Once a person has become firm in the knowledge of “La ilaha illallah”, then all doubts and suspicions should be replaced with certainty. The declaration has to be made without any suspicion regarding its meaning. The evidence of certainty is Allah (عز و جل )’s saying:

“Only those are the believers who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, and never since doubted but strive with their wealth and their lives for the cause of Allah. Those! They are the truthful.” [Al-Hujurat 49:15]

Allah (عز و جل ) made certainty, without doubt (or suspicions), a condition of true belief (in Allah and His Messenger), since the doubter is from the ranks of the hypocrites (Al-Munafiqoon).

It is narrated from Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه ) that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم ) said:
“The worshipper meeting Allah having testified that there is no ilah worthy of worship except Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah, not doubting them, shall enter Al-Jannah.” [Sahih Muslim]

His saying: “Only those are the believers who have believed in Allah and His Messenger…” “Only…”- confirms that those mentioned are included and all others are excluded. This means that the people of true belief (Iman), both apparent and hidden, are only those who believe in Allah and His Messenger. They believe without doubt or suspicion, by their word of mouth and deeds, and they strive in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives.

He, the Exalted, therefore says: “… Those! They are the truthful.”
Regarding the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم )’s saying:
“I bear witness that there is no ilah worthy of worship except Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah”.
To witness is to inform and testify. Man is obliged to testify that only Allah is worthy of worship and that He is One and that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم ) is the Messenger (of Allah).

His saying: “The worshipper meeting Allah having testified…” This is the evidence from the hadith as is the other narration stating: “The worshipper meeting Allah having testified… is not excluded from Al-Jannah (Paradise).

To clarify his (صلى الله عليه و سلم ) saying: “… he is not excluded from Al-Jannah (Paradise) “, we must explain two things:

Exclusion from Al-Jannah (paradise) is of two kinds:

• Permanent exclusion - in the case of disbelievers. This does not apply to those who meet Allah (عز و جل ) onTawhid (La ilaha illallah).

• Temporary exclusion - this may happen to some believers for major sins they committed as proven in the authentic traditions.