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
Tayammum (Dry Purification)
Ritual purification with clean earth, when water is not available.
Husayniyyah (Shia Assembly Hall)
A Shia Muslim assembly hall, named after Imam Husayn.
Madhhab (School of Law)
An Islamic school of law with its own methodology for legal derivation from the sacred sources.
Raf' al-Yadayn (Raising the Hands)
The practice of raising the hands to the shoulders or ears at specific points in the prayer.
Eid al-Ghadir (The Ghadir Festival)
Shia festival commemorating the Prophet's appointment of Imam Ali as his successor.
Eid al-Fitr (Festival of Breaking the Fast)
The Islamic holiday that marks the end of Ramadan's fasting.