The Shahadah is an Arabic word that means “to give witness” or “to testify” to the oneness of Allah and His last Messenger, who was sent for all of mankind. It is the basic creed of Islam that must be recited under oath using a specific statement. This testimony is the foundation for all other beliefs and practices in Islam. The testimony or the creed (Shahadah or Shahadatayn) consists of two parts: Kalima-E-Tawheed (Allah’s Oneness) and Kalima-E-Risalat (Prophet Muhammad’s Messengerhood).
The Shahadah consists of two parts: Kalima-E-Tawheed and Kalima-E-Risalat.
Arabic: “Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadur Rasulullah”
Translation: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
This testimony is the core of Islamic belief and the divider between Imaan (faith) and Kufr (disbelief). Allah emphasized its value in many verses of the Qur’an (47:19, 3:18, etc.).
Every prophet conveyed the same message of Tawheed. Qur’an 21:25 states: “There is no deity except Me, so worship Me.”
“Laa ilaaha illallah” includes two principles:
“Muhammadur Rasulullah” means that Muhammad (PBUH) is Allah’s final Messenger and servant. This requires:
Believing in and following Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is essential to true faith. His commands must be followed, and his teachings must be trusted completely.
Faith is not complete without both belief in Allah and following Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Both parts must be believed in and acted upon. Mere verbal declaration is not sufficient without obedience and sincerity.
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