Nothing is perfect, but it is bound to deteriorate

Ibn Jarir recorded that Harun bin `Antarah said that his father said, "When the Ayah,

﴾الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ﴿

'This day, I have perfected your religion for you...' was revealed, during the great day of Hajj (the Day of Arafah, the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah) Umar cried. The Prophet said, "What makes you cry?" He said, "What made me cry is that our religion is being perfected for us. Now it is perfect, nothing is perfect, but it is bound to deteriorate." The Prophet said,

«صَدَقْت»

"You have said the truth.'' 

What supports the meaning of this Hadith is the authentic Hadith:

«إِنَّ الْإِسْلَامَ بَدَأَ غَرِيبًا، وَسَيَعُودُ غَرِيبًا، فَطُوبَى لِلْغُرَبَاء»

Islam was strange in its beginning and will return strange once more. Therefore, Tooba [good tidings] for the strangers. [Sahih Muslim]

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir 

Supplication of the Muslim

Allah says:

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ

And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided. (2:186)

This is one of the most beautiful places out of all the places Allah asks the Muslims to make dua to Him.

Conditions of the Shahada (La ilaaha illa Allah)

The Shahada is the testimony of faith one says to enter into Islam. The shortest form is as follows:

لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله
lā ʾilāha ʾillà Allah, Muḥammadun rasūlu Allah
"There is no god but Allah [The God], Muhammad is the messenger of Allah."

There is a lengthy description on the meaning of this phrase, and what in entails, but that is not the point of discussion here. InshaAllah, that topic will be covered at a later time.

Just uttering this statement isn't enough, because the hypocrites used to say this all the time, and yet Allah described them as liars, and they will abide in the lowest depths of hell.

The shahada is the key to paradise, but every key has ridges. Only the key with the right ridges will open the door for you. This means that the shahada has conditions to it. These conditions are the differentiators between those who will benefit from the statement, and those who will not.

There are 9 conditions of the shahada. We must do our best to learn these conditions and implement them before it is too late.