Riyad Us-Saliheen (Gardens of the Righteous)

Chapter 150
Helping a dying Person to Pronounce 'La Ilaha Illahllah'

917. Mu`adh bin Jabal (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He whose last words are: `La ilaha illallah' (There is no true god except Allah) will enter Jannah.''
[Abu Dawud].

Commentary:  This Hadith says that if a man's tongue spontaneously starts uttering the basic testification of Islam: "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah'' just before his death, he will undoubtedly enter Jannah. However, it is not definite whether he will go to Jannah in the first phase or will be admitted to it in the second phase after undergoing a purification process. This depends on the Will of Allah. Yet, admission to Jannah is subjected to his thorough understanding of monotheism and its conditions, that is to say, a complete abstinence from a polytheistic conduct of life. Otherwise, Jannah is likely to be denied to many of the so-called Muslims overtly indulging in polytheism.

918. Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Exhort your dying men to recite: `La ilaha illallah' (There is no true god except Allah).''
[Muslim].

Commentary:  This Hadith implies the Prophet's instruction to his followers to recite the testification of Islam: La ilaha illallah (There is no true god except Allah) beside the dying people so that they may also recite it after hearing it. Yet, they should not be urged to recite it (i.e., by saying to the dying person: say it, say it) lest they refuse in embarrassment involving an affront to Faith. May Allah guard us against such a thing!