Islam's testimony of faith: there is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.
Tagged: Creeds and Confessions Witness
The Text
Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasul Allah.
"I bear witness that there is no god but God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God."
Historical Context
The Shahada, the "testimony" or "witnessing," is the first of the Five Pillars of Islam and the tradition's own defining affirmation of faith. Its two clauses join the absolute oneness of God (tawhid) with acceptance of Muhammad as God's Messenger. Sincerely reciting the Shahada is the act by which a person enters Islam, and its words also sound in the call to prayer and in the daily prayers.
Use and Practice
The Shahada is recited in the call to prayer (adhan) and within the daily ritual prayer, whispered into the ears of a newborn, and hoped for as a believer's last words. It appears on flags, coins, and buildings throughout the Muslim world.
References
- Sunnah.com — Hadith Collections Free / open access
- Oxford Bibliographies — Islam Subscription
Related Prayers and Creeds
- Salah — The ritual prayer performed five times daily, with fixed postures, recitations, and the closing testimony (Tashahhud).
- Al-Fatiha — The opening chapter of the Qur'an, recited in every unit of the ritual prayer.
Related Across the Site
- Apostles' Creed Prayer or Creed — The ancient baptismal creed of the Western Church, summarizing belief in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- Athanasian Creed Prayer or Creed — A Latin creed, traditionally ascribed to Athanasius, that states the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation in precise detail.
- Augsburg Confession Prayer or Creed — The primary Lutheran confession of faith, presented to Emperor Charles V at Augsburg in 1530.
- Belgic Confession Prayer or Creed — A 37-article Reformed confession written in 1561 by Guido de Brès for the churches of the Low Countries.
- Chalcedonian Definition Prayer or Creed — The Council of Chalcedon's 451 definition that Christ is one person in two natures, fully God and fully human.
- Heidelberg Catechism Prayer or Creed — A Reformed catechism of 129 questions and answers, published in 1563 and organized around guilt, grace, and gratitude.
- Nicene Creed Prayer or Creed — The creed of the councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381), the central doctrinal confession shared by most Christians.
- Westminster Confession and Catechisms Prayer or Creed — The Presbyterian standards produced by the Westminster Assembly in the 1640s: a confession of faith and a Larger and Shorter Catechism.