The Shahādah of Islam Or The Article of Islamic faith

The Shahādah of Islam Or The Article Of Islamic faith              

    بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

     (Bismillāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm)

     In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful.

Praise be to Allah.

Shahādah is the first of five pillars of Islam. Anyone who wants to become a Muslim, he/she has to declare the Shahādah. It is the basic article of the Islamic faith. 

The word šahādah is derived from the root word šhahida meaning "to observe, witness, testify”. So the word šahādah is translated as "testimony",  the testimony of Islamic faith. It is as follows

لَآ اِلٰهَ اِلَّااللهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللہِ         

 “ lā ilāha illā -llāh, muḥammadur rasūlu -llāh ”.

"There is no God but Allah and Muhammad(pbuh)  is His messenger."

When a person recites this Shahadah of Islam, he/she proclaims that :

Allah is the one and only God (there is no God beside Allah), and that Muhammad (pbuh) is His Messenger 

By declaring Shahadah of Islam a Muslim accept that he/she will obey all the commitments of Islam in their life.

Shahada of Islam or The article of the Islamic faith

Becoming a Muslim, how to become a Muslim, how to accept Islam, what should I do to become a Muslim, How do you say the Shahadah?, What Is The Islamic Testimony Of Faith ?, How To Take Shahadah ?:

Reciting the statement the article of Islamic faith  ( with sincerity, understanding) is all that anyone needs to do to become a Muslim. A person is expected to recite this statement, wholeheartedly, understand it, and abide by it till death. 

The Arabic statement of shahada can be transliterated into the Roman as follows :

Ashhadu-an la Ilaha Illa Allah Wa Ashhadu Anna Muhammad Rasulu Allah

Meaning :

"I bear witness that, there is no God but Allah and I bear witness that, Muhammad is his Messenger".

Traditionally the words “ Ashhadu-an” which means “I bear witness that” 0r “I testify that” are often included while proclaiming the Shahādah.

 Shahada Of Islamic has two parts

1) The first part of the shahada of Islam is that "There is no God but Allah" In this part of Shahādah, a person in order to become a Muslim first rejects all the previously believed deities as false deities and then accepts Allah as the one and only God. This is the first part of šahādah is called tawḥīd (oneness of God or monotheism). 

A person who gives the Islamic shahada is a “Muvahid”, that means, a monotheist believing Allah as the 0ne and only God. 

This principle of monotheism, “called tawḥīd (Arabic: توحيد‎)”, is the most fundamental concept in Islam. A Muslim has to observe rigorous monotheism. He /she has to believe that Allah is the one and only in his essence, in his right to be worshiped and in his attributes. A Muslim has to believe that God has no parents, no children, or there is nothing similar or equal to Him. In Islam, God is beyond all comprehension and thus Muslims are not expected to anthropomorphize him (attribute human characteristics or behavior to the god).

God is described in the Holy Qur’an chapter 112  as:

 " Say, He is God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him" (112:1–4).

[Definition of tawḥīd: Believing that Allaah is One with no partner or associate in His Lordship (ruboobiyyah), divinity (uloohiyyah) or names and attributes (al-asma’ wa-sifaat).

Attributes of Allah: God is described and referred to by certain names or attributes, the most common being Al-Rahmān, meaning "The Compassionate" and Al-Rahīm, meaning "The Merciful" (See Names of God in Islam).There are 99 attributes of Allah mentioned in Islam.]

After understanding the concept of tawḥīd.  A Muslim should also understand the concept of “shirk”. Shirk is the exact opposite of tawḥīd. 

Islam rejects polytheism and idolatry, associating partners, attributing children or parents to Allah. Islam rejects the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, Hinduism's idol or nature worship. Associating partners with Allah or polytheism or idolatry is called Shirk. Shirk is the greatest of all sins in Islam. A Muslim always tries to protect himself from shirk. A true Muslim prefers to give his life but never likes to commit shirk.

Regarding Shirk the following verse of the Holy Qur’an asserts:

“Surely Allah does not forgive that anything should be associated with him(shirk), and forgives what is besides that to whomsoever He pleases, and whoever associates anything with Allah, he devises indeed a great sin.” (Surah an-Nisā’ 4:48)

It means that whoever dies as a polytheist, there is no chance of his salvation. Although Allah (S.w.T.) may forgive any of those who have committed any other sin.

 Allah (S.w.T.) says:

“Surely whoever associates (others) with Allah(commits shirk), then Allah has forbidden to him the garden(paradise), and his abode is the fire(hell); and there shall be no helpers for the unjust.” (Surah al-Mā’ida 5:72)

Also, the Holy Qur’an states:

“Do not associate aught with Allah; most surely polytheism is a grievous iniquity.” 

(Surah Luqmān 31:13).

“And whoever associates anything with Allah, he devises indeed a great sin.” 

(Surah an-Nisā’ 4:48)

2) The second part of the shahada of Islam:

The second part of the shahada of Islam is“ Muhammad (pbuh) is His Messenger”,

Muslims believe that Muhammad(pbuh)  was God’s last and final Prophet and Messenger (pbuh). He is the seal of prophethood. He was sent as a mercy to all mankind.

Faith in Prophet Muhammad(pbuh)  entails believing in all his teachings and follow in our lives. A Muslim should believe that Qur’an is the word of God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad(pbuh). A Muslim should believe that whatever the Prophet speaks concerning the Deen (religion) is from Allah. A Muslim should love Prophet Muhammad(pbuh)  more than his own life. A Muslim should make Prophets Muhammad(pbuh) as the ideal of his life.

A true Muslim follows the Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) in his teachings and doings. His doings and teachings are preserved by his companions and are called Sunnah or Hadith.

Conclusion: So shahadah of Islam is the declaration, which has to be made by a person who wants to enter Islam. 

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