Download The Shahadah

3.1 The meaning and significance of the Shahadah as a summary of Islamic belief
The Shahadah is the first of the Five Pillars of Islam – The declaration of faith in Allah and His Prophet
In Arabic: ‘lâ ilâha illallâh, Muḥammadur rasûlullâh’
In English: ‘There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger
of God’
For a person to recite these words and mean them is to declare themselves a Muslim. They are saying that they
belong to the Islamic faith.
Most religions have a creed (statement of belief) that people accept if they belong to the religion. This creed will
contain the most important beliefs of the religion. For a Muslim, the Shahadah or Kailmah is a very important
statement as it sums up what one must believe to be a Muslim.
The Shahadah starts with the words, ‘There is no god but Allah…’ This is ‘Tawhid’ which refers to the oneness of God
and no other gods should be worshipped (idolatry). Without this belief there would not be a religion called Islam. This
belief helps Muslims live their lives with confidence, knowing that there is an All-powerful being in control of the world.
Man has a role to play, which is set down for him in the Qur’an. For a Muslim the best example of how to live and fulfill
this role is shown in the life of the Prophet Muhammad. This is summarized in the second part of the Shahadah:
‘…Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.’
Why is the Shahadah significant in the life of a Muslim?
By declaring the shahadah a Muslim is saying the following:
1. There is no room in their life for any god except Allah. This is a very difficult statement to make and keep, but
for a Muslim it is absolutely crucial if they are to live a good Islamic life. Announcing the absoluteness of Allah,
the All-Powerful, All-Knowing being, means that one must submit to Allah and obey His commands. Nothing
less than complete obedience is good enough for such a great God.
2. The belief in Muhammad as the messenger of Allah is accepting that Islam, as given directly to the prophet by
Allah, is the final and complete guidance of Allah for humans. It is also a statement where one is declaring the
intention to follow that guidance in every part of life. This could be difficult in a world where there are many
other things that seem important; everybody needs help to live a good life. For Muslims, following the example
of the Prophet Muhammad is the best way to ensure that the will of Allah is the centre of their life.
The Shahadah is very brief but it is fundamental to a Muslim’s whole way of life because:
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Muslims believe that the purpose of life for human beings is to worship Allah alone. Every day and each
minute of a Muslim’s life should be spent in the worship of Allah. The commitment made by the first recitation
of the Shahadah is renewed by constant repetition throughout the day.
A Muslim performs every act in the name of and to obtain the pleasure of Allah. This is ibadah. Worshipping
Allah means serving Allah, and everything that a Muslim does during the day is motivated by this idea. This
means that everything must be done to the very best of one’s ability.
Allah gave humans life and they have a responsibility to live it in the way Allah intended. The only way a
Muslim can do this is to follow the Qur’an and the example of Muhammad.
Summary:
The Shahadah is the declaration of faith that anyone becoming a Muslim must make. It is
the first pillar of Islam and the foundation on which the other pillars are based.
Exam Question
(b) Do you think that the Shahadah makes someone a Muslim? Give two reasons for your point of view.
(4)
Exam Question
(b) Do you think that the Shahadah makes someone a Muslim? Give two reasons for your point of view.
(4)
Yes:
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It is the first and most important pillar of Islam and is a clear declaration of faith, ‘There is no god but God, and
Muhammad is the Messenger of God.’ It is the foundation upon which the religion of Islam is based.
There are no formal ceremonies like baptism which welcome you into the Islamic faith, because they are not
considered necessary. Only belief in the One God is necessary in order to become a Muslim.
No:
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Simply repeating the words of the Kalimah does not make you a Muslim because it is the belief and the
intention (niyyah) behind the words that makes them a true believer. It is the belief in someone’s heart that
Allah requires and not hollow words.
It is not enough to simply recite the Shahadah to become a Muslim; a person must live their life acting in
accordance to Allah’s teachings in the Qur’an. A Muslim must follow the rest of the five pillars and be
constantly aware of God’s presence (Taqwa) in their lives.