Faith • 76 min
The Meaning of La Ilaha Illa Allah: An Annotated Translation of Imam al-Zarkashi’s Treatise on the Islamic Testimony of Faith
Introduction In the forty-seventh sūra of the Qur’an, Sūrat Muḥammad, God commands, “So know that there is no deity except Allah.”[1] What makes this command especially striking is its timing; it was revealed approximately fifteen years into the Prophet’s mission, at a point when he and his companions already held an unshakable conviction in the oneness of God. Why, then, would such a foundational truth require reaffirmation? The verse suggests that knowing God’s oneness involves more than a one-time acknowledgment; it is an ongoing process that demands sustained reflection, deliberate cultivation, and inner renewal. Scholars have interpreted this divine command in various ways, many […]
