Ibn Majah reported in his collection of hadiths, according to Al Aghar Abou Mouslim, who testified that both Abu Huraira and Abu Sa’id had reported that the Messenger of Allah said:
“When the servant says: ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, Allah is the Greatest,’ Allah says: ‘My servant speaks the truth: there is no deity worthy of worship except Me, and I am Allah, the Greatest.’ And when the servant says: ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone,’ Allah says: ‘My servant speaks the truth: there is no deity worthy of worship except Me alone.’ And when the servant says: ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, without any partners,’ Allah says: ‘My servant speaks the truth: there is no deity worthy of worship except Me, and I have no partners.’ And when the servant says: ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, to Him belongs sovereignty and praise,’ Allah says: ‘My servant speaks the truth: there is no deity worthy of worship except Me, sovereignty and praise belong to Me.’ And when the servant says: ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, there is no changing of conditions and strength except by Allah,’ Allah says: ‘My servant speaks the truth: there is no deity worthy of worship except Me, there is no changing of state nor strength except by Me.’”
Abou Ishaq said: “Then, Al Aghar said something that I did not understand.” I asked Abou Ja’far, “What did he say?” He said, “Those to whom these [words] are granted at the time of their death will not be touched by the fire.” Tirmidhi also reported it in the chapter: “What the servant should say when he is sick.” He reported it with the phrase: “Whoever says them when he is sick and dies, the fire will not touch him.”
Al-Nasa’i also reported it and added: “He counts them as five by folding his fingers (toward his palm).” He also said in another narration: “Allah supports His servant with five statements that he utters.” Then he mentioned them.
Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, declared while enumerating the benefits of the remembrance (of Allah): “The remembrance is a cause for the Lord to bear witness to the truthfulness of His servant. The forms of remembrance declare His attributes of perfection and His attributes of majesty. Thus, when the servant mentions them, his Lord confirms his words. Whoever the Lord attests to his truthfulness will not be gathered with the liars; it is hoped that he will be grouped with the truthful.” And he cited this hadith. He also said, may Allah have mercy upon him: “And among His love, pure is He, is the praise that is given to Him. He confirms the one who praises Him through His attributes of perfection.”
Ibn Hibban thus classified this hadith in his authentic work, in the chapter: “Mention of the words that the Muslim says and that his Lord, exalted and elevated is He, confirms.”
Regarding this statement: “The one to whom these words are granted at the time of his death will not be touched by the fire.”
Al Sindi, may Allah have mercy upon him, commented in his annotations to the Sunan of Ibn Majah: “This means that whoever is granted by Allah the privilege of these statements, and He guides him to pronounce them at the time of his death, the fire will not touch him. On the contrary, he will immediately enter Paradise with the virtuous. O Lord, grant us these statements.”
Al-Shawkani, may Allah have mercy upon him, declared in Touhfat Al Dhakirin: “The meaning of this is that these statements encompass Tawhid five times. It has been established in authentic hadiths that whoever dies without associating anything with Allah will enter Paradise. We will mention (the hadith): ‘Whoever’s final words are ‘La Ilaha Illa Allah’ [There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah] will enter Paradise.’ He reported numerous hadiths in this sense, according to a large number of companions, from authentic sources and others.”
Al-Moubarakfouri, may Allah have mercy upon him, said in Mara’at: “This hadith is evidence that if an individual utters these words while sick and dies as a result of that sickness, having pronounced them—that is, these are the last words he utters consciously and carefully—the fire will not touch him, and he will not be affected by his past sins, for they expiate all sins.”
Cheikh Al ‘Otheimine, may Allah have mercy upon him, said in his explanation of Riyad Al Salihin: “It is fitting for the individual to memorize this remembrance and to recite it frequently when he is ill, until he attains a good end by the permission of Allah the Most High, and success comes from Allah.”
My father, Cheikh ‘Abd Al Mouhsin Al Badr, may Allah preserve him, dictated this to me: “This is a great remembrance, reported by certain authors of the Sunan and others, which has been authenticated by a group of scholars. It consists of five Tahlilat (declarations of the testimony of faith ‘La Ilaha Illa Allah’) and is accompanied by praise to Allah, as befits His greatness. Imam Al Bukhari, may Allah have mercy upon him, concluded his authentic collection with the hadith of Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, in which the Messenger said: “Two statements that are light on the tongue, heavy on the scale, beloved to the Most Merciful: ‘SubhanAllah Al ‘Azim, SubhanAllah Wa Bihamdihi’. These five Tahlilat are suitable to be described by these three characteristics mentioned in this hadith. My son, ‘Abd Al Razzaq, may Allah preserve him, has done well to mention and disseminate this hadith, and the reminding profits the believers. Therefore, it is imperative for the Muslim to pay attention to this remembrance, especially in the case of illness. Allah is the One who grants success.”
Cheikh Ahmad Abou ‘Oubaydah Al Mahrazzi Al Mourrakachi, may Allah have mercy upon him, greatly recommended this invocation, which he called “the recitation of approaching death.” He said: “Do not neglect the recitation of approaching death and always keep it in mind.” He explained the difference between this invocation and the hadith: “Whoever’s final words are ‘La Ilaha Illa Allah’ will enter Paradise.” He emphasized: “Paradise can be reached after prior punishment, but here, there is no prior punishment, for it is said ’the fire will not touch him’.” He affirmed: “These five statements, at the time of death, constitute the greatest and most precious provision.” Allah honored him by making them the last words he uttered in this world. Moreover, he made them pronounced by another dying person who was at his bedside, so they became their last words. Thus, a dying person made these statements pronounced by another dying person. May Allah forgive both of them, as well as all deceased Muslims.
This remembrance is great and blessed. Every Muslim should take care of it and recite it abundantly. It should be considered an objective and aspiration. One hopes that Allah will enable him to pronounce them at the time of his death, in order to have a good end and to enter Paradise immediately with the virtuous, without the fire touching him.
Success is from Allah alone, with no partner.
Source: Official website of Cheikh ‘Abd Al Razzaq Al Badr, may Allah preserve him.