Knowing Allah Is a Requirement in This World

People often say:

“In the Hereafter, everyone will know.”

But the question of religion is not merely:

When will human beings know?

The question is:

When are human beings required to recognise, affirm and bear witness?

The answer is:

While they are still in this world.

Because this world is the place of testing.

In this world, the veil still remains.

There is still a choice.

There is still an opportunity to seek.

There is still an opportunity to reject.

There is still an opportunity to affirm.

But once the veil has been lifted, the situation has changed.

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THE QURAN COMMANDS: KNOW

Allah says:

فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ

“So know that there is no ilah except Allah.”

— Surah Muhammad 47:19

Pay attention to the word:

فَاعْلَمْ — fa‘lam

It means:

Know.

Not merely:

recite,

memorise,

inherit,

or follow because someone else says so.

Rather:

KNOW.

Aqidah must reach the level of:

knowledge,

understanding,

awareness,

and witnessing.

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LĀ ILĀHA IS NOT ABOUT CHOOSING THE “CORRECT GOD”

This is where a major misunderstanding can arise.

Many translate:

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ

as:

“There is no God except Allah.”

But if this is understood incorrectly, the mind may construct the following framework:

There is a category called “God.”

All the Gods are false.

Then Allah is the correct God.

Within the framework we are developing, this is not sufficiently precise.

Because:

لَا إِلَٰهَ

does not merely reject several alternatives.

It is a total negation.

Negate:

all ilahs,

all objects of worship,

all imagined forms,

all unseen objects constructed by the mind,

all invented entities,

including the categorical framework that makes Allah into “one supreme thing.”

Only then comes:

إِلَّا اللَّهُ

except Allah.

Not to place Allah back into the category that has already been negated.

Rather, to:

affirm Allah after that entire false framework has been negated.

Therefore:

TOTAL NEGATION → AFFIRMATION OF ALLAH

Not:

reject all Gods → choose one God named Allah.

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IT IS THE SAME ERROR AS MISUNDERSTANDING “LAYSA KAMITHLIHI SHAY’”

Allah says:

لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ

In the interpretation we are using:

“He cannot be likened to anything.”

The error occurs when human beings read this verse while their minds still retain the idea:

“Allah is something, but He is unlike anything else.”

The problem is:

Before the verse has even negated resemblance, the mind has already established:

Allah = something.

Therefore, the incorrect framework has existed from the very beginning.

The same applies to:

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ

A person may utter:

لَا إِلَٰهَ

while still retaining in their mind:

Allah = one God / one supreme entity.

Thus, the tongue negates,

but the mind reaffirms the very same category.

This is the problem:

NEGATING WITH THE TONGUE,

WHILE REAFFIRMING THE INCORRECT FRAMEWORK IN THE MIND.

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ALLAH IS NOT A THING

After the entire framework of false ilahs has been negated, we can proceed to the explanation of:

Essence,

Attributes,

and Actions.

Within the framework of this discussion:

ESSENCE

is the meaning or purpose towards which one is directed.

ATTRIBUTES

are the descriptions of the Essence.

ACTIONS

are the manifestation of the Attributes.

But none of these is:

a thing.

An object.

Matter.

A physical body.

A form.

A location.

They remain at the level of:

DESCRIPTION.

Therefore, someone who has understood that:

Essence is not a thing,

Attributes are not things,

Actions are not things,

has only begun to understand how to read the descriptions.

That person has not necessarily attained complete recognition.

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THE BEGINNING OF RELIGION IS MA‘RIFAH

In the First Sermon of Nahj al-Balaghah, it is narrated from Sayyidina ‘Ali RA:

أَوَّلُ الدِّينِ مَعْرِفَتُهُ

“The beginning of religion is to know Him.”

It then continues:

وَكَمَالُ مَعْرِفَتِهِ التَّصْدِيقُ بِهِ

“The perfection of knowing Him is to affirm Him.”

Then:

وَكَمَالُ التَّصْدِيقِ بِهِ تَوْحِيدُهُ

“The perfection of affirming Him is to affirm His Oneness.”

