Exegesis

Sultan Bahoo says:

May Allah bless my spiritual guide with a long life who has bestowed me Ism-e-Allah Zaat and has opened all its Divine secrets with his perfect spiritual attention as he is boundlessly merciful, kind and affectionate! Firstly, he has revealed the reality of لَآ اِلٰہَ which means there is no God, hence negated everything within me except Allah and removed all the idols from my inward. Secondly, he also taught me the reality of اِلَّا اللّٰہُ which means ‘only Allah’ by affirming the Divine Essence in me and elevated me by the recognition of Essence through the name.

Now this Divine secret has penetrated my entire existence. Ism-e-Allah Zaat has enveloped whole of my being making me witness all its secrets and mysteries and now I wish to disclose it before the entire world. However, these Divine secrets are for the special ones and cannot be opened on the commonality. It has become hard to live because I am bearing these magnificent secrets and mysteries. Now wherever I turn my eyes I see only Ism-e-Allah Zaat, not only spiritually but physically as well. My condition resembles the Quranic verse:

“So, whichever direction you turn to, there is Divine Countenance.” (2:115)

Shahada

لَآ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللّٰہُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُوْلُ اللّٰہِ Meaning: There is no God but Allah and Mohammad is the Messenger of Allah.

Recitation of shahada along with inward verification is faith and the first part of shahada ‘There is no God but Allah’ is declaration of His Oneness which is pillar of Islam. Accepting it makes one fortunate and vice versa.

Holy Prophet said in Sahih Muslim:

“Two things makes two things compulsory.”

A companion asked, “O Prophet! Which two things make two things compulsory?”

Holy Prophet said, “One who associate partners with Allah will go to hell and one who does not will go in heaven.”

Another Hadith goes as:

The Holy Prophet said, “One who recites, ‘There is no God but Allah,’ (makes it his religion and stays firm on these words) and dies, he will go to heaven.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

Negation and affirmation in spirituality

In spirituality, the reality of shahada is that the words ‘there is no God (لَآ الٰہَ) mean ‘the station of mysticism’. The words ‘but Allah’ (اِلَّا اللّٰہ) is the ‘the station of reality’ and ‘Mohammad is the Messenger of Allah’ (مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُوْلُ اللّٰہِ) is ‘the station of sharia’.

Another explanation is that the words ‘there is no God’ (لَآ الٰہَ) mean ‘negation’ and the words ‘but Allah’ (اِلَّا اللّٰہ) is ‘affirmation’.

What is negation?

Negation is to kill all the inward and outward idols with the sword of ‘No’ (لَآ) and to make no partners with Allah and it is to declare that one has broken all the idols for Allah and to accept no one equal to Him. He is the one who bestows and He is the one who loves the most.

Allah provides the sustenance and protects from all kinds of evil. One owes his life to Almighty. He is omnipresent and forgiver of sins. Allah is enough and one should only worship Him. To negate one’s innerself (an-nafs), relations and every other things for Allah is negation (لَآ الٰہَ) but only with tongue rather actions as well. Otherwise one is a hypocrite. Negation is first step and second is affirmation. One declares on reaching the station of affirmation that Allah is the most beautiful and perfect in His Essence and attributes that no one is worthy of worship but He. He is omnipresent. One must see that everywhere is His manifestation. He holds command over everything.

Reciting shahada sincerely

The Holy Prophet said:

اِقْرَارٌ بِالِلّسَانِ وَتَصْدِیْقٌ بِالْقَلْب

Meaning: Recite from tongue and accept from inward.

It is of utmost importance to inwardly accept which leads to negation and affirmation. Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) said:

قَائِلُوْنَ لَآ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللّٰہُ کَثِیْرًا وَالْمُخْلِصُوْنَ قَلیْلٌ

Meaning: There are many who recite shahada verbally but only a few recite it sincerely by inward.

Sultan Bahoo says;

“If one’s inward does not verify the shahada, then reciting it by tongue merely will not benefit him.” (Ain-ul-Faqr)

Sultan-ul-Faqr VI Sultan Mohammad Asghar Ali says:

“Shahada is the foundation of a Muslim. It should be noted that when a common person recites shahada, he declares just by his tongue that there is no one to be worshipped except Allah and Mohammad is the Prophet of Allah. By saying this, he becomes a Muslim. While the blessed ones say it with inward verification (after having the observation) but the Mystics actually experience it by reaching its core.” (Sultan-ul-Faqr VI Sultan Mohammad Asghar Ali Life and Teachings)