Kalimah of Tawheed...

All praise belongs to Allah. May the salaah and salaam be upon the messenger of Allah, his family, companions, and those who allied with him. As for what follows:

The following is some speech in the explanation of the meaning of la ilaha illallah, which is the kalimah of tawhid, that which is the right of Allah upon His slaves. The highest word, the most noble and most valuable. The one who clings on to it, indeed, becomes safe. And he who adheres to it, indeed, is protected. The most trustworthy handhold, the word of taqwa, the Hanifiyyah, the Millah of Ibrahim, (la ilaha illallah) for which the creations were created, and for it the Earth and heavens were established. For it the messengers were sent, and the Books were revealed.

Allah said:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
“And I have not created the jinn and mankind except that they worship me.”
And He said:
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدُونِ
“And We did not send any Messenger before you but We inspired him (saying): none has the right to be worshipped but I , so worship Me.”

However!

It (la ilaha illallah) has an expression and meaning, for the statement is its outer core and the meaning is its inner essence. The statement is its shell and the meaning is the pearl; and what can a person do with the husk in the absence of its core?! And what can a person do with the shell with the absence of its jewels?!

With its meaning it is as the soul in the body, and there is no benefit of having a body with the absence of the soul. Just like that, there is no benefit of this kalimah  in the absence of its meaning.

So know, may Allah have mercy on you, it is not intended to merely say it with the tongue while being ignorant of what it means. For verily, the munafiqin say it and they are nonetheless below the kuffar in the lowest pits of the Fire! Rather, what is intended by saying it is with knowing its meaning with the heart, loving it and its people, and having hatred and enmity to that which opposes it.

So what is the meaning of this mighty and great kalimah?

When it is said its meaning is that there is no creator except Allah, and this is known, as no one created the creation except Allah with no one sharing that with Him. And when is said its meaning is that no one provides sustenance except Allah, and that one is Muslim with that. Then reflect, may Allah give you understanding, on this, and ask about the meaning of al-ilah! Just as you ask about the meaning of the Creator and the Provider!
The meaning (of la ilaha illallah) is:
لَا مَعْبُودَ بِحَقٍّ إلَا الله
“There is nothing worthy of worship in truth except Allah.”
And that this kalimah comes with nafi (negation) and thabat (affirmation).

Negation of ilahiyyah (divinity) from other than Allah (ta‘ala) from His creation, even from the Prophet Muhammad (saws), not to mention about other than him from the awliya (friends of Allah) and the righteous.

And its affirmation is to affirm all of it (ilahiyyah) to Allah alone with no partner. No one has any right other than Him in this, not a close angel nor a sent prophet.

And al-ilahiyyah: is from ilah, and al-ilah: it is what is worshiped. This is the explanation for this word by the consensus of the scholars. Thus whoever worships something, verily, has taken it as an ilah besides Allah.

If you want to comprehend this meaning completely, then know two issues.

The first: that you know that the kuffar who the Messenger of Allah (saws) fought, killed, took their wealth, made their women permissible (to take as slaves), acknowledged tawhid ar-rububiyyah. That is, that no one creates, provides, gives life, gives death, and disposes the matters except Allah alone. The proof is His saying:
قُلْ مَنْ يَرْزُقُكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَمَّنْ يَمْلِكُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَمَنْ يُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ وَمَنْ يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ ۚ فَسَيَقُولُونَ اللَّهُ
“Say: ‘Who provides for you from the sky and from the earth? Or who owns hearing and sight? And who brings out the living from the dead and brings out the dead from the living? And who disposes the affairs?’ They will say: ‘Allah.’”

This matter is mighty and important!

It is that you know that the kuffar bore witness to all of these things and acknowledged them. As well, they also gave sadaqah and made Hajj and ‘Umrah in which they did acts of worship and left forbidden things due to fear of Allah. Still with that they did not enter into Islam, and their blood and wealth did not become sanctified.

However, the second matter is that which made them kuffar and their blood and wealth permissible. It is that they did not bear witness to Allah with the tawhid of uluhiyyah. And it is that du‘a is not done except to Allah alone with no partners; nor is help sought from other than Him; nor anything sacrificed to other than Him; nor is tahakum (seeking judgment) made to other than His legislation… Thus the one who seeks help from other than Him has disbelieved… and what is similar to that.

What concludes this is that you know that the mushrikin who the Messenger of Allah (saws) fought, used to call upon the righteous, and that they disbelieved due to this call of theirs even though they affirmed and acknowledged that Allah is the Creator, the Provider, and the Disposer of affairs!

Therefore, if you know this, you know and comprehend the meaning of (la ilaha illallah), and you know that if the Muslim were to call upon a prophet, or a wali, or an angel, or asks for help from them; then he has, indeed, left the fold of Islam.

And if anyone from the mushrikin says: “We know this, but these righteous people are the closest to Allah, and we call upon them and fear them and we ask for help from them; and we intend with this that our calls are accepted and for intercession. Apart from that we know and believe that Allah is the Creator, the Disposer of affairs, and the only One who deserves worship!”

Then say: this saying of yours is the school of thought of Abu Jahl and his likes, as they called upon the idols and the awliya, and they also intended as you intend.

As He said:

وَالَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَىٰ
“And those who take awliya besides Him (say): ‘We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allah.’’
And He said:
وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنْفَعُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ هَٰؤُلَاءِ شُفَعَاؤُنَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ
“And they worship besides Allāh things that hurt them not, nor profit them, and they say: ‘These are our intercessors with Allah.’”

And that they also thought as you think that Allah has specific people from His creation at a level with Him, that He is pleased that men make requests and asks for help from them and makes them intermediaries between him and Allah! While that nullifies (la ilaha illallah) because it is necessary (for la ilaha illallah) to negate the intermediaries besides Allah.

Source: Ad-Durar as-Saniyyah
Author: Shaykh al-Mujaddid Muhammad ibn 'Abdil-Wahhab