❖ Kalimah Ṭayyibah, Salvation from Shirk, and Entry into Paradise
Source: Fatāwā Rāshidiyyah, p.160
◈ The Question
Is the one who recites the Kalimah Ṭayyibah destined for Paradise? Is this proven from the Qur’an and Ḥadīth?
◈ The Answer
✔ Entry into Jannah is Guaranteed with Sincere Kalimah
Yes—whoever sincerely recites “Lā ilāha illa Allāh” with a heart free from shirk will enter Paradise.
- This is established in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and other authentic narrations.
- However, entry into Paradise occurs in two ways:
① Some will enter immediately.
② Others, after punishment for major sins, will eventually enter.
◈ Qur’anic Support
① Allah forgives all except shirk
﴿إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ﴾ [al-Nisā’: 48]
② Avoiding major sins ensures forgiveness
﴿إِن تَجْتَنِبُوا۟ كَبَآئِرَ مَا تُنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ نُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ﴾ [al-Nisā’: 31]
③ Jannah is forbidden for the mushrik
﴿إِنَّهُ مَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّـهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّـهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ﴾ [al-Māʾidah: 72]
Thus:
- Shirk permanently bars entry to Jannah.
- Every believer—even sinful—will eventually enter Paradise.
◈ The Kalimah Explained
“Lā ilāha illa Allāh” means:
- None has the right to be worshiped but Allah.
- No angels, prophets, saints, or any creation shares in His attributes or rights.
﴿لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ﴾ [al-Shūrā: 11]
﴿وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ﴾ [al-Ikhlāṣ: 4]
◈ Conditions of Faith in the Kalimah
True belief requires acknowledging:
- Allah as sole Creator, Sustainer, and Controller.
- Only Allah cures, grants life and death, and decrees destiny.
- All worship—duʿāʾ, sacrifice, vows—belongs solely to Him.
- Belief in all Prophets, revealed Books, Angels, Qadar, and the Hereafter.
- Acceptance of obligations like ṣalāh, ṣawm, zakāh, and ḥajj.
- Affirming what Allah has forbidden as truly forbidden.
◈ What Constitutes Shirk
- Denying any fundamental of faith.
- Attributing divine qualities to others (e.g., believing someone is ʿālim al-ghayb or a mushkil-kushā).
- Worshiping graves, saints, or seeking help from the dead.
- Considering forbidden acts like ribā, zinā, or alcohol as lawful.
◈ Difference Between a Sinner and a Mushrik
- The believer who affirms tawḥīd but commits sins out of weakness is not a mushrik.
- He is sinful (fāsiq), but still a muwaḥḥid.
- If he dies without repentance, he remains under Allah’s will—either forgiven directly or punished then admitted to Jannah.
◈ Misunderstanding of Some Muslims
Many today assume that merely reciting the Kalimah verbally suffices—while persisting in shirk practices like:
- Worshiping pīrs, saints, or graves.
- Denying obligations.
- Declaring harām as ḥalāl.
This is a false notion. The Kalimah demands full belief and adherence.
◈ Severity of Hellfire
- Even sinful believers who eventually enter Jannah may face Hell.
- The Prophet ﷺ said: “The fire of this world is one part of seventy parts of Hellfire.” [Bukhārī 3265]
If worldly fire is unbearable for a moment, how then can anyone endure Hellfire, which is 69 times more intense?
◈ Final Advice
- Sincere repentance is essential.
- Fulfill obligations, avoid shirk, and strive in righteous deeds.
- Seek Allah’s mercy so that entry to Jannah may be granted without punishment.
ھذا ما عندی واللہ أعلم بالصواب
