The weight of ‘Lā ‘ilāha ‘illā-llāh’ is more than the seven heavens and earths. If all of it were put on a scale, Lā ‘ilāha ‘illā-llāh will be heavier. Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri رضي الله عنه narrated that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said:
“Musa عليه السلام said: ‘O my Rabb, teach me something by which I can remember You and invoke You.’ Allah answered: ‘Say, O Musa, La ilaha illa-Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah). Musa عليه السلام said: ‘O my Rabb, all your slaves say this’. Allah said: ‘O Musa, if the seven heavens and all of their inhabitants other then Me 1, and the seven earths as well, were all put in one side of a scale and La ilaha illa-Allah put in the other, the latter would outweigh them.’” 2
- This phrase (Ghairy) is the exception from what is in the heavens. It should not be misunderstood that Allah is contained within the heavens or earth since He has described Himself in the Qur’an as the Transcendent, Most High, Above All, i.e. in 2:255, 20:5, 25:59 and many places elsewhere in His Book. Indeed the statement is another proof that Allah cannot be considered within the creation. (Detailed explanation can be seen in Fath-ul-Majid Sharh Kitab-ut-Tawhid) ↩
- Ibn Hibban (2324), Al-Hakim (1/528) in Al-Mustadrak (The Reviewed Collection of Hadiths ) which Al-Hakim regards as meeting the conditions that either Al-Bukhari or Muslim set to add hadiths to their compilations of authentic hadiths, and yet are not mentioend in either of them. An-Nasai’ in ’Amal Al-Yawm Wal-Laylah’ (Supplications of the day and night) (834 and 1141), and both Ibn Habban and Al-Hakim graded it as authentic, and Adh-Dhahabi was of the same opinion as that of Al-Hakim. Al-Haythamii said in his book Majma’ Az-Zawa’id (The Collection of Additional Hadiths (10/82), “This hadith is narrated by Abu Ya’laa and its transmitters are deemed reliable though somewhat weak.” ↩