Shahaadah

Shahaadah (Arabic: الشهادة, meaning "testimony" or "witness") is the spoken declaration by which a person affirms belief in one God and the prophethood of Muhammad. It is the first of the Five Pillars of Islam and the verbal formula by which one enters the faith.

The Arabic term is also known as "al-shahaadataan" (the two testimonies), since it comprises two parts: the testimony that no deity deserves worship except God, and the testimony that Muhammad is His messenger. In other languages it is called Shahada (English), Chahada (French), and Kelime-i şehâdet (Turkish).

Formula of the declaration

The standard formula is: "Ashhadu an laa ilaaha illa Allaah, wa ashhadu anna Muxammadan rasuulullaah"—"I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except God, and I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God." The first part affirms tawhid (monotheism), while the second affirms the prophetic mission.

Differences among schools of Islamic law

Sunni Muslims employ the two parts described above. Many Shia Muslims add a third testimony acknowledging Ali ibn Abi Talib, for example "wa ali yun waliyyullaah." Some Shia scholars describe this third part as an elaboration rather than a fundamental requirement.

Role in religious life

The Shahaadah is part of the five daily prayers and appears in the call to prayer and the prayer itself. A person wishing to convert to Islam recites it aloud before witnesses, which is typically recognized as the formal moment of entry into the community. It is also recited at times of death or when someone is near death.

Symbolic use

The text of the Shahaadah is displayed in mosques, in Arabic calligraphy, and in historical flags. It has also been inscribed on state insignia and flags of various political groups, which has occasionally sparked dispute over the religious use of sacred wording.