Does the Hadith, "Whoever says 'There is no god but Allah' has entered Paradise," mean merely uttering it, or does it necessitate action? And will a ruler who propagates immorality, fights religion, rules by other than Sharia, and allies himself with disbelievers abide eternally in Hellfire, or will he enter Paradise after a period? And what is the ruling on those who assist him, such as police, intellectuals, and media personnel—will they abide eternally in Hellfire, or will they remain for a period and then enter Paradise?

Whoever recites "Lā ilāha illallāh" (There is no god but Allah) believing in its meaning, and dies upon that, will eventually enter Paradise, no matter how long their suffering may be. Mere utterance without conviction is of no benefit; rather, the benefit lies in conviction and faith, even if accompanied by sins and transgressions. The Messenger of Allah (peace be blessings be upon him) said: "On the Day of Resurrection, the most affluent person in the world from among the people of Hell will be brought and dipped once in the Fire. Then it will be said to him, 'O son of Adam, have you ever seen any good? Have you ever experienced any delight?' He will say, 'No, by Allah, O Lord!'"

As for rulers and their helpers, if they recite "Lā ilāha illallāh" with conviction and commit sins, then what applies to the perpetrators of major sins applies to them. Whatever relates to the right of Allah Almighty, its matter is with Him, glory be to Him, in accordance with His saying: "Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills." And whatever relates to the rights of people, its matter is with them. However, if they are not believers at all, or are apostates, or hypocrites, then they will abide eternally in Hell, as Allah Almighty said: "Indeed, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire, and you will not find for them any helper."