Shahadah....The Testimony of Faith

Shahadah....The Testimony of Faith

Shahadah is the first pillar of Islam.It is the first duty of a Muslim.A person becomes a Muslim by believing and reciting the SHAHADAH. This must be recited in Arabic language and aloud.

Arabic,Transliteration and translation below;

اشهد ان لا إله إلا الله وأشهد ان محمد رسول الله                                                                        

 "Ashhadu Anlla iIaha Illa Allah Wa Ashhadu Anna Muhammad Rasulu Allah"

"I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah(SWT) and that Muhammad(SAW) is his servant and Messenger."


However,there are nine (9) conditions of Shahadah according to Islamic Scholars.
  1. Knowledge; that is, one must have the basics and general knowledge of what is meant by the shahadah. One must understand what the shahadah is affirming
  2. Certainty;this is the opposite of doubt and uncertainty. In Islam, in fact, any kind of doubt is equivalent to Kufr or disbelief. We must, in our hearts, be absolutely certain of the truth of the shahadah. Our hearts must not be wavering in any way when we testify to the truth of, "There is none worthy of worship except Allah
  3. Acceptance;if a person has knowledge of and certainty in the shahadah, this must be followed by acceptance, with the tongue and heart, of whatever that shahadah implies. Whoever refuses to accept the shahadah and its implications, even if he knows that it is true and certain about its truth, then he is a disbeliever
  4. Submission;this implies the actual physical enactment with our deeds of our shahadah. In fact, this is one of the main meanings of the word Islam itself, "the submission to the will and commands of Allah.
  5. Truth;this means that when we say the shahadah, we are saying it honestly. We actually mean it. We are not lying when it comes to our testimony of faith
  6. Sincerity;that is, when we make the shahadah, we must do so solely for the sake of Allah. We must not do it for any other reason. And we must not do it for anyone else's sake.
  7. Love;that is, the believer loves this shahadah, he loves in accordance with the shahadah, he loves the implications and requirements of the shahadah and he loves those who act and strive for the sake of this shahadah. This is a necessary condition of the shahadah. If a person makes the shahadah but does not love the shahadah and what it stands for, then, in fact, his faith is not complete
  8. Denial;  although that is clear in the words of the testimony of faith, it does not seem clear to everyone who makes that testimony. Therefore, I am mentioning it explicitly here. In Surah al-Baqarah, Allah clearly reminds us of this important aspect of the shahadah, the shahadah is not merely an affirmation but it is both an affirmation and a negation. Allah states,
    "And he who rejects false deities and believes in Allah has grasped a firm handhold which will never break" (al-Baqarah: 256)
  9. Adherence;  this is must if the shahadah is to mean anything for you in the Hereafter. You cannot rest on your laurels of what you may have done in the past. No, indeed, the shahadah must be your banner until your death.
A japanese converted to Islam saying Shahadah.
    Credit: Al-Basheer magazine,

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