses to accept the shahadah and its implications, even if he knows that
it is true and certain about its truth, than he is a disbeliever. This refusal to accept
is somtimes due to pride, envy or other reasons. In any case, the shahadah is not a
true shahadah without its unconditional acceptance.

The scholars all talk about this condition as ageneral condition in the way that I
have just stated. However, there is also a more detailed aspect that we must all be
aware of. The believer accepts whatever the implications of the shahadah are. This
also means that he believes in whatever is stated in the Quran or stated by the
Prophet (peace be upon him), without any right to choose what he wants to believe
and what he wants to reject. Allah says in the Quran, "Do you believe in part of
the book and reject part of it? And what is the reward of those who do so save
ignominy in the lifeof the world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be
consigned to the most grievous doom" (al-Baqara 85).

This is one aspect that the Muslims must be aware of. Although it is not the
same as the complete refusal to accept the truth, by rejecting part of the truth that
has come from Allah, one also negates his testimony of faith.

Unfortunately, many Muslims are doing this nowadays in various ways.
Although not all of these form may necessarily be considered apostasy, they are
still very dangerous. For example, if they do not like what is stated in a verse in
the Quran, they simply reinterpret the verse according to their liking. If they do not
like what is stated in a hadith, they simply state that the hadith must not be
authentic although they are not scholars in that area. This kind of behavior is the
antithesis of the behavior of the true Muslims. Whatever comes from Allah and
His Messenger (peace be upon him), the true Muslim believe in as the truth. This
goes hand in hand with their testimony of faith.

The FOURTH conditionof shahadah is SUBMISSION and COMPLIANCE (or
al-inqiyad). This implies the actual physical enactment with our deeds of our
shahadah. In fact, this is one of the main meaning of the word Islam itself, "the
submission to the will and commands of Allah." This is what Allah commands in
the Quran, "Turn unto Him repentant, and surrender unot Him" (al-Zumar 54).

Allah has praised those who submit to His command by their actions.Allah
says, "Who is better in religion than he who surrenders his purposeto Allah while
doing good" (al-Nisa 125).

Actually, Allah has clearly made it a condition of faith that one submits to the
command of Allah and His messenger. Allah says, "But nay, by your Lord, they
will not truly believe until they make you [the Messenger of Allah] judge of what
is in dispute between them and find within themselves no dislike of which you
decide, and submit with full submission" (al-Nisa 65)

Unfortunately, there are many claim that there is no relationship between faith
and deeds. You can even hear one Muslim saying about another, "That is the best
Muslim I have ever met." yet the other person performs scarcely any of the deeds
of Islam whatsoever. This incorrect understanding of faith has spread throughout
the Muslim world.

Indeed, our shahadah or testimony of faith must be implemented or realized in
our hearts, tounges and actions. In our hearts, we must have love for Allah, fear
Allah and hope in Him. With our tongues we must testify to the shahadah. And
with our actions, we must implement waht the testimony of faith requires from us.
Anyone who claim to be a Muslim and yet does no deeds, either does not
understand Islam whatsoever or is bearing testimony against himself that his
testimony of faith is not a true and correct testimony of faith.

This does not mean that the true believer never commits a sin. Indeed, true
believers do commit sins. But as long as they recognize that what they did is not
correct and it is inconsistent with their obligation of submitting to Allah, then they
have not violated the soudness of their testimony or shahadah .But, do not forget,
they are still sinners.

And what is the minimum of submission that is required from a person beyond
which there can be no claim to faith? For those scholars who say that the
abandonment of prayers is infidelity, it is the five daily prayers. Whoever does not
perform, at least, the five daily prayers has gone beyond the limit that is acceptable
for lack of deeds. Allah knows best.

The FIFTH condition is TRUTHFULNESS, as opposed to hypocrisy and
dishonesty. This means that when we say the shahadah, we are saying it honestly.
We actually mean it. We are not lying when it comes to our testimony of faith.

The Prophet (peace be upon his) said, "No one bears testimony to there being
no one worth of worship save Allah, sincerely from his heart, except that Allah
makes the Hell-fire forbidden for him." (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)