And:

وَكَمَالُ تَوْحِيدِهِ الْإِخْلَاصُ لَهُ

“The perfection of affirming His Oneness is to be sincere towards Him.”

The sequence is extremely important:

Ma‘rifah → Tasdiq → Tawhid → Ikhlas

Therefore, religion begins with:

recognition.

But recognition cannot stop at descriptions alone.

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ESSENCE, ATTRIBUTES AND ACTIONS ARE STILL ONLY DESCRIPTIONS

We may understand:

Essence = what one is directed towards

Attributes = how the Essence is described

Actions = how the Attributes are manifested

But all of these are still merely:

information about recognition.

Recognition remains incomplete until we arrive at:

Who is the bearer of these descriptions?

This is where the second declaration of the Shahadah becomes extremely important.

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THE FIRST DECLARATION ONLY CORRECTS WHAT ONE IS DIRECTED TOWARDS

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ

The first declaration corrects:

WHAT ONE IS DIRECTED TOWARDS.

It destroys:

false ilahs,

false imagined forms,

false unseen objects,

and the incorrect framework that turns Allah into a thing.

It opens the way towards understanding:

Essence, Attributes and Actions.

But these are still:

descriptions.

After understanding the descriptions, one must ask:

Who is the bearer of these descriptions?

Who manifests this Message?

Who makes the Attributes capable of being witnessed through Actions?

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THE SECOND DECLARATION: RECOGNISING THE BEARER OF THE MESSAGE

مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ

“Muhammad is the Bearer of Allah’s Message.”

This is where recognition moves from:

the descriptions

to:

the bearer of the descriptions.

A Messenger is not merely a courier who delivers a letter and considers his task complete.

The Message is:

carried,

brought to life,

practised,

and manifested through its bearer.

Therefore, human beings must not merely read the Message.

They must recognise:

who carries that Message.

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DO NOT STOP HALFWAY IN RECOGNITION

If a person only knows that:

Allah is not a thing.

Essence is not a thing.

Attributes are not things.

Actions are not things.

That person has only understood:

how to comprehend the descriptions.

But a major question remains:

Who is the bearer of that Message?

This is why the Shahadah does not stop at the first declaration.

It continues with:

مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ

Because recognition must extend to:

THE BEARER OF THE MESSAGE.

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THE ANALOGY OF THE DIRECTOR AND THE ACTOR

Imagine a film.

We read its script.

From the script, we understand:

the storyline,

the meaning,

the characters,

and the attributes intended to be portrayed.

But all of these are merely:

descriptions of the work.

Then the director himself enters the film as an actor.

At that point, people are no longer merely reading the script.

They see:

the director’s attributes, intentions and directions manifested through the performance.

But this is where the test becomes most demanding.

Because people may look at that actor and say:

“He is just a human being.”

They see the outward form.

But they fail to recognise:

who is carrying and manifesting the work.

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THIS IS THE GREAT TRIAL FACED BY THE MESSENGERS

The Quran records the objections of human beings:

وَقَالُوا مَالِ هَٰذَا الرَّسُولِ يَأْكُلُ الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشِي فِي الْأَسْوَاقِ

“And they said: Why does this Messenger eat food and walk through the marketplaces?”

— Al-Furqan 25:7

And:

أَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ بَشَرًا رَّسُولًا

“Has Allah sent a human being as a Messenger?”

— Al-Isra’ 17:94

This is the problem faced by human beings.

They see:

eating,

drinking,

walking,

marrying,

and living in society.

Then they say:

“He is just a human being.”

They see:

the actor,

but fail to understand:

the Message being manifested.

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THE WORLD IS THE STAGE OF MANIFESTATION

The Quran states:

وَمَا هَٰذِهِ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا لَهْوٌ وَلَعِبٌ

“And this worldly life is nothing but amusement and play.”

— Al-‘Ankabut 29:64

And:

اعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ

“Know that the life of this world is merely play and amusement…”

— Al-Hadid 57:20

Within our analogy:

The world = the stage

The Message = the script / descriptions

The Messenger = the bearer of the Message

Actions = the manifestation of the Attributes on the stage

Therefore, the world is where human beings are tested:

Do they merely see:

the performance,

or do they recognise:

what is being manifested through the performance?

