الشَّهَادَةُ

There is a very, very important sentence for a Muslim. It is called the shahada.

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ ، مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ Laa ilaaha illa llaah, Muḥammadun rasuulu llaah

We say it in two parts.

First part: لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ Laa ilaaha illa llaah "There is no god except Allah." It means: we worship only Allah. We pray to Allah, we make duas to Allah, and to no one else. (47:19)

Second part: مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ Muḥammadun rasuulu llaah "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." (48:29) It means: we believe the Prophet ﷺ, we love him, and we do what he taught us.

You hear this sentence often! In the call to prayer (the adhan), the muezzin says: "Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa llaah" and "Ash-hadu anna Muḥammadan rasuulu llaah". "Ash-hadu" means "I bear witness", I say that it is true.

The Prophet ﷺ said that Islam is built on five pillars, and that the first pillar is the shahada (Bukhari 8, Muslim 16).

Little activity: repeat the shahada with your parent, part by part: "Laa ilaaha… illa llaah… Muḥammadun… rasuulu llaah". Then listen carefully to the next adhan: you will hear it!

Understanding the lesson

Explanation The shahada is like the key to Islam. When we say it and believe it with our heart, we are Muslim. "Laa ilaaha illa llaah": in the past, many people worshipped statues or other things. The shahada says: no, only Allah deserves to be worshipped, because He is the Creator (do you remember Al-Khaliq?). "Muḥammadun rasuulu llaah": Allah sent us the Prophet ﷺ to show us how to worship Him: how to pray, how to be kind, how to say "Bismillah". Following him means following the path that Allah loves.

Lessons to draw from it • I worship only Allah: it is to Him that I make my duas. • I love the Prophet ﷺ and I do what he taught us. • I know the shahada by heart, and I listen for it in the adhan.

Key points to remember • The shahada: Laa ilaaha illa llaah, Muḥammadun rasuulu llaah. • It is the first pillar of Islam (Bukhari 8, Muslim 16). • "Ash-hadu" means "I bear witness".

The main message The shahada is my sentence as a Muslim: I worship only Allah, and I follow the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.