Home Next   

 

SHAHAADA

(Declaration of Faith)
Ritual of Worship (Ibadat) 1. Shahaada
2. Salat
3. Saum
4. Zakat
5. Haj

 

A person declares his belief in Islam by declaring the Shahaada.  Shahaada consists of declaring two sentences, the meaning of which is profound.

All that a person has to say is: 

 

أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله

أشهد أن محـمداً رسـول الله

I declare that there is no deity except Allah

I declare that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah 

The meaning of these sentences is deep.  A person who admits these words and believes in them will mean to believe in:

 

▪    Allah Almighty, His Oneness and attributes,

▪    the Holy Quran, the Book of God and all its contents,

▪    that Muhammad (pbuh) is Allah's Messenger and His chosen Prophet, the last of all Prophets, and

▪    all the sayings and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

 

   Thus, a person who declares the Shahaada is a person who is declaring acceptance of the teachings of Islam, and that Islam has become his religion.

SHAHAADA

Allah (swt)

Positive Attributes

Aspects of Negation

Muhammad (pbuh)

Holy Quran as revealed through Jubra'eel

Hadith and Example

 

MEANING OF THE FIRST SENTENCE   go to top of page

As mentioned before, the Shahaada consists of two parts, the first one being in regard to faith in Allah (God).  The second part is in regard to faith in the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (pbuh).  When we say: 

 

أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله

I declare that there is no deity except Allah

 we mean that Allah (God) is the only Being we worship.  Allah is One and there is no trinity in Islam.  The Oneness of Allah (Tawhid) is the basis of our belief in Islam.  Allah Almighty has mentioned that fact many times in His Holy Book, the Holy Quran.

   God exists, He is One, He is Just, He is the Creator, and He is supreme.  Allah describes Himself in Surah 2:  Ayah 163 as follows:

 

وَإِلَـهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ لاَّ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيمُ

 And your God is  One    There is no God except He,

Most Gracious, Most Merciful

 

 God also says in Surah 112: Ayah 1-5:        

 قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ    اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ    لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ    وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

Say, He is God the One, God who is needed by all

God begets not, Nor is He begotten

And there is none comparable to Him

 Allah (God) declares Himself that He is One.  He has no partners.  He has no father or mother.  He does not have a child or any children.  And He says that there is none equal to Him.

▪    Allah Almighty has always existed, and will always exist.

▪    Allah's Oneness (Tawhid) is a fundamental Islamic belief.

▪    Allah's Justice (Adl) is absolute and perfect.

  

WHAT ARE ALLAH'S ATTRIBUTES?   go to top of page

   There are thirteen attributes of Allah. Whenever we mention the word Allah, it is good to say (swt) which means Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala, standing for Glory be to Him.  Allah's thirteen attributes are as follows: 

  1. Allah (God) exists

  2. Allah (God) has no beginning

  3. Allah (God) has no end

  4. Allah (God) none is like Him

  5. Allah (God) is self‑sustaining

  6. Allah (God) is One

  7. Allah (God) is Mighty

  8. Allah (God) creates by His will

  9. Allah (God) is All‑Knowing

  10. Allah (God) is living

  11. Allah (God) hears everything

  12. Allah (God) sees everything

  13. Allah (God) speaks

(Other schools of thought in Islam categorize the attributes differently, for more details see Way of Ahlul Bayt of the Series of Islamic Books for Beginners)

 

THE POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES OF ALLAH'S BEING   go to top of page

  1. Allah is Timeless and Eternal.

  2. Allah is Omnipotent.

  3. Allah is All-Knowing.

  4. Allah is Ever-living.

  5. Allah is the Willing (Will of God).

  6. Allah is the Perceiver:

                     a.  All-Seeing,

                     b.  All-hearing,

                     c.  Omnipresent.

  1. Allah is the Master of the Word (He says "BE" and it will)

  2. Allah is the Truthful.

 

 ALLAH'S ATTRIBUTES OF NEGATION?   go to top of page

(Aspects of Negation of God's Being)

  1. Allah does not have a body.

  2. Allah is not composed of constituents.

  3. Allah is not contained.

  4. Allah does not incarnate into anything.

  5. Allah does not coalesce with anything.

  6. Allah cannot be seen.

  7. Allah is not susceptible to change.

  8. Allah's Being and His attributes are one and the same.

MEANING OF THE SECOND SENTENCE OF SHAHAADA   go to top of page

   As mentioned the second sentence of the Shahaada is about faith in the Messenger of Allah meaning Muhammad (pbuh).  When a person says:

أشهد أن محـمداً رسـول الله

I declare that Muhammad is the Messenger of God

 he declares that he accepts and follows the Holy Quran and all the teachings of Prophet Muhammad.

   Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had delivered Allah's Message whole and complete.  Allah's words were revealed to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) by the Angel Jubra'eel (Gabriel).  It was revealed step by step over a period of twenty-three years, when the message was completed.  Allah's Message constituted Allah's Book, the Holy Quran, as revealed to Muhammad, Allah's Messenger to humanity.

   When we mention the name of Prophet Muhammad, we should always say:  peace be upon him, or in short (pbuh).

 

WHAT DOES THE SHAHAADA TELL US?   go to top of page

   Acceptance of the Shahaada means the acceptance of the teachings of Islam.  This means that:

A.    Islam teaches us the basics of our faith as:

   1.  the belief in Allah (God,)

   2.  the belief in the Prophets and that Muhammad is the last one,

   3.  the belief in the Angels of God,

   4.  the belief in the Holy Books of God, and

   5.  the belief in the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter. 

 

B.      Islam teaches us to worship.  The basics of our Ibadat or acts of worship are the following:

1.   Salat (Prayer),

2.   Saum (Fasting),

3.   Zakat (Poor due),

4.   Haj (Pilgrimage), and

5.   Living a chaste Islamic life, encouraging good deeds and prohibiting evil.

 

C.     Islam also teaches us about:

   1.  how to live decently and be good,

   2.  how to deal with others in a proper manner,

   3.  what is permitted or lawful (Halal),

   4.  what to avoid (Haram), and

   5.  how to apply the discipline of Islam and use it as a way of life.

 

   This book deals with the components of Ibadat (Acts of Worship).  Salat (Prayer), will be dealt with in general terms, but the teacher or parents are expected to help teach the technique of performing it.  This book will give you a general idea only, the details of the techniques are provided in Book of Salat (Islamic Books for Beginners).  This information is essential to learn.

Saum, Zakat and Haj are also treated in general, yet very useful terms. 

                            

QUESTIONS   go to top of page

  1. How does a person declare himself to be a Muslim?

  2. Say the Shahaada.

  3. What is the meaning of Shahaada?

  4. What does the first sentence of Shahaada mean?

  5. What are God's attributes?

  6. Whose justice is absolute?

  7. What is the meaning of the second sentence of Shahaada?

  8. What does the acceptance of Shahaada mean?

  9. What are the basics of our faith (Iman)?

  10. What are the basics of our Ibadat?

  11. What is meant by the clean Islamic life?

  12. Is it enough to say the Shahaada without meaning it?

  13. What does declaring that Muhammad is Allah's Messenger mean?

  14. What does the Shahaada tell us?

  15. Why is the importance of the oneness of Allah?