Testimony (Shahada)
Testimony (Shahadah) – Declaration of Faith
“I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, the One and Only, without any partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.”
The declaration of faith consists of two distinct parts, the absolute belief in the Oneness of Allah (God) and the belief that the Prophet Muhammad, a mortal human being was the last Messenger of Allah.
Islam’s fundamental belief is the Oneness of God. This is the essence of Islam. Therefore the acknowledgement and ‘bearing witness’ of this is the key to the Muslim faith. A Muslim accepts Allah as the only God, and only Master, Lord and Ruler with no partner sharing in any way His Being, Powers and Attributes. He is One; He is Unique; He is Almighty and Self-Sustaining. He has been alive forever, and will be alive forever.
A Muslim believes in Allah as the Supreme Ruler and therefore submits to His commands as a form of worship. In fact, everything that exists in the universe submits to His will.
The belief in the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the servant and final Messenger of Allah completes one’s faith. The Prophet Muhammad was the last of a line of prophets and messengers sent to deliver the same message given to all the prophets, beginning with Adam (peace be upon him). That message has consistently been to worship Allah, the One and Only God, Creator of the Universe, and the Master of Destiny.