10- Acting upon the meaning of 'La ilaha illa Allah (there is no god but Allah) 1
Q: What are the requirements of 'La ilaha illa Allah (there is no god but Allah)'?
A: This phrase is the greatest speech ever. It is the word of Tawhid (monotheism), A person cannot be called a Muslim unless they first pronounce this phrase and firmly believe in it. They must believe that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah (Exalted be He). This was the first word which all the messengers preached to people: 'La ilaha illa Allah (there is no god but Allah) 1. Allah (Exalted be He) says. And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad ﷺ ): 'Worship Allah (A lone), and avoid (or keep away from) Taghut (all false deities i.e. do not worship Taghut besides Allah)."} The first word to which our Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) invited people was 'there is no god but Allah', together with inviting them to believe that he was the Messenger ﷺ ). Therefore, 'La ilah illa Allah' means there is no deity truly worthy of worship except Allah (Exalted be He). Accordingly, one must be seeking Allah's Reward and aspiring for His Pleasure when they offer Salah, observe Sawm, give Zakah or perform Hajj. One must hope for Allah's Reward and fear His Punishment. One must also avoid what Allah (Exalted be He) has declared prohibited, like committing Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship) or sins.
[Vol. 1, Page No. 46-47]