LEVELS OF MEANING OF LA ILAHA IL ALLAH (“THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH”) {Khutbah of Shaykh Al-Islam Ibrahim Niasse (RA) from “Jawahir Ar-Rasa’il”, delivered in Mauritania}

LEVELS OF MEANING OF LA ILAHA IL ALLAH (“THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH”)

{Khutbah of Shaykh Al-Islam Ibrahim Niasse (RA) from “Jawahir Ar-Rasa’il”, delivered in Mauritania}
“There is no god but Allah” has different levels of meaning. It has a shell, a core and the core of the core!
To the common believers, “La ilaha il Allah” means that there is none worthy of worship besides Allah (Laa Ma‘bud bi‘l Haqq Siwahu).
To those with a higher level of understanding, “La ilaha il Allah” means that there is no desired objective besides Allah (Laa Maqsud bi’l Haqq il Allah).
To those with an even higher comprehension of “La ilaha il Allah” means that there is nothing in existence but Allah (Laa Mawjud bi’l Haqq il Allah).
The 1st degree belongs to those who say “La ilaha il Huwa (There is no god but He)”.
The 2nd degree belongs to those who say “La ilaha ila Anta (There is no god but You)”.
The 3rd degree belongs to those who say “La ilaha il Ana (There is no god but I)”.
As we stated before, the third degree is for those whose remembrance is “Allah!” “Allah!”
The remembrance of Allah is the Key to Sainthood (Miftah al-Wilaya), it is also the Beginning and End of Sainthood (Bidayat wa’l Nihayat al-Wilaya), and it is also the End and the Begininng of Sainthood. If the beginning is sound, then the ending is also sound. We begin by saying “La ilaha il Allah” and then we move onto “La ilaha il Anta” and then we move onto “La ilaha il Ana”!
To Allah is the return! La ilaha il Allah!!

{Interpreted from the Arabic by Muhammad Abdullahi al-Tijani al-Ibrahimi}