I suggest you not to grow up to become one who memorizes, repeats as a conformist. Because, regardless of the title that they bear, there is a serious error that some people, who approach to religion through memorization without an effective thought (tafaqqur), fall into. Because of interpreting the message "La ilaha ill-Allah" through the application of customary translation methods in the Arabic language, they result in a serious mistake.
Therefore, just THINK and make your own opinion.
The following text will help you to REFLECT on the meaning of La ilaha ill-Allah, if you are open to learn:
The meaning of the statement "La ilaha ill-Allah" constitutes the basis of Islam.
"La ilaha ill-Allah" can be interpreted simply as; "there is no god, there is only ALLAH."
If we analyze the meaning of each word:
La ilaha: "La" means "there is no"; "ilah" means "god," that is "a being to be worshipped." Hence, "la ilaha" means "there is no being to be worshipped."
Now, let us pay attention to this fact at this point: The "Word of Oneness" begins with "La ilaha" and so, a definite degree is emphasized right in the beginning: "There is no being to be worshipped" (LA ILAHA)
Then, ill-Allah follows as an explanation: "illa" meaning "only," "ALLAH." It does not even say "there is ALLAH"; it simply says "only ALLAH."
There is an extremely significant point that should be mentioned in particular, now.
Regardless of the title that they bear, there is a serious error that some people, who approach to religion through memorization without an effective thought (tafaqqur), fall into.
Because of interpreting the message "La ilaha ill-Allah" through the application of customary translation methods in the Arabic language, they result in a serious mistake.
It is such that:
For instance, if the statement is "La rajula illa Ali,", it might be translated as "there is no man but Ali" or, "there is not such a man as Ali" or else, "there is no one as Ali as a man" ["illa" suggesting a comparison between Ali and an existence besides Ali].
However, when used in association with the word "ALLAH," "illa" can never be interpreted as "there is no god such as ALLAH . . . that which suggests a separate existence besides ALLAH in comparison with HU, as if "there is another god -ilah, but it never matches ALLAH."
It is necessary to understand the following point clearly, as well:
As the word "kana" in Arabic —which means "was"— loses its common meaning when it is associated with the word "ALLAH" and is understood as "IS" in its simple present tense form, the same way the word "illa," too, exceeds its message in customary usage and is understood as "ONLY."
Let us now give an example to mention the word "kana":
Since the qualities denoted by the noun "ALLAH" are free from being restricted within the past time passages, we can never translate the statement "kana-ALLAHu Gafur’ur Rahiyma" in the way as "ALLAH WAS Gafur (Forgiving) and Rahiym (Merciful) [in the past]." The same way, the word "illa" in "illa-ALLAH," must only be interpreted and understood as "ONLY," but neither as "other" nor "but!"
Because, the qualities of the being denoted by the noun "ALLAH", not only decline the recognition of an existence apart from HU, but the consideration of any other being beside HU, either!
For these reasons, if such words as "illa", "kana" and the like, which refer to a conception of time or place, were encountered as in association with the name "ALLAH," they should be understood connected with the meaning that the name "ALLAH" refers to, and they should not be taken as what is understood form their customary usage.
Unless this is applied properly, the interpreted concept will come out to be a GOD-out-there, that is an ILAH concept beyond us and even beyond the universe.
Taking this fact into consideration, if we focus our attention in grasping this point truly, we will see that:
"There is no god to be worshipped, only ALLAH is!"
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MOHAMMED'S ALLAH