In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, Most Merciful
“La Ilaaha Illallah” (There is no deity but Allah)
Ma’bood is the One Whom we worship, Whom we trust, Whom we obey (or are submissive to), Whom we love and Whose commands we must follow.
When we declare that there is no deity but Allah, it becomes obligatory on us that we obey and follow all the commands of Allah. ‘La Ilaaha Illallah’ means that we declare that we’ll only obey the commands of Allah and prevent ourselves from doing anything that may displease Him or that which is prohibited. When we do something out of our own desires, which is disliked or is considered prohibitory, it means we declare our nafs as our ma’bood which is a great sin; as it is mentioned in Surah Furqan, Verses 43 and 44: “Have you seen (O Prophet) the one who has taken their own desires as their god? Will you then be a keeper over them? Or do you think that most of them listen or understand? They are only like cattle—no, more than that, they are astray from the (Right) Way.”
When we declare that there is no deity but Allah, we also declare that we Love Him. It is the right of Allah that we love Him the most. Allah has not stopped a person from loving their parents, spouse, children or country. The only thing that needs to be kept in mind is that the love of all these should neither exceed beyond, nor be equal to the love of Allah; as Allah mentions in Surah Baqrah, Verse 165: “And (yet) among the mankind who take others as Allah’s equals, they love them as (they should) love Allah. And those who believe(d) (are) stronger (in) love for Allah.”
When we declare that there is no deity but Allah, we also declare that we believe whatever happens, happens only because Allah Wills it. We believe that when a calamity falls, it does so because Allah Wills it to be and He is the only One Who can erase it. This is ‘Tawakkal’ and when people put all their trust and belief in Allah, leave everything in the hands of Allah, do everything only to please Him and pray devotedly, only then can they declare that Allah is their ma’bood. Some people worship others (people or idols) and believe that these idols will fulfil their wishes and demands. Little do they understand that one can reach up to their Lord only by letting go of all their desires. But they continue to worship their idols and go astray; as it is mentioned in Surah Furqan, Verse 55: “Yet do they worship, besides Allah, things that can neither profit them, nor harm them and the disbeliever is a helper (of evil) against his own Lord.” Allah clearly mentions in the above Verse that a disbeliever is a helper of Evil (Satan) who always lets Allah’s servants go astray because that is what he wants, to distance Allah’s servants from Him. Allah also mentions in Surah Nahl, Verse 2 that He sends down angels with revelations by His command to whoever He Wills of His servants, stating to warn people that there is no God worthy of worship except Allah and to fear Him alone.
When we declare that there is no deity but Allah, we also declare that we bear witness in Allah, His books, His angels, His messengers and on the day of Judgement. Anyone who disbelieves either, is considered as an infidel and cannot escape the torment. Allah mentions in Surah Furqan, Verse 11: “But they reject the hour (Day of Judgment) and we have prepared a blazing fire for him who rejects the hour.”
Denying the Day of Judgment or denying any Caliph of Allah means denying what Allah and His Prophet Muhammad PBUH have said which makes hell essential for such a person because as denial of Allah’s zaat (entity) is infidelity, denial of Allah’s baat (sayings) is also infidelity.