Question

What are the rewards of saying La ilaha illallah?

Answer

There are numerous virtues of reciting La ilaha illallah. Among them are the following:

1) Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) once asked Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), “Who will be the fortunate person to gain your intercession on the day of Qiyamah?”

Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

“O Abu Hurayrah, I knew you would be the first to ask me about this due to your eagerness for Hadith. The fortunate person who will gain my intercession will be that person who says ‘La ilaha illallah’ sincerely from his heart.”

(Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 99)

2) Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

“When a person sincerely says ‘La ilaha illallah’, the doors of the sky are opened for it until it reaches the Throne so long as he avoids major sins”

(Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith: 3590. Graded sound -hasan- by Imam Tirmidhi)

3) Sayyiduna Jabir (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

“The best dhikr is ‘La ilaha illallah, and the best du’a is ‘Alhamdulillah” 

(Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith: 3383, Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith: 3800, Sahih Ibn Hibban; Al Ihsan, Hadith: 843 and Mustadrak Hakim, vol. 1, pg. 498)

Imam Tirmidhi (rahimahullah)  has classified the above Hadith as sound (hasan). Imam Hakim (rahimahullah) has declared the Hadith authentic (sahih) and Hafiz Dhahabi (rahimahullah) concurs with him.

4) Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

“Recite ‘La ilaha illallah’ abundantly before you are unable to recite it” (i.e., before you become ill/pass away)

(Musnad Abu Ya’la, -Hadith: 6147- with a sound chain. See Targhib, vol. 2, pg. 416 and Majma’uz Zawaid, vol. 10, pg. 82)

 

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best

Answered by: Mawlana Suhail Motala

Approved by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by: Mawlana Haroon Abasoomar