The Declaration of Faith [Shahāda]

What is the importance of the declaration of faith ?

The declaration of faith [Shahāda] is the first pillar of Islam.  It is to testify that “There is no God but Allah ﷻ (Jalla Jalāluh – Great is His Majesty), and that Muhammad ﷺ (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wasallam: – May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is His Messenger. 

This declaration is the most  important, and essential key that enters a person into the fold of Islam and faith .

The Shahāda consists of two core components:

Belief in the oneness of Allah ﷻ

We firstly affirm that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah ﷻ. He ﷻ alone is the Creator of the universe and has no partners. Nothing else is to be worshiped alongside Him ﷻ.

Belief in the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

We then affirm that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah ﷻ. He was sent as a mercy to the worlds, to deliver glad tidings and to warn all of creation – both mankind and Jinn.

These two components of the Shahāda together form a single, foundational pillar of our Islamic faith. This pillar serves as the clear distinction between truth and falsehood. Without affirming both parts of the Shahāda – namely to sincerely worship Allah ﷻ alone and to follow the way of His Messenger ﷺ – a person cannot be considered a Muslim. It is considered to be a great blessing which Allah ﷻ has bestowed upon His ﷻ creation, a righteous religion free from falsehood or deficiency (nuqsān).

 “Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My blessings upon you, and chosen as your religion Islam: [total devotion to God]; but if any of you is forced by hunger to eat forbidden food, with no intention of doing wrong, then God is most forgiving and merciful.” Qurʾān: The Feast [Al-Māʾidah] 5:3   

What is the meaning of the declaration of faith ?

This foundational pillar of our faith contains two essential declarations: the Oneness of Allah ﷻ [tawhīd] and the declaration that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is His ﷻ Messenger. 

Through it, we testify that there is only one God, Allah ﷻ and that He ﷻ is the only one worthy of worship.  

We also believe that the noble human being, Muhammad ﷺ (son of Abdullah ibin abdulmutaleb) ,peace be upon him, received divine revelations from Allah ﷻ through the angel Gabriel [Jibrīl] عليه السلام. Without believing that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as the last and final Messenger of Allah ﷻ, a person cannot be considered a believer.  “Believers, obey Allah and the Messenger: do not let your deeds go to waste.” Qurʾān: [Muḥammad] 47:31

     Through the Shahāda, we affirm our belief that Allah ﷻ is One.  He ﷻ is indivisible, He has no partner, and no equal. Our understanding of Allah is rooted in His ﷻ noble attributes, which reveal to us His ﷻ majesty, power and perfection.

Allah ﷻ is self-subsisting, and eternal. He ﷻ is unaffected by fatigue or rest – neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him ﷻ. He ﷻ is the Lord and Creator of all things, with complete authority and control over every aspect of existence.

With His ﷻ all-encompassing knowledge, Allah ﷻ is fully aware of both what is seen (known) and what is hidden.   Allah ﷻ is described as preexistent and eternal , meaning that it is impossible for Him ﷻ to have a beginning or an end. Allah ﷻ has no one before Him ﷻ nor after Him ﷻ. He ﷻ is self-sufficient (independent) and free from the need of His creation. There is nothing that can prevent Him ﷻ from His divine judgement, ruling and order.

When a person utters the Shahāda, it is not merely a statement of words. It must be followed by actions and behavior that reflect its meaning – living a life devoted to Allah and striving to fulfill the purpose for which we were created.

“The ‘true’ believers are only those who believe in Allah and His Messenger- never doubting-and strive with their wealth and their lives in the cause of Allah. They are the ones true in faith”

Qurʾān: The Private Rooms [Al-Ḥujurāt]  49:15.                                                                                                                                

Rulings of the declaration of faith

Whoever sincerely declares the Shahāda becomes a Muslim and enters the fold of Islam. With this testimony, the individual accepts the truth of Islam and is then obligated to uphold the teachings and rulings of the religion.

The Shahāda is the gateway to faith, but it must be followed by commitment to Islamic practice, including prayer, fasting, charity and living according to the guidance of the Quran and sunnah.

Evidence of the declaration of faith : 

The significance of the declaration of faith is clearly established in the foundational teachings of Islam. Among the strongest evidence is a well-known narration from the Prophet ﷺ that outlines the core structure of the religion.

 Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Messenger ﷺ of Allah say: “Islam has been built on five (pillars): testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, performing the prayers, paying the Zakah, making pilgrimage to the House, and fasting in Ramadan”. [Bukhāri & Muslim]

This hadith clearly demonstrates that the Shahāda—testifying to the oneness of Allah ﷻ and the Prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ—is the first and most essential pillar of Islam. It is the foundation upon which all other acts of worship and obedience are built upon. Without it, none of the other pillars hold value, and with it begins one’s journey into the fold of Islam. 

The conditions of saying the declaration of faith  

Knowledge 

A person must know what they are saying. They must understand that only Allah ﷻ is worthy of worship, and that He ﷻ has no partner, no equal, and no one shares in His power. This knowledge is the opposite of ignorance.

“So be assured that there is no God but Allah, and seek forgiveness for your fault, and (the faults of) believing men and believing women. And Allah knows your moving from place to place and your permanent abode.” Qurʾān: Surah Muhammad 47:19

The Prophet also said:

“Whoever dies with knowledge that there is no God except Allah will enter Jannah.”               Ḥadīth Saḥīḥ Muslim – Kitāb Al-ʾĪmān pg55

This shows that knowledge is essential. A person cannot simply say the Shahāda without knowing what it means. They must believe in it with their heart and understand that it is the foundation of being a Muslim.

Certainty [Yaqīn]

The second condition of saying the Shahāda is certainty [yaqīn]. A Muslim must believe in the declaration of faith with complete certainty, without any hesitation or doubt.

“The true believers are the ones who have faith in Allah and his Messenger and leave all doubt behind, the ones who have struggled with their possessions and their persons in Allah’s way:

they are the ones who are true.” Qurʾān: The Private Rooms [Al-Ḥujurāt] 49:15

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also gave glad tiding to those who held this firm belief. It was narrated by Abu Hurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Go with these slippers of mine and whoever you meet behind this wall who believes that there is no God but Allah, give them good tidings of Jannah.” Saḥīḥ Muslim – Kitāb Al-ʾĪmān

 This demonstrates that certainty is essential in declaring the Shahāda. A heart that is firm and free from doubt is a sign of true belief, and such faith leads to paradise by the mercy of Allah ﷻ.

Acceptance 

Another essential condition of the Shahāda is acceptance. A person should willingly and fully accept the declaration of faith by the tongue (speech)and acceptance and compliance by the heart  leading to actions  through the limbs – believing in it with the heart and affirming it without rejection. Allah ﷻ will punish those who disbelieve and do not accept the declaration of faith. 

“Whenever it was said to them, ‘There is no deity but Allah’, they became arrogant.” Qurʾān: Ranged in Rows [As-Ṣāffāt] 37:35]   

Devotion (In following Allah’s ﷻ rules)

Another important condition of Shahāda is devotion. This means that a person must submit himself to Allah ﷻ alone by following His ﷻ commands and holding firmly to the path of righteous ways. True devotion requires leaving behind one’s own desires and living in obedience to what Allah ﷻ has revealed.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:  “None of you will believe until his whims (desires) follow what I have brought.”Fatḥ al Bārī  ibn Ḥajr al ʿAsqalānī pg 103

Devotion is not just in words, but in action. A truly devoted Muslim accepts Allah’s ﷻ rulings and follows the guidance brought by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ without hesitation.  

  

Truthfulness:

Truthfulness is another condition of faith. Belief in Allah ﷻ must be both be declared by the tongue and accepted by the heart. This agreement between the heart and tongue is the opposite of lying or hypocrisy.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Anybody who declares there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger truthfully from his heart, Allah will make the fire haram [forbidden] for them.”  The Sea of Benefits [Baḥr alfuāʾid] AlBukhāri page 292

Sincerity :

Another condition of true faith is sincerity. All deeds must be done purely for the sake of Allah ﷻ free from associating any partner with Allah ﷻ [shirk] or any worldly motives.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“The most blessed of people to have my intercession on the Day of Resurrection are those who say there is no God but Allah sincerely from the heart.” Door of Explaining Jahannam and Jannah – Saḥīḥ al-Bukhāri – page 699

Sincerity means that faith and worship are directed only to Allah ﷻ, with no hidden intentions for show, praise or gain.

