1

Shahadah
4 (a) ‘There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’. Describe the
Muslim beliefs summarised by the declaration of faith (shahada). [10]
Answer (Learn and write):
“There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”
There is no god but Allah is the first part of Shahadah. It deals with the unity of Allah. We confess with our
heart that Allah is the lord the Master and Creator of all things the heaven and earth and everything there
in. He is the sustainer, the provider, the organizer and the planner of all its affairs. It is he who gives life and
takes the life away. “Verily your Allah is one! Lord of heavens and of the earth and all between them and
Lord of every point at the rising of the sun!” (Saffat 37:4-5)
Allah is the only one worthy of worship. “Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him” (Isra
17:1). We pray to Allah we seek His help at the time of difficulty, “You and we worship and your aid we
seek” (Al-Fatiha 1:5). We swear by His name, Offer, sacrifice to Him. We abide by His commands and refrain
from everything He had forbidden.
We also testify that all the names and attributes which Allah has named Himself or the Prophet (P.B.U.H) has
named or qualified Him belong to Allah alone without changing their meanings or likening them to others.
He sees and hears everything. He is omnipotent; he knows everything; the hidden and the manifest. He is
omnipotent; all powerful and, nothing is like Him, Allah says, “There is nothing whatever like unto Him and
He is the One that hears and sees (all things).” (Ash-Shura 42:11)
The second part of the declaration “Muhammad is His slave and apostle” shows its inseparable relation
to the first. The holy Prophet’s (P.B.U.H) name is the name most closely associated with that of Allah. This
sentence is also a constant theme of the Holy Quran. After acknowledging Allah as our Master and Sovereign,
it is necessary to know what are His commandments, what will please Him and what will incur his displeasure.
For this purpose, Allah appointed Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H) as His messenger and sent the Quran through
him.
He is the model for every Muslim without whom we would have no idea of how to conform to the truth laid
down by the first part of the declaration. To believe in him as a messenger of Allah means to accept His
authority as the representative of the Supreme Ruler and to follow his example. “He who obeys the
messenger obeys Allah.”
He is the link between the Creator and the creatures, therefore, to deny the second part of the declaration
would be to cut off all connections with the first. The declaration that Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) is Allah’s
messenger is a proclamation of belief in the complete and final guidance that he brought for all humanity. It
is also a statement of intension to follow that guidance faithfully. “Indeed ! you have in the messenger of
Allah a beautiful pattern of conduct.”
This declaration prepares human beings to reflect upon Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H) teachings and
encourages them to follow his path. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) summed up all the previous
revelation, therefore, to follow him is to follow the teachings of all the Prophets. He is a symbol of the message
of Allah, of the Religion which was preached by all the Prophets.
The religion he was given to preach was Islam in the form of a complete system covering all aspects of
material and spiritual life of mankind. He led his life according to the commandments of Allah, and showed
the Muslims, the way to lead their lives. So, when we recite this second part of the declaration i.e.
“Muhammad (P.B.U.H) His slave and apostle” we undertake who follow the law and system shown by him
 2

Significance of the shahada

M/J 2018 (22)
5(a) ‘There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger.’ Write about the
significance of the shahada to a Muslim. [10]
Answer(Learn and write)
• These are the words (Kalimah) by which one declares his/her intention to become a Muslim. A newly
reverted Muslim has to understand the meaning of this simple phrase and live and act in accordance to its
principles to be guaranteed admission into heaven. Mere words are easily uttered,
but Allah(SWT) considers what is in one’s heart and measures one’s deeds to judge between his creatures.
• The word of the Shahadah are few but extremely significant. With those words a person acknowledges
Allah as the Creator and Sustainer of all, and affirms the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.H.U)
and thus steps from disbelief and ignorance to knowledge, light and guidance.
• Muslims, whether they are born into the faith or accept Islam later, in life by reciting the Shahadah become
a part of the Ummah, bonded together by their common faith, irrespective of race or background.
• The significance of Shahadah is highlighted by the fact that it is repeated in every prayer.
• When believers say ‘I bear witness that there is no god but Allah’ it means that they reject obedience and
servitude to anyone or anything except Allah, that they fear no one except Him and seek only His pleasure.
This belief makes a Muslim strong and independent as well as courageous, knowing that everything one
experience is from Allah.
• With the second part of the Shahadah ‘ Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’ believers acknowledges the
Prophet’s (P.B.U.H) status and hence his right to be respected and obeyed, knowing that he is ‘Insaan e
Kamil’ the perfect human the best of creation.
• Knowledge of what the Shahadah is testifying is very important. For when one testifies or bears witness to
something, one must know what it is that he\she is witness too. Testimony to something about which one
has no knowledge is unacceptable.
• Acceptance of the Shahadah means that a believer accepts all its implications to i.e believing completely in
whatever is stated in the Quran or stated by the Prophet (P.B.U.H) without choosing or rejecting anything
given therein.
• Submission to the Shahdah implies submission to Allah’s command by one’s action. Infact this is one of the
meanings of the word Islam itself, the submission to the will and commands of Allah.
• Sincerity to the Shahadah means to testify solely for faith in Allah and not for any other reason. One of the
sign of being a Muslim for the sake of Allah is that a believer does whatever Allah asks, regardless of what
anybody else desires or wants from them.
• Adherence to the Shahadah is being true to Islam and its beliefs, and fulfilling all its obligations till death.
• For Muslims, the shahadah or Kalima and faith are the most important belief as it sums up what one must
believe to be a Muslim. The first pillar of Islam is the fundamental and basic need of human beings as a
Muslim. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “I have been ordered to fight against people until they testify
that there is no god but Allah and the Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” (Sahi Bukhari). The above
saying clearly indicates that we must have faith in both parts of the first pillar of Islam.