A Simple Guide to ISLAM
The Shahaadah –
The Article of Faith
~ 9 ~
These are the first words that are breathed into a child’s ear at
birth. These are also the last words, which a Muslim would utter
with his dying breath.
Even if someone recites the
shahaadah
hypocritically— which is
not acceptable to God—he will still, for practical purposes,
continue to be regarded as a member of the Muslim community.
Nevertheless, a proper understanding of the basic tenets is a
prerequisite for all true believers. And sincere and heartfelt faith is
a sine qua non if salvation is to be ensured in the life Hereafter.
The
shahaadah
consists of two parts; one, a negation, the other an
affirmation. The first part—
La ilaha illa Allah
(there is no other
God) negates the existence of each and every false God, and
condemns false worship. The word ‘
ilaah
’ means ‘god’ or any
object of worship; it could refer to any being, person, matter or
concept, which is taken as an object of adoration or worship.
The second part of
Shahaadah
—
illa Allah
— stresses that only
Allah, the one and only God, the Creator and Sustainer of all
being, merits our reverence. No one else is to be worshipped or
turned to for help or refuge. Neither angels, nor prophets nor
saints, nor any other object share in His divinity. There is only One
God, One Creator, One Sustainer— the Almighty Allah,
