It was said to Wahb ibn Munabbih, may Allah have mercy on him, “Is not the key to Paradise the statement: There is no Lord but Allah?” Wahb said, “Of course, but rather every key has ridges. If you come with the key with the correct ridges, the door will be opened for you; otherwise, it will never open.”
Sahih Al-Bukhari 1180
عن البخاري قِيلَ لِوَهْبِ بْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ رحمه الله أَلَيْسَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ مِفْتَاحُ الْجَنَّةِ قَالَ بَلَى وَلَكِنْ
لَيْسَ مِفْتَاحٌ إِلَّا لَهُ أَسْنَانٌ فَإِنْ جِئْتَ بِمِفْتَاحٍ لَهُ أَسْنَانٌ فُتِحَ لَكَ وَإِلَّا لَمْ يُفْتَحْ لَكَ
1180 صحيح البخاري كتاب الجنائز باب ما جاء في الجنائز ومن كان آخر كلامه لا إله إلا الله
Hasan al-Basri for instance was told: “People say that one who says La ilaha ill-Allah will enter Jannah.” He replied:
“Whoever says La ilaha ill Allah and fulfils its rights and obligations will enter Jannah.”
The First Condition: Knowledge (Ilm) (الْعِلْمُ)
Knowledge which negates ignorance of it.
فَاعلَم أَنَّهُ لا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ
{Know! that there is none worthy of worship except Allah}
[Muhammad (47): 19]
The Second Condition: Certainty (Yaqin) (اليَقِينُ)
Certainty which negates doubt.
إِنَّمَا المُؤمِنونَ الَّذينَ آمَنوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسولِهِ ثُمَّ لَم يَرتابوا وَجاهَدوا بِأَموالِهِم وَأَنفُسِهِم في سَبيلِ اللَّهِ ۚ أُولٰئِكَ هُمُ الصّادِقونَ
{The believers are only those who have believed in Allah and His Messenger and then doubt not but strive with their properties and their lives in the cause of Allah It is those who are the truthful}
[al-Hujurat (49): 15]
The Third Condition: Acceptance (Qabul) (القُبُولُ)
This means to accept with one’s heart and tongue all the things necessitated by this pure statement. The opposite is to reject it.
إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا إِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ
{Truly, when it is said to them: there is none worthy of worship except Allah, they puffed themselves up with pride (i.e. denied it)}
[al-Saffat (37):35]
The Fourth Condition: Submission (Inqiyad) (الإِنْقِيَادُ)
It means to submit to what it indicates. Thus it is the opposite of abandonment.
وَمَن يُسلِم وَجهَهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحسِنٌ فَقَدِ استَمسَكَ بِالعُروَةِ الوُثقىٰ ۗ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ عاقِبَةُ الأُمورِ
{And whoever submits his face to Allah while he is a doer of good – then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold. And to Allah will be the outcome of [all] matters}
[Luqman (31):22]
The Fifth Condition: Truthfulness (Sidq) (الصِّدْقُ)
The opposite of which is lying, it means to utter this statement truthfully from one’s heart.
(1) الم
(2) أَحَسِبَ النّاسُ أَن يُترَكوا أَن يَقولوا آمَنّا وَهُم لا يُفتَنونَ
(3) وَلَقَد فَتَنَّا الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِهِم ۖ فَلَيَعلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذينَ صَدَقوا وَلَيَعلَمَنَّ الكاذِبينَ
{Alif Lam Mim. Do people think they will be left to say, “We believe” and they will not be tried? But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars}
[al-‘Ankabut (29): 1-3]
The Sixth Condition: Sincerity (Ikhlas) (الإِخْلَاصُ)
Sincerity is the opposite of polytheism (shirk), hypocrisy and all forms of showing off.
إِنّا أَنزَلنا إِلَيكَ الكِتابَ بِالحَقِّ فَاعبُدِ اللَّهَ مُخلِصًا لَهُ الدّينَ
{So worship Allah (alone), being sincere to Him in religion}
[al-Zumar (39): 2]
The Seventh Condition: Love (Mahabbah) (المَحَبَّةُ)
It means to love this great and blessed statement and what it demands and indicates.
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَتَّخِذُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَنْدَادًا يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِلَّهِ
{And among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals (to Him). They love them as they should love Allah. But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah.}
[al-Baqarah (2): 165]
The Eighth Condition: Denial of All Other Deities (الكُفرُ بِالطَّاغُوتِ)
means to reject anything else as an object of worship and to have Iman in Allah as the sole Lord, Creator and the only One worthy of worship in truth.
قَد تَبَيَّنَ الرُّشدُ مِنَ الغَيِّ ۚ فَمَن يَكفُر بِالطّاغوتِ وَيُؤمِن بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ استَمسَكَ بِالعُروَةِ الوُثقىٰ لَا انفِصامَ لَها ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَميعٌ عَليمٌ
{The right course has become distinct from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing}
[al-Baqarah (2): 256]
Ahlul-Hadith 