Verbally conveying LA ILAAHA ILLA-ALLAH isn’t enough. A condition is a requirement for something to be or happen. The conditions of Tawheed are of great importance, it is compulsory on every Muslim to know and implement them in their daily lives. This is because if a person breaks one of these conditions, his Islam is nullified.

Every Muslim knows that the key to Paradise is the statement, “There is none worthy of worship except Allaah.” Yet too many Muslims simply rely upon this statement and believe that as long as they have made this statement, nothing will harm them. Allah says:

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ فَاعْبُدِ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ الدِّينَ

“Indeed, We [We] have revealed to you the Book in truth; so worship Allah (being) sincere to Him (in) the religion.” (Surah Az-Zumar 39:2)

A person can only become a Muslim if these conditions are met and implemented because the heart should confirm with the tongue in terms of theory, knowledge, action, practice, belief, acceptance, love and compliance.

It means that the belief in Shahadah should be accompanied with adoring and acting upon the instructions of Allah SWT and His Messenger ﷺ, loving someone else for His sake only and also hating on certain matters of life just because they lead towards immorality.

There are some conditions of “LA ILAAHA ILLA-ALLAH”:

1. Knowledge wiping out Ignorance: Every action precedes some basic information behind its execution. Without knowing the implication of the task being done, a man cannot achieve the desired result.“And those they invoke besides Him do not possess [power of] intercession, but only those who testify to the truth [can benefit], and they know.”  (Quran, 43: 86)
2. Certainty cancelling out Doubt: The understanding of the theme of this testimony needs to be followed with firm belief, which should nullify any kinds of suspicions in one`s mind regarding the Ultimate Power of the Almighty.“The believers are only the ones who have believed in Allah and His Messenger and then doubt not but strive with their properties and their lives in the cause of Allah. It is those who are truthful.” (Quran, 49: 15)
3. Acceptance by tongue and actions: The knowledge and complete belief in Shahadah must be accompanied by its execution in all walks of life of a Muslim.“……. So do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part? Then what is the recompense for those who do that among you except disgrace in worldly life; and on the Day of Resurrection they will be sent back to the severest of punishment. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.” (Quran, 2: 85)
4. Submission to Allah`s Will: One must base its every deed on this belief by confining them to His Worship alone.
5. Congruence between belief and actions: “In their hearts is a disease, so Allah has increased their disease, and for them is a painful punishment because they [habitually] used to lie.” (Quran, 2:10)
6. Sincerity negating Shirk: The belief of Shahadah should be based on honesty behind doing any religious deed, which should be directly related for the sake of seeking Allah`s Pleasure, and not anyone else`s.
7.  Loving for Allah`s Sake: The testimony of incomparable Worthiness Allah`s worship also call for keenness in carrying out His entire decrees. This love for the sake of the Almighty must be realized in every matter concerning life.
8. Denying Every Other Object Of Worship: Although that is clear in the words of the testimony of faith, it does not seem clear to everyone who makes that testimony. Therefore, I am mentioning it explicitly here. In Surah al-Baqarah, Allaah reminds us of this important aspect of the shahadah, the shahadah is not merely an affirmation but it is both an affirmation and a negation. Allaah states, “And he who rejects false deities and believes in Allaah has grasped a firm handhold which will never break” (Al-Baqarah: 256)
9. ADHERING to the shahadah until one dies: This is a must if the shahadah is to mean anything for you in the Hereafter. You cannot rest on your laurels of what you may have done in the past. No, indeed, the shahadah must be your banner until your death.

So knowledge is essential as opposed to ignorance, sincerity as opposed to Shirk and truthfulness as opposed to lies unlike the Mushrikeen and the hypocrites. Certainty is also essential as opposed to doubt because one can say Laa Ilaha Illa Allah… and be doubtful of its meaning and requirements. Love as opposed to hatred, and acceptance as opposed to rejection, because one can understand its meaning but rejects it- as was the case with the Pagan (Mushrikeen) Arabs. Allah says:

قُلْ إِن كَانَ آبَاؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَاؤُكُمْ وَإِخْوَانُكُمْ وَأَزْوَاجُكُمْ وَعَشِيرَتُكُمْ وَأَمْوَالٌ اقْتَرَفْتُمُوهَا وَتِجَارَةٌ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا وَمَسَاكِنُ تَرْضَوْنَهَا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَجِهَادٍ فِي سَبِيلِهِ فَتَرَبَّصُوا حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَ اللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ

Say, “If are your fathers, and your sons, and your brothers, and your spouses, and your relatives, and wealth that you have acquired and the commerce, you fear a decline (in) it and the dwellings you delight (in) it (are) more beloved to you than Allah, and His Messenger and strive in His way, then wait until Allah brings His Command. And Allah (does) not guide the people – the defiantly disobedient.” (Surah At-Taubah 9:24)

Compliance with ‘La ilaha illallah’ as opposed to shirk in the sense that the one who does not act according to it and complies with its requirements will certainly be a Mushrik (a person who associates partners with Allah azawajal). So anyone who fulfils all these conditions has gained the light with which he worships Allah azawajal and he has ultimately followed the right and straight path. Allah says:

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَتَّخِذُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَندَادًا يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّلَّهِ وَلَوْ يَرَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا إِذْ يَرَوْنَ الْعَذَابَ أَنَّ الْقُوَّةَ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعَذَابِ

“And among the mankind who takes from besides Allah equals. They love them as (they should) love Allah. And those who believe[d] (are) stronger (in) love for Allah. And if would see those who wronged, when they will see the punishment that the power (belongs) to Allah all and [that] Allah (is) severe (in) [the] punishment.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:165)

These questions we should ask ourselves now before we meet Allaah. Allaah willing, we shall ask ourselves these questions now and we shall find that we have all the right answers for them. Or, if we find we have some deficiency, we shall work to remove that deficiency. Allah says:

وَمَن يُسْلِمْ وَجْهَهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ عَاقِبَةُ الْأُمُورِ

“And whoever submits his face to Allah while he (is) a good-doer, then indeed, he has grasped the handhold the most trustworthy. And to Allah (is the) end (of) the matters.” (Surah Luqman 31:22 )

Such that, by Allaah’s mercy, in the Hereafter, our shahadah will be the key to Paradise for us and the gates of Paradise will swing wide open for us and we will be able to live forever in the bounties of Paradise, with Allaah being pleased with us. Allah says:

وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَذَٰلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ

“And not they were commanded except to worship Allah (being) sincere to Him (in) the religion, upright, and to establish the prayer, and to give the zakah And that (is the) religion the correct.” (Surah Al-Baiyinah 98:5)

Again, it is not simply a matter of knowing these conditions. Indeed, one can meet many Muslims who have these conditions memorized, yet when one looks to their deeds and behaviour, one can see that these conditions do not affect them. Allah says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ

“O you who believe[d]! Consciously revere Allah (as is His) right (that) He (should) be revered and (do) not die except [while you] (as) those-who-submit/Muslims.” (Surah Al-Imran 3:102)

This means, in fact, no matter how well he knows and can rattle off these conditions, he, in fact, is not fulfilling them. In the Hereafter, his knowledge of these conditions will be of no avail to him. Indeed, his knowledge will be proof against him, as he clearly knows what the conditions are that he must satisfy yet he has shown that he is not willing to satisfy them in his life.