Muslims believe that the last revealed scripture sent by God is the Quran or Qur`an. This is God`s discourse revealed to Muhammad in Arabic during his twenty-three-year mission. The Qur`an was written by scribes and memorized during Muhammad`s lifetime. The Qur`an emphasizes moral, ethical and spiritual values with the aim of establishing justice for all. Many Muslims try to learn to read the Quran in its original language, Arabic. It is not uncommon for Muslims to memorize entire chapters. They read some of it every day. The Sunnah is a record of Muhammad`s words and deeds. The Sunnah is used to interpret the Qur`an. There are also instructions on faith, worship and behavior. Reciting this statement three times in front of witnesses is all one needs to do to become a Muslim. The fundamental belief of Islam is the unity of God. All other beliefs depend on this belief.
Therefore, the recognition and “witness” of it is the key to the Muslim faith. If this is not observed, one cannot be a Muslim. A Muslim accepts only one God, the only Master, Lord and Ruler without a partner, who shares His essence, powers and qualities in any way. He is One; It is unique; He is nobody`s father, and He has not had a father. He is omnipotent and autonomous. He is here forever and will be there forever. (Click here to learn more about God`s attributes.) Islam quickly spread first throughout Arabia and surrounding countries, and then around the world. There are 1.2 billion Muslims in the world, 7 million in the United States. Only about 18% of Muslims are Arabs and live in the Middle East. The countries with the largest Muslim populations are Indonesia and India.
There are two fundamental groups of Islam: Sunnis (about 80% of the world`s Muslims) and Shiites (about 20% of the world`s Muslims). Although they share the same fundamental beliefs, they disagree on who was the rightful leader of Islam after Muhammad`s death. The second part of the Declaration of Faith makes obedience and respect for the advice of Prophet Muhammad as important as belief in the absolute unity of God. This statement leads someone to submit completely to God`s will, and therefore someone who declares this belief is called a Muslim, that is, someone who completely submits to God`s will. (Learn more about Prophet Muhammad!) Although the two statements of the Shahada are both present in the Qur`an (e.g., 37:35 and 48:29), they are not found side by side as in the Shahada formula,[12] but are present in the hadiths. [24] [25] [26] [27] Versions of both phrases appeared in coins and monumental architecture in the late seventh century, suggesting that it had not been officially established as a ritual creed until then. [12] An inscription in the Dome of the Rock (est. 692) in Jerusalem reads: “There is no god but God alone; He has no partner with him; Muhammad is the Messenger of God.” [12] Another variant appears in coins minted after the reign of Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, the fifth Umayyad caliph: “Muhammad is the servant of God and his messenger.” [12] Although it is not clear when the shahadah was first commonly used among Muslims, it is clear that the sentiments it expresses have been part of the Qur`an and Islamic doctrine since ancient times. [12] The Shahaadah consists of two parts.
The first part (“I testify that there is no divinity but Allah”) deals with our beliefs and our relationship with Allah. It is stated unequivocally that no other deity is worthy of worship and that Allah is the one and only true Lord. This is a statement of the strict monotheism of Islam, known as Tawheed, on which all Islamic theology is based. A Muslim is expected to recite this statement aloud and sincerely and fully understand what it means. The next six religions are those generally represented by Muslims, as stated in the Qur`an and hadith. The Holy Prophet is the last prophet who brought us the last book (the Holy Quran) to follow. He lived among his people for a long time and his life is documented in detail. He set an example for His disciples. The way he lived his life and exhorted his followers to live theirs is called the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet.
