The ''Shahada'' (
Arabic: ٱلشَّهَادَةُ , "the testimony"), also transliterated as ''Shahadah'', is an
Islamic
oath and
creed, and one of the
Five Pillars of Islam and part of the
Adhan
Adhan ( ar, أَذَان ; also variously transliterated as athan, adhane (in French), azan/azaan (in South Asia), adzan (in Southeast Asia), and ezan (in Turkish), among other languages) is the Islamic call to public prayer ( salah) in a mo ...
. It reads: "I bear witness that there is no god but God, and I bear witness that
Muhammad is the messenger of God."
The Shahada declares belief in the oneness () of
God and the acceptance of
Muhammad as God's
messenger. Some
Shias
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most ...
also include a statement of belief in the of
Ali.
[''The Later Mughals'' by William Irvine p. 130] A single honest recitation of the Shahada is all that is required for
a person to become a Muslim according to most traditional schools.
The testimonies
The
declaration reads:
:
:
::
:"There is no deity but God."
:
:
::
:"
Muhammad is the
messenger of God."
The above two statements are commonly prefaced by the phrase ("I bear witness that"), yielding the full form:
:
:
::
:"I bear witness that there is no deity but God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God."
:
Terminology and significance
In the English translation – "There is no god but God. Muhammad is the messenger of God." – the first, lower-case occurrence of "god" or "deity" is a translation of the Arabic word , while the capitalized second and third occurrences of "God" are translations of the Arabic word ''
Allah'', meaning "the God".
The noun (), from the verb ( ), from the root () meaning "to observe, witness, testify", translates as "testimony" in both the everyday and the legal senses. The Islamic creed is also called, in the
dual form, (, literally "two testimonies"). The expression (, "the Witness") is used in the
Quran as one of the "
titles of God".
In
Sunni Islam, the ''Shahada'' has two parts: ("There is no deity except
God"), and ("
Muhammad is the messenger of God"), which are sometimes referred to as the first ''Shahada'' and the second ''Shahada''. The first statement of the ''Shahada'' is also known as the .
In
Shia Islam, the ''Shahada'' also has a third part, a phrase concerning
Ali, the first
Shia Imam and the fourth
Rashidun Caliph of
Sunni Islam: ( ), which translates to "Ali is the of God".
In the
Quran, the first statement of the ''Shahadah'' takes the form ''lā ʾilāha ʾillā llāh'' twice (
37:35,
47:19), and ''ʾallāhu lā ʾilāha ʾillā huwa'' (God, there is no deity but Him) much more often.
[Nasr et al (2015). '' The Study Quran''. HarperOne. p. 110. (Footnote 255)] It appears in the shorter form ''lā ʾilāha ʾillā huwa'' (There is no deity but Him) in many places.
[Nasr et al (2015). ''The Study Quran''. HarperOne. p. 1356. (Footnote 22)] It appears in these forms about 30 times in the Quran, and never attached with the other parts of the ''Shahada'' in Sunni or Shia Islam or "in conjunction with another name".
[ Edip Yuksel, et al (2007). ''Quran: A Reformist Translation''. Brainbrow Press. Footnote 3:18.]
Islam's monotheistic nature is reflected in the first sentence of the ''Shahada'', which declares belief in the oneness of God and that he is the only entity truly worthy of worship. The second sentence of the ''Shahada'' indicates the means by which God has offered guidance to human beings. The verse reminds Muslims that they accept not only the prophecy of Muhammad but also the long line of prophets who preceded him. While the first part is seen as a cosmic truth, the second is specific to Islam, as it is understood that members of the older
Abrahamic religions do not view Muhammad as one of their prophets.
The ''Shahada'' is a statement of both ritual and worship. In a well-known
hadith, Muhammad defines Islam as witnessing that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is God's messenger, giving of alms (''
zakat''), performing the
ritual prayer,
fasting during the month of
Ramadan, and making a
pilgrimage to the
Kaaba: the
Five Pillars of Islam are inherent in this declaration of faith.
Recitation
Recitation of the Shahadah is the most common
statement of faith for Muslims. Sunnis, Shia
Twelvers, as well as
Isma'ilis consider it as one of the
Five Pillars of Islam. It is whispered by the father into the ear of a newborn child, and it is whispered into the ear of a dying person. The five canonical daily prayers each include a recitation of the Shahada. Recitation of the Shahada is also the only formal step in
conversion to Islam. This occasion often attracts witnesses and sometimes includes a celebration to welcome the converts into their new faith. In accordance with the central importance played by the notion of intention ( ar, نِيَّة, link=no, ''
niyyah
Niyyah (Arabic: نِيَّةٌ, variously transliterated niyyah, niyya , "intention") is an Islamic concept: the intention in one's heart to do an act for the sake of God (Allah).
According to Ibn Rajab's ''Commentary on Imam Nawawi's Forty Hadith ...
'') in Islamic doctrine, the recitation of the Shahada must reflect understanding of its import and heartfelt sincerity.
Intention is what differentiates acts of devotion from mundane acts and a simple reading of the Shahada from invoking it as a ritual activity.
Origin
Though the two statements of the Shahada are both present in the Quran (for example,
37:35 and
48:29), they are not found there side by side as in the Shahada formula, but are present in the Hadiths. Versions of both phrases began to appear in coins and monumental architecture in the late seventh century, which suggests that it had not been officially established as a ritual statement of faith until then. An inscription in the
Dome of the Rock (est. 692) in
Jerusalem reads: "There is no god but God alone; He has no partner with him; Muhammad is the messenger of God". Another variant appears in coins minted after the reign of
Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, the fifth
Umayyad caliph
The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by the ...
