La ilaha illAllah revolves around negation & affirmation!

Know, may Allah have mercy on you, that the meaning of La ilaha illAllah revolves around negation and affirmation. Four things are negated and four things are affirmed.

Deities (aliha), false objects of worship (Tawagheet), rivals or partners (andaad), and lords (arbaab) are all negated. What is meant by a deity (ilah) is something that is turned to in the hope that it will promote some benefit or curb some harm. Anyone who does this with something has taken it as an ilah. The term ‘Tawagheet’ refers to someone who is worshipped and is pleased to be worshipped, or is prepared to be worshipped such as Samman, Taaj, or Abu Hadidah. Rivals or partners (andaad) are those things which contend with a person’s profession of Islām and drag him away from it. Be it family, home, relatives or property. Allah says:

"And from man are those who set up rivals to Allah, they them as they love Allah."

"They have taken their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah, and also (they have taken) the Messiah, son of Maryam. Yet they were only commanded to worship one Ilah. There is nothing worthy of worship except Him. Far above is He everything they associate with Him."

Things to be affirmed are:

ntent: your goal should only be Allah

Veneration and love due to the Saying of Allah:

"And from man are those who set up rivals to Allah, they them as they love Allah. But those who believe love Allah more."

Hope

Fear

These two because of His saying:

"If Allah afflicts you with harm, no one can remove it except Him, and if He desires good for you, no one can avert His Favor. He bestows it on which ever of His servants He wills, He is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Whoever truly understands this will find that all connection to those besides Allah will be severed. The onslaught of falsehood will no longer seem overwhelming and he will able to withstand it; a case in example is found in Ibrahim (as) and our Prophet (saws). Allah informs us that he broke the idols and declared himself innocent of his people:

"There has already been for you an excellent example in Ibrahim and those with him, when they said to their people, “Indeed, we are disassociated from you and from whatever you worship other than Allah. We have denied you, and there has appeared between us and you animosity and hatred forever until you believe in Allah alone,” except for the saying of Ibrahim to his father, “I will surely ask forgiveness for you, but I have not (the power to do) for you anything against Allah.” Our Lord, upon You we have relied, and to You we have returned, and to You is the destination."

[Fī ‘Aqaa’id al-Islam min Rasaail, by Shaykhul-Islam Muhammad Ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab (rahimahUllah)]