The Hadeeth Whoever Says Laa Ilaaha Illallaah, Enters Paradise

shaykhul-islaam 'abdulazeez ibn baz (rahimahullaah)




Question :
Whoever says : “Laa ilaaha illallaah enters paradise ” , is this a hadeeth ?
And does it suffice for a person to just say “Laa ilaaha illallaah” , without actions that accompany it.?


Answer :
It has come regarding this issue many ahadeeth that have been narrated from messenger sallahAllaahu alayhi wasallam which show that : “ whoever says Laa ilaaha illallaah truly from his heart , then he will enter paradise” 2 and in other (narrations) “sincerely from his heart” , and in other : “I have been commanded to fight the people until they declare ; that there is no god worthy of worship except Allaah . And when they declare this , then he has rescued his life and property fro me , except on trespassing the law (rights and conditions for which he will be punished justly) , and his accounts will be with Allaah.“

* And in other (narrations) , he – may peace and blessings be upon him – said : “ I have been ordered (by Allaah) to fight against the people until they testify laa ilaaha illallaah Muhammad-ur- Rasulullaah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah , and the Muhammad is the messenger of Allaah) ; and to establish and offer the prayers perfectly ; and to give zakaat . So if they perform all that, then they saved their life and property from me , except from Islaamic laws, and their reckoning ( accounts ) will be with Allaah " *


The ahadeeth all of them support and explain each other. And the meaning is that:
Whoever says la ilaaha illallaah truthfully from his heart , and with sincerity to Allaah only , and he observes its right by ; doing what Allaah has commanded , and abandoning what Allaah has prohibited – and he dies upon this- then he enters Paradise.
And during his lifetime his wealth and his blood become inviolable, except through the rights of Islam.


So what is obligatory upon every Muslim is that they fear Allaah , and they single out Him alone in worship , and to believe in His Prophet – Muhammad sallahAllaahu alayhi wasallam – and that he is a prophet of Allaah to all the creatures , the humans and the jinn’s , and that he is the last of the Messengers and there is no other messenger after him ,


and also it is upon them (the Muslims) together with this (mentioned above) to observe the commands of Allaah , and to abandon the prohibitions of Allaah , and that they enjoin each other unto piety and righteousness , and they recommend each other to the path of the truth and to have patience on this (path of truth) , and that they disassociate themselves from all that opposes this ; from all the false religions of the polytheists.


So whoever dies upon this ; then he will enter Paradise without reckoning and without being punished.


And whoever comes with anything from among the sins , like fornication , and drinking intoxicants , or indulging in ribaa , and cutting the relations with the parents , and other from these from among the sins : so whoever dies upon this state (of sinning) and did not repent – then he is under the will of Allaah - if He wants he will forgive him.

And this (forgiveness) is through His favour and bounty on him. (And it is) because of the persons tawheed and eeman (belief) in Allaah and His messenger sallahAllaahu alayhi wasallam , and his being secure from shirk (associating partners with Allaah).


And if He (Allaah) wishes, He will punish him in accordance to the extent of the sins that he died upon. Then Allaah will take him out of the fire , after trying and purifying him ; and will then enter him into paradise. (And this) By Allaah’s word :

“Verily, Allâh forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases, and whoever sets up partners with Allâh in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin." 3


So The Exalted informs that He doesn’t forgive whoever dies upon shirk (associating partners to Allaah). But as for whatever is lesser than that (from the sins) , then they are bound to the will of Allaah.

He, The Exalted , might pardon the sinner due to His bounties and mercy without the intercession of anyone. And He The Exalted , might pardon the sinner due to the intercession of the Prophets, and the righteous people , and the people who did much good , and other than them ; from those who Allaah has permitted to intercede for the believers.

As Allaah Has said :

“ Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission ? ” 4

And He, The Exalted, Has said regarding the rights of the angels :

“ He knows what is before them, and what is behind them, and they cannot intercede except for him with whom He is pleased. And they stand in awe for fear of Him. ” 5 .


And He The Most Mighty , The Most Majestic said :

“And there are many angels in the heavens, whose intercession will avail nothing except after Allâh has given leave for whom He wills and pleases. " 6


And it has been authentically established from the Prophet sallahAllaahu alayhi wasallam , that he will intercede on the Day of Judgment for many sinful people amongst his Ummah ; who will have entered the fire because of their sins. With different types of intercessions. And Allaah will bring an end (to the punishment) due to every intercession , and He will take them out of the fire.

And (also) the Angels and the Messengers and the Righteous people and those who have done good, will intercede ; after being permitted by Him The One free from All defects.


And there will remain in the fire , those wicked ones who did not get the intercessions. So Allaah will take them out of the fire by His Favor and His Mercy. (thus) they will not remain in the fire except the disbelievers ; these they will remain in the hell fire forever.


