Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
The testimony “La ilaha illa Allah” is the foundation of Islam and the greatest statement of Tawhid. Its basic meaning is: There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah; that is, to worship Allah alone and abandon the worship of everything besides Him.
At the same time, this testimony includes the three types of Tawhid:
Tawhid of Lordship: Believing that Allah alone is the Creator, Owner, Provider, and Controller of the affairs of creation.
Tawhid of Worship: Directing all forms of worship to Allah alone, such as supplication, prayer, reliance, seeking help, sacrifice, vows, and all other acts of worship.
Tawhid of Names and Attributes: Believing in the beautiful Names and perfect Attributes that are established for Allah in a manner befitting His Majesty.
These types are interconnected and inseparable. Whoever believes that Allah alone is the Creator, Provider, and Controller must worship Him alone. And whoever believes in His Lordship also believes in His Names and Attributes that indicate His perfection.
Allah says:
“Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, so worship Him and remain steadfast in His worship. Do you know of anyone equal to Him?”
[Maryam: 65]
This verse combines meanings related to Lordship, worship, and Allah’s Names and Attributes.
No. A Muslim is not required, every time he says “La ilaha illa Allah,” to consciously recall the scholarly classification of Tawhid into three categories or the details of each category.
What matters is that he believes in these meanings in his heart, realizes the foundation of Tawhid, and does not hold beliefs that contradict them.
A Muslim may say “La ilaha illa Allah” while especially focusing on the meaning of sincerely worshipping Allah alone. This does not mean that he has denied or lost his belief that Allah is the Creator and Provider, or that Allah possesses perfect Attributes.
A person may naturally focus on a particular meaning depending on his situation. During worship, he may focus on worshipping Allah alone. When seeking provision, he may remember that Allah is the Provider. During hardship, he may especially remember Allah’s power, mercy, and control over all affairs.
If a person already believes in Tawhid of Lordship and in Allah’s Names and Attributes, but when pronouncing the testimony or repenting he especially focuses on the meaning, “There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah,” then his testimony is not deficient merely because he did not consciously recall every detail of all the categories of Tawhid at that moment.
He does not need to repeat his repentance for this reason.
What is required is not that a person repeatedly mention the names of the categories of Tawhid or consciously recall their definitions each time. Rather, what is required is to believe in their realities and act according to them.
Scholars have explained that the purpose of the teachings of Tawhid and the conditions of the testimony is to realize their true meanings, not merely to memorize terminology and expressions.
The direct meaning of “La ilaha illa Allah” is to worship Allah alone. It also includes Tawhid of Lordship and Tawhid of Allah’s Names and Attributes because the types of Tawhid are interconnected.
A Muslim is not required every time he pronounces the testimony to consciously recall all three categories and their details one by one. It is sufficient that he believes in them, realizes their meanings, and does not believe anything that contradicts them.
Therefore, whoever repents to Allah while believing in these truths and sincerely worshipping Allah alone, his repentance is valid in this respect, and he does not need to renew it merely because he did not consciously recall the classifications of Tawhid while pronouncing the testimony.
And Allah knows best.