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KNOWING ALLAH IS A REQUIREMENT IN THIS WORLD

Allah says:

فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ

“So know that there is no ilah except Allah.”

— Muhammad 47:19

And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

مَنْ مَاتَ وَهُوَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ

“Whoever dies knowing that there is no ilah except Allah will enter Paradise.”

— Narrated by Muslim

The important phrase is:

وَهُوَ يَعْلَمُ

“While knowing.”

Therefore, the Shahadah is not merely a sound.

It must reach the level of:

knowledge,

understanding,

awareness,

and recognition.

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IN THIS WORLD, THE VEIL STILL REMAINS

Allah says:

لَقَدْ كُنتَ فِي غَفْلَةٍ مِّنْ هَٰذَا فَكَشَفْنَا عَنكَ غِطَاءَكَ فَبَصَرُكَ الْيَوْمَ حَدِيدٌ

“You were indeed heedless of this, so We have lifted your veil from you, and today your sight is sharp.”

— Qaf 50:22

In this world:

the veil still remains.

In the Hereafter:

the veil is lifted.

Therefore, this world is the place for:

seeking,

recognising,

affirming,

and witnessing.

The Hereafter is no longer the same place of testing.

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EVEN THOSE WHO REJECT WILL EVENTUALLY ACKNOWLEDGE

The Quran states:

وَقَالُوا لَوْ كُنَّا نَسْمَعُ أَوْ نَعْقِلُ مَا كُنَّا فِي أَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ ۝ فَاعْتَرَفُوا بِذَنبِهِمْ

“And they will say: If only we had listened or used our reason, we would not have been among the inhabitants of the Blaze. Thus, they will acknowledge their sin.”

— Al-Mulk 67:10–11

Eventually, they:

know.

Eventually, they:

acknowledge.

But the problem is:

When do they come to know?

After the opportunity of worldly life has passed.

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THAT IS WHY RECOGNITION MUST BE COMPLETE

Do not stop at:

“I know Allah is not a thing.”

Do not stop at:

“I know Essence, Attributes and Actions.”

Do not stop at:

“I know that Attributes are descriptions.”

All of these are important.

But they are still only:

DESCRIPTIONS.

Recognition must extend to:

THE BEARER OF THE MESSAGE.

That is why:

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ

must be followed by:

مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ

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TWO DECLARATIONS — ONE WITNESSING

The first declaration:

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ

negates every ilah, every imagined form, every object and every false framework.

Then:

إِلَّا اللَّهُ

affirms Allah.

The second declaration:

مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ

leads human beings towards:

Muhammad as the Bearer of Allah’s Message.

Therefore:

THE FIRST DECLARATION CORRECTS WHAT ONE IS DIRECTED TOWARDS.

THE SECOND DECLARATION CORRECTS WHO CARRIES THE DESCRIPTIONS.

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CONCLUSION

أَوَّلُ الدِّينِ مَعْرِفَتُهُ

“The beginning of religion is to know Him.”

But recognition cannot stop halfway.

Essence is the meaning towards which one is directed.

Attributes are descriptions of the Essence.

Actions are the manifestation of the Attributes.

But all of these remain:

DESCRIPTIONS.

Therefore:

لَا إِلَٰهَ

Negate every ilah, every imagined form, every object and every false framework.

إِلَّا اللَّهُ

Affirm Allah.

Then do not stop.

Proceed to:

مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ

Muhammad is the Bearer of Allah’s Message.

This is the most demanding test:

Can human beings recognise the bearer of the Message when that bearer appears to be an ordinary human being?

They see:

eating,

drinking,

walking,

marrying,

and living in society.

But those who truly bear witness must see beyond outward appearance.

DO NOT STOP HALFWAY IN NEGATION.

DO NOT STOP HALFWAY IN RECOGNITION.

THE FIRST DECLARATION PROVIDES THE DESCRIPTIONS.

THE SECOND DECLARATION LEADS TO THE BEARER OF THE DESCRIPTIONS.

KNOWING ALLAH IS A REQUIREMENT IN THIS WORLD.