As Allaah ‘Azza wa Jalla Has said regarding their (the kuffar’s) right (i.e. their recompense) : “Thus Allâh will show them their deeds as regrets for them. And they will never get out of the Fire . " 7

and Allaah The Exalted Has also said regarding the truth concerning them : “They will long to get out of the Fire, but never will they get out therefrom, and theirs will be a lasting torment. " 8

and Allaah The Exalted Has also said concerning what they truly deserve and what they will get : “whenever it abates, We shall increase for them the fierceness of the Fire. " 9

and Allaah The Exalted Has also said regarding their right is that : “So taste you (the results of your evil actions); no increase shall We give you, except in torment. “ 10

and also Allaah The Exalted Has also said regarding the (kuffar) that their due right is : “But those who disbelieve, (in the Oneness of Allâh - Islâmic Monotheism) for them will be the Fire of Hell. Neither it will have a complete killing effect on them so that they die, nor shall its torment be lightened for them. Thus do We requite every disbeliever! " 11

“Therein they will cry: "Our Lord! Bring us out, we shall do righteous good deeds, not (the evil deeds) that we used to do." 12

and He The Exalted will respond to this statement of theirs , with His speech : "Did We not give you lives long enough, so that whosoever would receive admonition, - could receive it? And the warner came to you. So taste you (the evil of your deeds). For the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong¬doers, etc.) there is no helper." 12


And the Ayaat (verses) with this (similar) meaning are many.
And that which we have aforementioned (that among the righteous Muslims are those who will enter paradise without punishment or judgment , and that the sinful Muslims are under the Will of Allaah ; if He wishes He will punish them and if He wills He will not punish them. And that those who will be punished , will be punished according to their sins that they did , and that their will be intercession, and that All Muslims who did not indulge in shirk - will with time - be removed from hell and entered into paradise. And that eternally only the mushrikun and the kuffar will remain in the fire forever.)
This is the statement (and belief) of ahlus-sunnah wal jam’ah , from the Sahaaba (companions) of the Messenger sallahAllaahu alayhi wasallam and those who follow them in goodness.

We ask Allaah to make us from amongst them. And Allaah is the Patron of Guidance.




Footnotes:
* Saheeh Muslim
2. Narrated by Abu Ya’alaa in his Musnad : 6/10
3. An-Nisâ' : 48
4. Al-Baqarah : 255
5. Al-Anbiyâ' :18
6. An-Najm : 26
7. Al-Baqarah : 167
8. Al- Maeeda : 37
9. Al- ‘Israa : 97
10. An-Naba' : 30
11. Fâtir : 36
12. Fâtir : 37.





Source :http://www.binbaz. org.sa/index. php?pg=mat&type=fatawa&id=3331#_ftn1
Translation by : Abu Waheeda as-salafee

jazakaAllah khayr sis. its a useful info.

maybe you can help me.
somewhere i read a hadith in which a muslim was just about to put some non-muslim to the sword when the non-muslim quick said "la illaha illallah" (it may have been the complete shahadah - not sure) - the prophet told him that he could not kill him because only god knew what was in his heart. (his sincerity)
i like this because it points to the fact that we shouldn't judge others because we cannot know what is in their heart.
so if anybody can point me to the hadith?
thanks

Peace

found in sahih muslim

It is narrated on the authority of usama b. Zaid: The Messenger of Allah may peace be upon him) sent us to Huraqat, a tribe of Juhaina.
We attacked that tribe early in the morning and defeated them and I and a man from the Ansar caught hold of a person (of the defeated tribe).
When we overcame him, he said: There is no god but Allah. At that moment the Ansari spared him, but I attacked him with my spear and killed him.
The news had already reached the Apostle (peace be upon him), so when we came back he (the Apostle) said to me: usama, did you kill him after he had made the profession: There is no god but Allah?
I said. Messenger of Allah, he did it only as a shelter.
The Holy Prophet observed: Did you kill him after he had made the profession that there is no god but Allah? He (the Holy Prophet) went on repeating this to me till I wished I had not embraced Islam before that day.


and part of another narration also in muslim
...And he even named some of them. (He continued): I attacked him and when he saw the sword he said: There is no god but Allah.
The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Did you kill him?

He (usama) replied in the affirmative. He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: What would you do with:" There is no god but Allah," when he would come (before you) on the Day of Judgment?
He (usama) said: Messenger of Allah, beg pardon for me (from your Lord).
He (the Holy Prophet) said: What would you do with:" There is no god but Allah" when he would come (before you) on the Day of Judgment? He (the Holy Prophet) added nothing to it but kept saying: What would you do with:" There is no god but Allah," when he would come (before you) on the Day of Judgment?

jazakAllah for the article. it reminds me of a lecture on the other day the sheikh said, people think if they say la ilaha illallah they dont have to do anything. such people should get married just by name too

thanks, amani - that's what i was looking for!