The merit of La ilāha illa Allah

The best form of dhikr

What is the merit of la ilāha illa Allah?[1]

Answer (Imam Wahbah az-Zuḥaylī):

This is the trunk of the word of Allah’s Oneness,[2] Glorified is He, and thus a person’s theology is not valid without it and absolutely nothing has precedence over it. Several ḥadīths regarding its merit have reached us, such as: {The best dhikr is la ilāha illa Allah, and the best duʿāʾ (i.e. with which to begin and end a supplication) is al-ḥamdu lillāh.},[3] {The happiest of people with my intercession is the one who says la ilāha illa Allah, purely and sincerely from his heart.},[4] {The best action is la ilāha illa Allah and the best duʿāʾ is astaghfir Allah.[5]},[6] {Increase in the testimony of faith: la ilāha illa Allah, before something[7] comes between you and it, and dictate it your dying.[8]},[9] {Indeed Allah has forbidden the Fire from whoever says la ilāha illa Allah seeking thereby Allah’s Face.[10]},[11] {There is no slave who says la ilāha illa Allah one hundred times except that Allah resurrects him on the Day of Standing and his face is like the moon when it is full, and no one will have a deed that is elevated on that day that is better than it apart from the one who says likewise or more}[12] and {Whoever’s last words are la ilāha illa Allah, enters Paradise.}[13]

[Translated from Fatāwā Muʿāṣirah (Damascus: Dār al-Fikr, 1427/2006), p.262-263]

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[1] (tn): i.e. there is no god but Allah

[2] Ar. kalimat at-tawḥīd

[3] Related by at-Tirmidhī, an-Nasāʾī, Ibn Mājah, Ibn Ḥibbān and al-Ḥākim

[4] Related by al-Bukhārī

[5] (tn): i.e. I seek Allah’s forgiveness

[6] Related by ad-Daylamī

[7] (tn): i.e. death, as you will not be able to say it anymore

[8] Ar. mawtākum, which can mean your dying or your deceased

[9] Related by Abū Yaʿlā and Ibn ʿAdī

[10] (tn): i.e. to see Allah in the Hereafter

[11] Related by al-Bukhārī and Muslim

[12] Related by at-Ṭabarānī

[13] Related by Aḥmad and al-Ḥākim