Love :

A true believer must have love for Allah ﷻ and His Messenger ﷺ above all else. This love brings peace and comfort to the heart.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“None of you will believe until I am more beloved to him than his son, his father and all the people.’’ Sunan Adārmī page 307

He ﷺ also said:  

“There are three things if you have them you will taste the belief  of  Imān [faith]:To love Allah ﷻ and His prophet more than anything else, and to love a person only for Allah ﷻ, and to hate going back to Kufur (disbelief in Allah and His Messenger) like hating to be thrown in the fire.”  [Bukhāri & Muslim]

“Even so, there are some who choose to worship others besides Allah as rivals to Him, loving them with the love due to Allah, but the believers have greater love for Allah. If only the idolaters could see – as they will see when they face the torment – that all power belongs to Allah, and that Allah punishes severely.” Qurʾān: The Cow [Al Baqarah] 2: 165 

Ibrāhīm bin Adham   May the Mercy of Allah be upon him] said: “if the kings and their sons had knowledge about the happiness and blessing we experience, they would have fought us with swords”. 

Only a true believer tastes this sweetness of faith, finding inner happiness in closeness to Allah ﷻ.

Virtues of saying  the declaration of faith   

By saying and believing that there is no God but Allah ﷻ and that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah [Lā illāha illAllah Muḥammadu Rasuallah] a believer gains immense benefits. These words are the essence of piety and sincerity, testifying to the Oneness of Allah ﷻ. It is for the sake of this noble declaration that creation was brought into existence. Allah ﷻ says:

“I created Jinn and mankind only to worship Me.” Qurʾān: Scattering [Winds] [Adh-Dhariyāt] 51:56 

Because of this truth, Allah ﷻ sent His ﷻ Messengers and revealed His ﷻ Books.  

“We never sent any messenger before you [Muhammad] without revealing to him: ‘There is no God but Me, so worship Me’” Qurʾān: The Prophets [Al-ʾAnbiyāʾ] 21:25 

It was due to this Shahāda that paradise [jannah], the place of eternal reward, and Hell [jahanam], the place of punishment, were prepared.  This declaration is the key to paradise; through it we are forgiven, and it is the greatest of deeds.

Abu Dar  الله عنه رضى   said: “I asked Rasuallah ﷺ  to teach me a deed that will bring me close to Paradise [jannah]and take me away from the fire. He ﷺ answered me, ‘If you do a bad deed, follow it up with a good deed. For one good deed is like 10 good deeds (or multiplied 10X).’  I said, ‘Ya Rasūlallah, is the declaration that there is no God but Allah [lā illāha illAllah] from the good deeds?’ He  ﷺ said, ‘It is the best of the good deeds.’”  Kitāb Al-Tawḥīd Ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī pg 87

The sayings of the second generation regarding the declaration of faith  

The early righteous scholars emphasized that Shahāda is not just words on the tongue, but must be filled with sincerity, rights and duties.

Al Hassan al Basri   رَحْمَةُ الله عليه : said: “People who say there is no God but Allah [lā illāha illAllah] and fulfilled its rights and duties will go to jannah”.

Wahab Bin Munabbih  رَحْمَةُ الله عليه as asked, “Is not  “there is no god but Allah [lā illāha illAllah]” the key to paradise”? He replied, “yes, but every key has ridges, so if you come with the key that has the right ridges, the door will be opened for you; otherwise it will not.” Kitāb Al-Tawḥīd Ibn Rajab alḤanbalī pg 39

Conclusion 

The declaration of faith [Shahāda] is fundamental to our belief as Muslims, and it is the very purpose for which Allah ﷻ created us. Whoever says it with their tongue, tastes the sweetness with their heart and brings it to action with their limbs, will have won the greatest reward. And whoever dies upon it will receive the most generous blessing of it in Paradise [Jannah].

 When we gain the entrusted knowledge of Shahāda, along with its conditions and virtues, it becomes an obligation to convey this trust [āmanah] to others and to follow the Sunnah and guidance of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

By explaining its meaning, we can help non-Muslims understand the true religion of Allah ﷻ.

Glossary 

 

1. 1. Allah: God

1. 1. Jahanam: Hell 3. Jannah: Heaven

1. 1. Jin:

1. 1. Nuksan: Losses  

1. 1. Shahada: declaration of Faith  

1. 1. Shirk: Associating partners with Allah

1. 1. Tabian: Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

1. 1. Tawhid: belief in the oneness of Allah 

1. 1. Yaqeen: Certainty 

 

Index/Key Words

Page Number :	Key Words:
Page 1	Shahāda  faith, Allah, Messenger, belief, pillar, Islam, Muslim, declaration, tawhid
Page 2	Shahāda,belief, attributes, Allah, declaration,Islam
Page 3	Conditions, faith, knowledge, certainty,acceptance, devotion
Page 4	Conditions, faith, truthfulness, sincerity, love, virtues, shahāda ,
Page 5	Virtues, shahāda ,sayings, tabian, rewards, Jannah, heaven, Jahanam, hell