When we say لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله, we accept the reality that there is no god other than God. This is a fact which I willingly accept and acknowledge, and not unwillingly.
The whole of Islam is about acceptance of reality. When we say لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله, we accept the reality that there is no god other than God. This is a fact which I willingly accept and acknowledge, and not unwillingly.
There is a verse in the Quran: أَفَغَيْرَ دِينِ اللَّهِ يَبْغُونَ وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ. (3.83) Do they seek a religion other than the religion of God, when everything in the heavens and the earth has submitted to Him, willingly or unwillingly? To Him they shall all return. All the things in the vast universe -- stars, planets, galaxies, solar sytem — everything is being governed by God's command.
This is the order that God has laid down for them. They have accepted the reality that God is the controller. They have surrendered before God the Lord of the worlds, the Lord of the universe, the Creator. What is surrender? It is acceptance of reality. The entire universe, every object in space, has accepted the reality that God is the Creator, the Lord of the universe, who has all the power. But God hasn’t placed humans in any kind of compulsion. They have been given freedom. This is the greatest dignity of human beings. Although a human being has total freedom, he stands up on this planet earth and says: O God, whatever the universe has accepted unwillingly, I acknowledge that willingly and by my own choice. This is the greatest achievement of a human being. Everything is acknowledging God under compulsion, be it the smallest particle or the largest galaxy. But God has given total freedom to a human being. He stands up on the earth and says: O God, I have discovered Your existence. You are controlling everything. I acknowledge You. Faith in God is acceptance of reality.