What is the Shahada in Islam?

Answer

Shahada means “testimony” or “witness” in Arabic. It represents the first pillar of Islam and serves as the Islamic creed:

“There is no god but Allah, and Mohammad is the messenger [or prophet] of Allah.”

When transliterated from Arabic, the Shahada reads as follows: La ilaha illa Allah wa-Muhammad rasul Allah.

The Shahada is a statement that all Muslims are required to declare. Failure to do so means one cannot be recognized as a true Muslim. Simply uttering this confession before two Muslim witnesses is sufficient to embrace Islam. It is customary to recite the Shahada during the five daily prayer times mandated by Islam.

The initial segment of the Shahada confirms the oneness of Allah, rejecting polytheism and the Christian concept of the Trinity.

The latter part of the declaration asserts that Mohammad is the primary intermediary between Allah and humanity, thereby placing Jesus and the Bible in a subordinate position.

In Shia Islamic tradition, the Shahada includes a third statement: “Ali is the wali of Allah.” Wali can be translated as “guardian” or “protector,” but it is commonly used to denote a Muslim saint or a “friend of Allah.” Shia Muslims view Ali (Mohammad’s son-in-law) as Mohammad’s rightful successor, a belief that Sunni Muslims do not accept.

The Shahada is commonly displayed on the flags of Muslim nations, as well as on the flags of groups like the Taliban, ISIS, and Hamas.