The Five Pillars of Islam - Shahadah
The Shahadah (profession of faith)
What is it? Specific, religious description
Shahadah (testimony, oath)
(witness, to know and believe without suspicion)
Summary and declaration of Muslim faith
One enters Islamic faith when reciting the Kalima (statement of faith)
"I bear witness that there is no other deity but, Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah" (in Arabic)
Muslims recite the Kalima with understanding and full internal acceptance
It is not sufficient for anyone to just recite these words but one should believe in it by heart with a firm conviction
Reciting the Kalima, they proclaim that :
1. Allah is the only God and Muhammad is his prophet;
2. accepts that this is true -> Should be constantly and consciously present in the heart of every muslim
3. and that they will obey all the commitments of Islam in their life
These words are the first words newborns hear, and the last words heard by the dying.
A Muslim lives with these sentences, hears them and utters them at least once every day
Part of the ritual prayer in the 2nd pillar of Islam
For sunni Muslims, it is the first of the five pillars of faith; while the Shi’a connects it to their lists of pillars of faith
The Shahadah has certain conditions that makes a person benefit from the Kalima (testimony of faith)
9 Conditions of the Shahadah:
Knowledge (‘ilm) having the basic and general knowledge of the shahadah what this testimony concerns?
As a normal person would have to know what they are testifying about when making an oath. because not knowing what you are testifying about is absolutely unacceptable. It would mean nothing, basically. Certainty (yaqeen) In Islam, any kind of doubt is similar to disbelief (Kufr)
Muslims have to be certain of the truth of the Shahadah
Allah describes the believers in the Qur’an "the (true) believers are those only who believe in
What is it? Specific, religious description
Shahadah (testimony, oath)
(witness, to know and believe without suspicion)
Summary and declaration of Muslim faith
One enters Islamic faith when reciting the Kalima (statement of faith)
"I bear witness that there is no other deity but, Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah" (in Arabic)
Muslims recite the Kalima with understanding and full internal acceptance
It is not sufficient for anyone to just recite these words but one should believe in it by heart with a firm conviction
Reciting the Kalima, they proclaim that :
1. Allah is the only God and Muhammad is his prophet;
2. accepts that this is true -> Should be constantly and consciously present in the heart of every muslim
3. and that they will obey all the commitments of Islam in their life
These words are the first words newborns hear, and the last words heard by the dying.
A Muslim lives with these sentences, hears them and utters them at least once every day
Part of the ritual prayer in the 2nd pillar of Islam
For sunni Muslims, it is the first of the five pillars of faith; while the Shi’a connects it to their lists of pillars of faith
The Shahadah has certain conditions that makes a person benefit from the Kalima (testimony of faith)
9 Conditions of the Shahadah:
Knowledge (‘ilm) having the basic and general knowledge of the shahadah what this testimony concerns?
As a normal person would have to know what they are testifying about when making an oath. because not knowing what you are testifying about is absolutely unacceptable. It would mean nothing, basically. Certainty (yaqeen) In Islam, any kind of doubt is similar to disbelief (Kufr)
Muslims have to be certain of the truth of the Shahadah
Allah describes the believers in the Qur’an "the (true) believers are those only who believe in