The Fire will Not Touch the one who says these Five Words at Death

Explained by Shaykh Abdur Razzaq al-Badr

Translated by Rasheed ibn Estes Barbee

It has been collected by ibn Majah from al-AGhar Abu Muslim (‫ )األَغ َِّر أَ ِّبي ُم ْس ِّلم‬that
he bore witness that Abu Hurairah and Abu Saeed bore witness that the Messenger
of Allah(‫ )ﷺ‬said: If the slave says (‫َّللاُ أَ ْك َب ُر‬ َّ َّ‫“ )الَ ِإَل َه ِإال‬Nothing has the right to be
َّ ‫ َو‬، ُ‫َّللا‬
worshipped except Allah, and Allah is the Greatest”; Allah the Exalted says “My
slave has spoken the truth, nothing has the right to be worshipped except Me, and I
am the Greatest.”

َّ َّ‫“ )الَ ِإَل َه ِإال‬Nothing has the right to be worshipped except

If the slave says (ُ‫َّللاُ َو ْح َده‬
Allah, alone”; Allah the Exalted says “My slave has spoken the truth, nothing has the
right to be worshipped except Me, alone”.

َّ َّ‫)الَ ِإَل َه ِإال‬, “Nothing has the right to be worshipped

َ ‫َّللاُ الَ َش ِر‬
If the slave says (‫يك َل ُه‬
except Allah, without partners”; Allah the Exalted says, “My slave has spoken the
truth, nothing has the right to be worshipped except Me, and there are no partners
for Me.”

َّ َّ‫)الَ ِإَل َه ِإال‬, “Nothing has the right to be

If the slave says (‫ َل ُه اْل ُمْل ُك َوَل ُه اْل َح ْم ُد‬،ُ‫َّللا‬
worshipped except Allah, to Him belongs the dominion, and for Him belongs the
praise”; Allah the Exalted says, “My slave has spoken the truth, nothing has the right
to be worshipped except Me, for Me is the dominion and to Me belongs the praise.”

If the slave says (ِ‫اّلل‬

َّ ‫ َوالَ َح ْو َل َوالَ ُقَّوَة ِإالَّ ِب‬،ُ‫َّللا‬
َّ َّ‫)الَ ِإَل َه ِإال‬, “Nothing has the right to be
worshipped except Allah, and there is no might and no power except with Allah”;
Allah the Exalted says, “My slave has spoken the truth, nothing has the right to be
worshipped except Me, and there is no might and no power except with Me.”
Abu Ishaq said: "Then al-AGhar said something that I did not understand. I said to
Abu Jafar: 'What did he say?' He said: “Whoever is provided with the ability to say
these words at the time of death, the Fire will not touch him”1.

In the narration collected by Tirmidhi he said, “Whoever says these words during his
illness and then dies, the Fire will not taste him”.

Ibn al-Qayyim (‫ )رحمه هللا‬said: “These words of remembrance are a reason for the
Lord the Exalted to validate His slave. The slave is speaking about Allah the Exalted,
with His complete attributes and majestic characteristics. Thus, when the slave says
this, his Lord validates him, and if Allah validates someone, this person will not be
gathered with the liars, and it is hoped that he will be gathered with the truthful.”

“Whoever is provided with the ability to say these words at the time of death, the
Fire will not touch him”.

As-Sindee (‫ )رحمه هللا‬said in his commentary of Ibn Majah; “Whoever Allah gives
these words to at the time of their death, and grants them success to say them, the
Fire will not touch them, rather they will enter Paradise at the first entrance along
with the righteous. O Allah make us from those provided with these words.”

As-Shawkani (‫ )رحمه هللا‬said: “The reason for this virtue, is because these words
contain pure monotheism, five times. And it has been mentioned in authentic
narrations that whoever dies without associating any partners with Allah, will enter
Paradise. And the person whose last words are ‘nothing has the right to be
worshipped except Allah’ will enter Paradise. Many narrations with this meaning
have been narrated by many companions and collected in Sahih Bukhari, Sahih
Muslim and other books.”

Mubarakpuri (‫ )رحمه هللا‬said: “This narration is proof that the words mentioned in
this narration, if the person says them during his illness, and dies during this illness

1
Sunnan of ibn Majah declared authentic by Shaykh al-Albani
upon these words, meaning these words are the last thing he says, willingly, while
being of sound mind, then the Fire will not touch him. And he will not be harmed
by his previous sins because these words will expiate all of his sins.”

