Shahada

Confession of a Muslim

لااله الاالله محمد رسول الله

La ilaha ill-Allaah, Muhammad-ur- Rasul-Allaah

(None has the right to be worshipped but Allaah,

And Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is the Messenger of Allaah)

 

By: Shahid Bin Waheed شاهد بن وحيد

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الحمدلله رب العالمين والصلوة والسلام على اشرف الانبياء وسيدالمرسلين نبينا محمد صل ا لله عليه وعلى آله واصحابه وازواجه اجمعين - امابعد

All the praises and thanks be to Allaah, Sustainer of the Universe, and blessing and salutation to be the most distinguish of the Messengers and foremost among the Prophets, our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allaah be on him and on his wives, children and Companions.

 

It has been observed that most of the people who embrace Islaam, do not understand the reality of the meaning of the first fundamental principle of Islaam, i.e. لااله الاالله محمد رسول الله La ilaha ill-Allaah, Muhammad-ur- Rasul-Allaah (None has the right to be worshipped but Allaah, and Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is the Messenger of Allaah). Therefore it is important to explain something of this great sentence and/or Shahada in some detail.

 

لااله الاالله محمد رسول الله

La ilaha ill-Allaah, Muhammad-ur- Rasul-Allaah

(None has the right to be worshipped but Allaah,

And Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is the Messenger of Allaah)

 

Shahada has three aspects, let us call them A, B and C.

 

A. It is that, you have to pledge a covenant with Allaah, the Creator of heavens and earth, the Ruler of all that exists, the Lord of Majesty and Highness, on four points and/or conditions:

 

1.  A confession with your heart that the Creator (of everything) is Allaah, it is that you have to say: “I testify that the Creator of all the universe including the stars and planets, the sun, the moon, the heavens and the earth with all its known and unknown forms of life is Allaah. He is the Organizer and Planner of all its affairs. It is He who gives life and death, and He (i.e. Allaah alone) is the Sustainer, and the Giver of security, etc.” And this is called (your confession for the) “Oneness of the Lordship of Allaah,” i.e. Tauhid-ar-Rububiya

 

2.  A confession with your heart that you have to say: “I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allaah alone.” The word “Worship  (i.e. Ibadah) carries a great number of meanings in the Arabic language: It conveys that all kinds of worship are meant for Allaah (and none else, whether it be an angel, Messenger, Prophet Îsâ Ibn Maryam (AKA Jesus) Uzair (Ezra), Muhammad, saint, idol, the sun, the moon and all other kind of false deities). So pray to none but Allaah, invoke none but Allaah, ask for help from none (unseen) but Allaah, swear by none but Allaah, offer an animal as sacrifice to none but Allaah…etc., and that means, all that Allaah and His Messenger Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم forbid you, you must not do. And this is called (your confession for the) “Oneness of the worship of Allaah,” Tauhid-al-Uluhiya. And that you (mankind) worship none but Allaah. {Notice: that this also shatters the lie that Muslims worship the moon god}

 

3.  A confession with your heart that you have to say: “O Allaah! I testify that all the best of names and the most perfect qualities with which You have named or qualified Yourself in Your Book i.e. (The Glorious Qur’aan) or as Your Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم has named or qualified You, with his statement, I confirm that all those (names and qualifications) are for You without changing their meanings or neglecting them completely or giving resemblance to others.”

 

As Allaah said:

لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ

LAYSA KA- MITHL -HI SHAY'  WA- HUWA AS- SAMEc AL- BAS.ER (There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.){Ayaah آيه 42:11} This Ayaah (verse) confirms the quality of hearing and quality of sight of Allaah without resemblance to others,

 

and likewise He {Allaah} also said:

لِمَا خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَيَّ

LI- MAA KHALAQTU BI- YADAI -YA 'A- (to one whom I have created with Both My Hands.) {Ayaah آيه 38:75}

 

and He (Allaah) also said:

يَدُ اللَّهِ فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِمْ

YAD 'ALLAAH FAWQA AYDE –HIM(The Hand of Allah is over their hands) {Ayaah آيه 48:10}. This confirms two hands of Allaah, but there is no similarity for them.

 

Allaah also said:

الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى

AR- RAH.MAAN cALAA AL- cARSH ISTAWAA (The Most Beneficent (Allah) Istawa (rose over) the (Mighty) Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty). {Ayaah آيه 20:5}

 

4.  A confession with your heart that you have to say: “O Allaah! I testify that Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is Your Messenger.” That means none has the right to be followed after Allaah, but the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, as he is the last of His Messengers. As Allaah said:

مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا

MAA KAANA MUH.AMMAD 'ABAA 'AH.AD MIN RIJAAL -KUM WA- LAAKIN RASOL 'ALLAAH WA- KHAATAM AN- NABEYEN WA- KAANA 'ALLAAH BI- KULL SHAY' cALEM(AN) (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the last (end) of the Prophets. And Allah is Ever All­Aware of everything.){Ayaah آيه 33:40}

 

and

وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا

WA- MAA 'ATAA -KUM AR- RASOL FA- KHUDHO -HU  WA- MAA NAHAA -KUM cAN -HU FA- INTAHO  (And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it), {Ayaah آيه 59:7}

 

Allaah also said:

قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

QUL 'IN KUNTUM TUH.IBBON 'ALLAAH FA- ITTABIcO -NE YUH.BIB -KUM 'ALLAAH WA- YAGHFIR LA- -KUM DHUNOB -KUM WA- 'ALLAAH GHAFOR RAH.EM (Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur’ân and the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."){Ayaah آيه 3:31}.

 

Readers, especially new Muslims and/or those who are considering accepting Islaam and saying the Shahada, must understand this brief explanation of the articles of faith.

 

Also read: Salvation in Islaam.

 

Wednesday, January 07, 2004

 

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