: "Muhammad is the servant of God and His messenger". Although it is not clear when the Shahada first came into common use among Muslims, it is clear that the sentiments it expresses were part of the Quran and Islamic doctrine from the earliest period.
In Sufism
The Shahada has been traditionally recited in the
Sufi
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...
ceremony of ''
dhikr
''Dhikr'' ( ar, ذِكْر}, , also spelled ''Zikr'', ''Thikr'', ''Zekr'', or ''Zikar'', literally meaning "remembrance, reminder" or "mention") is a form of Islamic meditation in which phrases or prayers are repeatedly chanted in order to remem ...
'' ( ar, ذِکْر, link=no, "
remembrance"), a ritual that resembles mantras found in many other religious traditions.
During the ceremony, the ''Shahada'' may be repeated thousands of times, sometimes in the shortened form of the first phrase where the word 'Allah' ("God") is replaced by 'huwa' ("Him").
The chanting of the Shahada sometimes provides a rhythmic background for singing.
In architecture and art
The Shahada appears as an architectural element in Islamic buildings around the world, such as those in
Jerusalem,
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metr ...
, and
Istanbul
)
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code = 34000 to 34990
, area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side)
, registration_plate = 34
, blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD
, blank_i ...
.
Late-medieval and
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...
European art displays a fascination with Middle Eastern motifs in general and the Arabic script in particular, as indicated by its use, without concern for its content, in painting, architecture and book illustrations.
In his
San Giovenale Triptych
''San Giovenale Triptych'' is a 1422 painting by Italian Renaissance artist Masaccio, housed in the Masaccio Museum of Sacred Art at Cascia di Reggello, in the Metropolitan City of Florence. The triptych is the first work attributed to Masacci ...
, the Italian Renaissance artist
Masaccio
Masaccio (, , ; December 21, 1401 – summer 1428), born Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone, was a Florentine artist who is regarded as the first great Italian painter of the Quattrocento period of the Italian Renaissance. According to Vasar ...
copied the full Shahada, written backwards, on the halo of the
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
.
Usage on flags
The ''Shahada'' is found on some
Islamic flags.
Wahhabis have used the Shahada on their flags since the 18th century.
In 1902,
Ibn Saud
Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud ( ar, عبد العزيز بن عبد الرحمن آل سعود, ʿAbd al ʿAzīz bin ʿAbd ar Raḥman Āl Suʿūd; 15 January 1875Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted ...
, leader of the
House of Saud
The House of Saud ( ar, آل سُعُود, ʾĀl Suʿūd ) is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is composed of the descendants of Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the Emirate of Diriyah, known as the First Saudi state (1727–1818), ...
and the future founder of
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Ara ...
, added a sword to this flag.
[ The modern Flag of Saudi Arabia was introduced in 1973.
The ]Flag of Somaliland
A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design emplo ...
has a horizontal strip of green, white and red with the ''Shahada'' inscribed in white on the green strip.
The flag of Afghanistan under the Taliban
The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...
is a white flag with the ''Shahada'' inscribed in black. The various jihadist black flags used by Islamic insurgents since the 2000s have often followed this example. The ''Shahada'' written on a green background has been used by supporters of Hamas
Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni- Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qas ...
since about 2000. The 2004 draft constitution of Afghanistan proposed a flag featuring the ''Shahada'' in white script centered on a red background. In 2006, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic ter ...
designed its flag using the ''Shahada'' phrase written in white on black background. The font used is supposedly similar to the font used as seal on the original letters written on Muhammad's behalf.
National flags with the Shahada
Gallery
See also
* Adhan
Adhan ( ar, أَذَان ; also variously transliterated as athan, adhane (in French), azan/azaan (in South Asia), adzan (in Southeast Asia), and ezan (in Turkish), among other languages) is the Islamic call to public prayer ( salah) in a mo ...
* Aqidah
''Aqidah'' ( (), plural ''ʿaqāʾid'', also rendered ''ʿaqīda'', ''aqeeda'', etc.) is an Islamic term of Arabic origin that literally means " creed". It is also called Islamic creed and Islamic theology.
''Aqidah'' go beyond concise sta ...
* Basmala
* Dhikr
''Dhikr'' ( ar, ذِكْر}, , also spelled ''Zikr'', ''Thikr'', ''Zekr'', or ''Zikar'', literally meaning "remembrance, reminder" or "mention") is a form of Islamic meditation in which phrases or prayers are repeatedly chanted in order to remem ...
* Glossary of Islam
The following list consists of notable concepts that are derived from Islamic and associated cultural (Arab, Persian, Turkish) traditions, which are expressed as words in Arabic or Persian language. The main purpose of this list is to disambig ...
* Iqama
* Peace be upon him
* Salawat
''Salawat'' ( ar, صَلَوَات, ' ''salat''; also referred to as ''divine blessings on Muhammad'', ''durood shareef'' or ''durood-e-Ibrahim'') is an Islamic complimentary Arabic phrase, which contains the salutation upon Muhammad. This p ...
* Shema Yisrael
''Shema Yisrael'' (''Shema Israel'' or ''Sh'ma Yisrael''; he , שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ''Šəmaʿ Yīsrāʾēl'', "Hear, O Israel") is a Jewish prayer (known as the Shema) that serves as a centerpiece of the morning and evening Jewi ...
* Six Kalimas
* Takbir
* Tashahhud
Notes
References
Citations
Sources
*
*
*
External links
"The ''Shahadah'' as Truth and as Way"
*
{{Authority control
Statements of faith
Shibboleths
Islamic belief and doctrine
Arabic words and phrases
Islamic terminology
Religious formulas