The Two Testifications Shahadahs
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيم
Praise be to God the Creator of the world, the One Who exists without beginning, without end, without location , without a “how” and Who does not depend on time. Nothing resembles Him in anyway and He hears and sees everything without organs. Whatever you imagine, God is different from that. May the elevation in degree and preservation of his community of what he fears for it, be granted to our master Muḥammad Al-‘Amin, the Honest One, who called for following Islam, the religion of truth, the religion of all the Prophets: of the First, Adam, to the last Muḥammad.
Allâh, ta`âlâ, said in the Qur’ân:
﴿ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ ﴾
(Yâ ayyuhal-ladhîna âmanu t-taqu lLâha haqqa tuqâtihi wa lâ tamûtunna illa wa antum muslimûn)
which means: « O believers, fear Allâh properly (as you should) and do not die but as Muslims. » [Ayah 102 of Sûratu Al `Imran]
The Religion of Islam: Islam is the true Religion that the sound mind supports, and it is appropriate for every age and time. It is the Religion of all the prophets from the first of them, Adam, to the final one, Muḥammad, may peace be upon them all. Allâh sent the prophets to guide the people to what is good and beneficial, to guide them to piety, and to teach them to be steadfast on this Religion until the end of their lives.
Piety: Piety (Taqwa) occurs by doing all the obligations and avoiding all the sins. Whoever achieves this state becomes a pious person. The first among these obligations is knowing and believing in Allâh, ta`âlâ, and His Prophet Muḥammad, Salla lLâhu `alayhi wa sallam.
Professing the Two Shahadahs: In regards to the blasphemer who wants to embrace Islam, the belief is not accepted without one uttering the Two Testifications (Shahadahs). In addition, the Muslim is obligated to recite the Two Testifications (Shahadahs) in every prayer for validity of that prayer. The Two Testifications are: I testify that no one is God except Allâh and I testify that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allâh.
The meaning of the Two Shahadahs:
· The meaning of Ash-hadu an lâ ilâha illa lLâh is: I know, I believe, and I declare that no one is God except Allâh, i.e., no one deserves to be worshipped except Allâh.
· The meaning of Ash-hadu anna Muḥammadar Rasulullâh is: I know, I believe, and I declare that our Master Muḥammad, the son of `Abdullâh, is the Messenger of Allâh to both the humans and jinn, and that he is truthful in all of what he conveyed from Allâh.
The purpose of the Two Testifications: To confirm that Allâh is the One and only God, and that Muḥammad is His Messenger, while rejecting that which contradicts this.
Allâh, ta`âlâ, said in the Qur’ân:
﴿ وَمَن لَّمْ يُؤْمِن بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَإِنَّا أَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ سَعِيرًا ﴾
(wa mal lam yu’mim billâhi wa rasûlihi fa’inna a`tadna lil-kafirîna sa`ira)
which means : « Those who do not believe in Allâh and His Messenger are blasphemers, for whom Allâh has prepared Hellfire. » [Ayah 13 of Sûratu Al-Fath]
The two testifications of faith in Arabic:
« أَشهَدُ أَن لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ الله وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ الله »
('ach-hadu 'an lâ 'ilâha 'il-la l-Lâh wa 'ach-hadu 'anna Muḥammadan rasūlu l-Lâh)
which means: “I testify that there is no god except Allāh and I testify that Muḥammad is the messenger of Allāh”
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