The noun šahādah (شَهَادَة), from the verb šahida ([ʃa.hi.da] شَهِدَ), from the root š-h-d (ش-ه-د), which means “to observe, to testify, to testify”, is translated as “witness” in the common and juridical sense. [7] [Note 2] The Islamic creed is also called šahādatān (شَهَادَتَان, literally “two testimonies”). The term al-šahīd (ٱلْشَّهِيد, “the witness”) is used in the Qur`an as one of the “titles of God”. [11] Belief in the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, as a servant and messenger of God, completes the faith. The Holy Prophet was the greatest of all the prophets of God, but he was only a man without a part in the divine. This is a very important belief that prevents Muslims from connecting with God. This part of the Declaration of Faith affirms the first part of God, who is the only Supreme Being without a partner, and also establishes the absolute authority of the Holy Prophet as the messenger of God, who must also be obeyed in all matters of faith. The second part of the Shahadah requires Muslims to recognize and witness faith in Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as the messenger of Allah. It serves Muslims to recall the importance of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), but also to remind them never to associate partners with Allah, because he is only one messenger, and Allah remains one God. If one enters the bosom of Islam only for God`s pleasure, all previous sins are forgiven and a new life of piety and justice begins. The Prophet (saas) said: “Do you not know that the acceptance of Islam destroys all the sins that precede it?” When one embraces Islam, one essentially repents of the manners and beliefs of one`s previous life.
It is not necessary to be burdened by the sins committed before they are accepted. The person`s record after becoming a Muslim is clean, and it is as if he was born from the womb. Try as much as possible to keep your records clean and strive to do as many good deeds as possible. God has promised paradise to people who leave this world with this testimony of faith. This is the fundamental message of the Islamic faith: he who cannot recite this wholeheartedly is not a Muslim. Shahada is a statement of both ritual and worship. In a well-known hadith, Muhammad defines Islam as a testimony that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is the messenger of God, gives alms (zakat), performs ritual prayer, fasts during the month of Ramadan, and makes a pilgrimage to the Kaaba: the five pillars of Islam are inherent in this creed. [13] [19] Explanation of the Shahada statement introducing Islam. The word shahaadah literally means “to testify”, so that through the verbal confession of faith, one bears witness to the truth of the message of Islam and its most fundamental teachings.
The Shahaadah encompasses everything, including all the other basic teachings of Islam: belief in Allah, angels, prophets, books of revelation, life after death, and divine fate/decree. It is a “big picture” creed that has deep depth and meaning. The Creed consists of two different parts, namely absolute belief in the oneness of God and belief in the Holy Prophet Muhammad as a mortal man and messenger of God. Islam is a monotheistic belief that focuses on belief in one God (Allah). In this regard, he shares some beliefs with Judaism and Christianity, tracing its history back to the patriarch Abraham and ultimately to the first prophet, Adam. All the prophets preached the same universal message of belief in one God and kindness to mankind. The last prophet, according to Muslims, was Muhammad. Muhammad was born around 570 AD in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. He worked first as a shepherd and then as a merchant. He was not happy with the people around him because of superstition and social and economic injustice.
People worshipped many gods and had forgotten the prophet Abraham`s message to worship a god. Muhammad loved to pray and meditate in the mountains. On one of these occasions, in 610 A.D., when he was about 40 years old, he received a revelation from God through the angel Jibril (Gabriel). He received messages from God throughout his life and began to preach to others what he had learned. His main message is that there was no god but Allah and that people should live their lives in a way that pleases Allah. Of course, in Islam, all actions are based on the concept of intention (niyyah), so the Shahaadah only makes sense if one truly understands the explanation and is sincere in one`s faith. It is also understood that if one accepts this faith, one should try to live by His commandments and counsel. This is the holiest statement of Islam and must be recited with full understanding and awareness of its meaning.
The above two statements are usually preceded by the expression ašhadu ʾan (“I testify of this”), which gives the full form: Prophet Muhammad once said: “No one meets Allah with the testimony that there is no one worthy of worship except Allah and I am the Messenger of Allah, and he has no doubt about this statement, except that he goes to heaven” (Muslim Hadith). The monotheistic nature of Islam is reflected in the first sentence of the Shahadah, which explains the belief in the oneness of God and that it is the only entity truly worthy of worship. [13] The second sentence of the Shahadah indicates the means by which God has offered direction to mankind. [18] The verse reminds Muslims that they accept not only Muhammad`s prophecy, but also the long line of prophets who preceded him. [18] While the first part is considered a cosmic truth, the second part is specific to Islam, as it is understood that members of the ancient Abrahamic religions do not consider Muhammad to be one of their prophets. [18] The recitation of the Shahadah is the most common statement of faith for Muslims.