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The Importance of Shahadah

Azz Ahmed

Tabtabah 2023

The Importance of Shahadah

The declaration of Shahadah is the first pillar of Islam. It is essential that every Muslim understands what Shahadah means and its role in his or her life. All Muslims should try to live their lives according to the teachings of Shahadah. The word Shahadah means "declaration of faith". It is a verbal form of giving testimony or bearing witness. We can bear witness when we know something clearly. In Islam, the statement La ilaha illa-llah, Muhammadur Rasulullah is called the Shahadah.

Shahadah

When translate this statement, it means La ilaha illa-lah: There is no deity but Allah (SWT).

Muhammadur Rasulullah: Muhammad (S) is the rasul of Allah (SWT).

When a person declares the Shahadah with full knowledge of its meaning, he or she becomes a Muslim. Without the declaration of the Shahadah, a person is not considered a Muslim.

The complete Shahadah

It is a standard practice to state the complete Shahadah in Arabic. The complete Shahadah is an expanded from of the Shahadah:

Ash-hadu anla ilaha illal-Lahu Wahdahu la Sharika Lahu wa-ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu.

The English translation:

The English translation of the complete Shahadah is as follows:

I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, the One, without any partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.

Shahadah

When we state the Shahadah with full knowledge of its meaning, we become Muslims. Without the declaration of Shahadah, we are not Muslims. Therefore, the declaration of Shahadah is the first pillar of Islam.

The purpose of Shahadah

The purpose of Shahadah is much more than loudly reciting it. It is an important part of our lives. An ideal life for a Muslim is guided by this statement. A Muslim conducts his or her daily affairs understanding the concept that only Allah (SWT) has the right to be worshipped. A Muslim also understands that his or her life, livelihood, and success come only from Allah. By stating the Shahadah, a Muslim also accepts Muhammad (S) as a rasul, and thereby accepts the Quran as his or her primary guidance.

The shahadah includes two statements. Both parts of the Shahadah are equally important in establishing the complete faith

Includes

First & Second

Part

The first part of the Shahadah

means there is no one worthy of worship other than Allah (SWT). The sentence starts with La ilaha. The word "la" means " no". The word "ilaha" means god, or anything that people may worship. In the Shahadah, we first declare that there is no possibility of any other god, god-like creatures or objects, or deities. While stating this part, we understand that no object or deity has any power to help or harm us. After eliminating any posibility of other gods or deities, we declare illa-l-llah, which means "except Allah" We confirm that Allah (SWT) is our only Master. He is the Master of every object in the universe. He creates us and sustains us. We are always in need of Allah (SWT). Without His help, we cannot do anything. We worship only Allah.

It is important to understand that the first part of the Shahadah is also believed by people of other monotheistic religions. Therefore, just stating the first part of the Shahadah is not enough to become Muhammad (S) as a rasul; therefore, they do not accept the Quran as the Book of Allah.

The second part of the Shahadah is equally important to understand and believe to become a Muslim.

First Part of Shahadah

The Second Part

The second part of the Shahadah describes Muhammad's position in Islam. He was a resul of Allah (SWT), which means he recieved messages from Allah (SWT) for the humanity. The messages he received are in the Quran. We believe that the Quran is the Book of Allah, and its messages are for everyone. By establishing the fact that Muhammad (S) was a rasul and a servant of Allah, we also eliminate any possibility of worshipping him. Some previous communities raised the status of their rasuls to the level of diety; and others lowered the status of their rasuls by falsely attributing to them evil character and conduct.

A

We recognize Muhammad (S) as a rasul; and we do not claim that he had any divine power. Muhammad (S) ia a rasul selected and appointed by Allah (SWT), so he is our best example to lead a moral and seccessful life. Muhammad (S) did not leave behind a family to rule the Muslims. He did not even leave an image of himself for future generations. Muhammad was not a deity; he was not a son of Allah (SWT). He was the messenger of Allah (SWT), and we follow his teachings and the book that he received.

A

A true servant is very loyal and obedient to his or her master. Muhammad (S) was a true servant of Allah (SWT), and we learn from him how to be obedient to Allah (SWT). It is an honor to serve Allah.

A true servant of Allah has the highest moral standards. As Muslims, we should try to earn the title of true and loyal "servant" of Allah.

False deities

Worshipping a deity does not only mean that someone goes to a temple to worship an idol. People worship idols also at home, at work, ans almost anywhere. Sometimes deities are idols made by human, and sometimes people claim they are deities. You might have noticed that many people worship other human beings.

All Human beings who claim they are God are liars, frauds, or scam artists. They fool people and often trick them into buying expensive gifts for false gods.

These people are cult leaders. They use

other people's weaknesses to rob them of their money and freedom. They give people false hope, but they cannot actually give people anything. Most of their promises are tricks. They might say, " You will get good grades on your exams only if you donate money to my temple with an open mind.

"You will get good grades on your exams only if you donate money to my temple with an open mind" If you fail an exam after donating the money, the cult leader will offer a new explanation: "Your mind was not open; you have to donate more. "Therefore, he makes money and you lose yours.

Some cult leaders will say that you cannot reach God or Allah without going through them. They make people believe that they are the gatekeeper. Then they ask for money or gifts to open the gate to make your prayers successful. They are liars.

Benefit

By stating the Shahadah and living according to it, we become free from the evil clutches of people who rule us physically, religously, financially, and intellectually. No human being or other creature has the power to give life. No one is eternal.

The false deities, whether humans or idols, have only one aim-to benefit at our expense.

We have only one Master, and He is not interested in our wealth or service. He is the One and Only Allah. He does not want any money from us. He does not want us to work hard for His benefit, He wants us to open our minds, to think, and to be intelligent. He wants us to be happy and successful. Allah wants us to work to better ourselves and our society.

A

  • Your God is the One God. Then as to those who do not believe in the Future, their hearts refuse to acknowledge, and they are arrogant. (16:22)
  • You say: "It has been revealed to me that your God is only One God. Will you not then be submitting ones?"
  • ... So your God is the One God, therefore to Him should you submit... (22:34).
  • And you say: " We believe in that which has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to you, and our God and your God is One, and to Him we have surrendered." (29:46)
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