Shaykh Uthaymeen (‫ )رحمه هللا‬says, “It is upon the individual to memorize these
words of remembrance and say them often when he is sick, so his life can be sealed
upon good if Allah the Exalted wills.”

My father—Shaykh Abdul Muhsin al-Badr (‫ )حفظه للا‬recited these words and said:
“These tremendous words of remembrance have been collected in the books of
Hadith and declared authentic by a group of scholars. These words contain the
statement ‘nothing has the right to be worshipped except Allah’ five times, in
addition to praise of Allah of which He is deserving. Imam Bukhari ended his book
with the Hadith of Abu Huraira (‫ )رضي للا عنه‬in which the Messenger of Allah (‫)ﷺ‬
said:

‫ِح ْم ِدِه‬ ِ َّ ‫َّللاِ اْلع ِظي ِم سبحان‬ َّ ‫ان ِإَلى‬ ِ ‫ان ِفي اْل ِم َيز‬
ِ َ‫ان َحِب َيبت‬ ِ َ‫ان ثَ ِقيَلت‬ ِ َ‫ان َخ ِف َيفت‬
ِ ‫ان َعَلى اللِ َس‬ ِ َ‫َكلِ َمت‬
َ ‫َّللا َوب‬ َ َ ُْ َ َّ ‫ان‬ َ ‫الر ْح َم ِن ُس ْب َح‬

Two statements which are light upon the tongue, heavy upon the scales, and beloved
to the Most Merciful, are ‘Allah the Great is free from imperfection, Allah is free
from imperfection and for Him is the praise’. (Bukhari and Muslim)

These five statements of remembrance can correctly be described with the same
virtue mentioned in the above narration. My son, Abdur Razzaq (‫ )حفظه للا‬has done
well by mentioning this narration and circulating it because the reminder benefits
the believer. The Muslim should give great concern to these words of remembrance,
especially when sick. And with Allah lies all success.”

Shaykh Ahmad Abu Ubaid al-Muhrazi Marrakesh (‫ )أحمد أبا عبيدة المحرزي المراكشي‬may
Allah have mercy upon him would advise a great deal with these words of
remembrance. He called them the ‘dying words of remembrance’. He would say: “Do
not be heedless of these dying words of remembrance. Always keep them in mind.”
He explained the difference between these five words and the words found in the
Hadith “The person whose last words are ‘nothing has the right to be worshipped
except Allah’ will enter Paradise.” He said: “It is possible that Paradise will come
after the punishment, but in the case of these five words of remembrance there is no
punishment because he said, ‘the Fire will not touch him’.”

And he said: “These five statements at the time of death are the greatest provision
and the noblest provision.”

Allah honored him by making these his last words in this world. In fact, he
encouraged the dying man next to him to say these words and these were his last
words also. Thus, the dying man encouraged a dying man to say these words. May
Allah forgive them both, and all the Muslims.

These tremendous, blessed words of remembrance must be given great concern by

the Muslims. They should repeat these statements and make it their goal and hope
that Allah blesses them to say these words at their dying moment so they can attain
a good ending that will allow them to enter Paradise during the first entrance along
with the pious without touching the Fire. And to Allah lies all success, alone
without partners.

Translator’s note: These five statements are as follows

‫َّللاُ أَ ْك َب ُر‬ َّ َّ‫الَ ِإَل َه ِإال‬

َّ ‫ َو‬، ُ‫َّللا‬

َّ َّ‫الَ ِإَل َه ِإال‬

ُ‫َّللاُ َو ْح َده‬
َّ َّ‫الَ ِإَل َه ِإال‬
َ ‫َّللاُ الَ َش ِر‬
‫يك َل ُه‬

َّ َّ‫الَ ِإَل َه ِإال‬

‫ َل ُه اْل ُمْل ُك َوَل ُه اْل َح ْم ُد‬،ُ‫َّللا‬

ِ‫اّلل‬
َّ ‫ َوالَ َح ْو َل َوالَ ُقَّوَة ِإالَّ ِب‬،ُ‫َّللا‬
َّ َّ‫الَ ِإَل َه ِإال‬

“Nothing has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and Allah is the Greatest”

“Nothing has the right to be worshipped except Allah, alone”

“Nothing has the right to be worshipped except Allah, without partners”

“Nothing has the right to be worshipped except Allah, to Him belongs the
dominion, and for Him belongs the praise”

“Nothing has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and there is no might and no
power except with Allah”