Saturday, January 3, 2015

Pillars of the two testimonies


1. La ilaha illAllah has two pillars:

a) The First Pillar: Negation - 'La ilah' negates all forms of Shirk and its types, and necessitates disbelieving in everything that is worshiped other than Allah.

b) The Second Pillar: Affirmation - 'illAllah' affirms that none deserves worship except Allah and requires acting upon it.

The meaning of these two pillars has been mentioned in many verses, like the Saying of Allah, 'Whoever disbelieves in Taghoot and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break.' [Soorah al-Baqarah (2): 256]

His Saying, 'Whoever disbelieves in Taghoot' is the meaning of the first pillar, i.e., La ilah.

His Saying, 'believes in Allah' is the meaning of the second pillar, i.e., illAllah. Similarly, the saying of Ibraheem which Allah relates in the Qur'aan, “Verily, I am innocent of what you worship, except Him, Who did create me...” [Soorah az-Zukhruf (43): 26-27]

“I am innocent...” is the meaning of negation in the first pillar, “except Him, Who did create me” is the meaning of affirmation in the second pillar.

2. The Pillars of Muhammadar-Rasoolullah

are two and they are included in our saying, 'Abduhu wa-Rasooluh' (i.e., he is Allah's slave and Messenger). They negate any exaggeration and inadequacy in his respect. So, he is Allah's slave and Messenger, and he is the most perfect creation in these two noble attributes.

The meaning of 'slave' here is the worshiper who is owned (by Allah) meaning he is a man created from what all the other humans are created from. What occurs with other humans also occurs with him, as Allah says, 'Say (O Muhammad): 'I am only a man like you.' [Soorah al-Kahf (18): 110] 'Is not Allah Sufficient for His slave?' [(39): 36]

“All praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has sent down to His slave...” [Soorah al-Kahf (18): 1]

“Glorified be He (Allah), Who took His slave for a journey by night from al-Masjid-al-Haram...” [Soorah al-Israa (17):1]

The meaning of, 'His Messenger' is that he is sent to all people with the call to Allah, giving them glad tidings (of Paradise) and warning them (against Hell-fire).

The testification contains the following two qualities for him. Negation of any exaggeration and inadequacy in his respect because many of those who claim to be from his Ummah have exaggerated in respecting him until they raised him above the status of a worshiper of Allah to the status of being worshiped besides Allah. They sought help from him and invoked him for that which no one but Allah has the Power to provide such as fulfilling needs and relieving troubles. Whilst others neglected his message or were negligent in obeying him and relied upon opinions and sayings that were contradictory to what he came with.

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