The meaning of the first part of the declaration of faith, 'There is no god but Allah', is that nothing other than Allah is worthy of worship. This denies the attribution of divinity to all other things, and affirms it as a quality which belongs to Allah alone. (Shaykh Abdar-Rahman ibn Hassan, Fath al-Majid, p.36)
Ibn Taimiyah said: "The heart will not find complete happiness except by loving Allah and by striving towards what is dear to Him. It is not possible to achieve this love except by rejecting all things that compete with it. This is what the words, 'There is no god but Allah' mean; this is the spirit of the deen of Ibrahim and of that of every other prophet." (Ibn Taimiya, Majmu' al-Fatawa, vol 28, p.32, Riyadh)
When someone says, 'There is no god but Allah', he has denied one thing and affirmed another. With these words the believer first denies all those who reject faith, worship created things, obey the tyrant, rule by injustice or remain content under oppression; and then he affirms his allegiance to Allah, to His deen, to His Book, to His righteous servants, and to the Sunnah of His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace!
"Whoever rejects false deities and believes in Allah has grasped a firm handhold which will never break." [2:256]
As for the second part of the declaration, **'Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah', this means that we do what the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, has told us to do, and stop doing what he has told us not to do. According to Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab, "No one truly believes until he rejects the forces of disbelief." This is supported by ayah 2 :256 just cited. The declaration of faith is a declaration of complete loyalty to the Shari'ah!
*"Follow that which is sent down to you from your Lord, and follow no protecting friends beside Him. Little do you recollect!" [7:3]!
"So set your purpose (O Muhammad) for the deen as a man by nature upright - the natural way of Allah, in which He has created man."* [30:30]
You must also denounce the rule of Ignorance!!!
"Is it the judgement of the time of ignorance that they seek? And who is better than Allah for judgment for a people who have certainty (in their belief)?" [5:50]
Indeed you must deny all other religions!!!
"And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him, and he will be one of the losers in the Hereafter."
[3:85]
The declaration of faith is so a denial and an affirmation. In fact it denies four things and affirms four others. It denies false deities... the tyrant, intermediaries, and ordained authorities, who are bogus!!! If you think a thing can help you or protect you from harm then you have taken it as a god. A tyrant demands that you worship and adore him. An intermediary, whether family, community or property, distracts you from faith!
*"And from among mankind are some who take for themselves (objects of worship as) rivals to Allah loving them as they should only love Allah." [2:156]
It also affirms four things: that the object of your worship is Allah; that glorification and love are for Allah alone... that hope and fear are due only to Allah.... and that you are aware of Allah's power and might, this awareness is taqwa. The single and unique goal of the believer is to worship Allah and none other than Him. Thus, the believer's love is for Allah alone!!
*"And those who believe are stronger in their love for Allah." [2:156]
"They have taken as lords beside Allah their rabbis and their monks." [9:31]
"If Allah afflicts you with some hurt, there is no one who can remove it except Him; and if He desires good for you, there is no one who can repel His bounty. He strikes with it whom He wishes of his servants. He is the Forgiving, the Compassionate." [10:107]*
Good LUCK understanding it.
Jaawan
till next time**Keep_It_Simple_Stupid**
**Wise Man says:>What I say won't really change anything, but what you say doesn't really matter!