Shahadah (Declaration of Faith)
The first pillar of Islam: the testimony that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger.
Shahadah (Declaration of Faith) is the first and most fundamental pillar of Islam. It reads: "Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasul Allah" (I testify that there is no god except Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah). To utter this declaration with conviction is the entrance to Islam.
Shahadah is deeply connected to prayer. It is recited in the adhan (call to prayer), in the iqamah, and in the tashahhud (the declaration during the seated position in prayer). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Islam is built upon five pillars" and mentioned the shahadah as the first (Sahih al-Bukhari).
In Sunni theology, the shahadah is not merely a verbal utterance but a deep recognition that must be accompanied by knowledge ('ilm), conviction (yaqin), sincerity (ikhlas), truthfulness (sidq), love (mahabbah), submission (inqiyad), and acceptance (qabul). Imam al-Nawawi and other scholars have described these conditions in detail in their theological works.
Related terms
Mutahhirat (Purifying Agents)
The agents and methods that purify impure things according to Shia fiqh.
Madhhab (School of Law)
An Islamic school of law with its own methodology for legal derivation from the sacred sources.
Ihsan (Excellence)
The highest level of worship: to worship Allah as if one can see Him.
Qiyas (Analogical Reasoning)
Legal analogy used to derive Islamic rules for new situations based on established rules.
Laylat al-Mi'raj (The Night of Ascension)
The night when Prophet Muhammad journeyed to the heavens and received the gift of prayer.
Isnad (Chain of Narration)
The chain of narrators connecting a hadith back to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).