الشَّهَادَةُ

The first pillar is the shahada. Maybe you know it already!

أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa llaah, wa ash-hadu anna Muḥammadan rasuulu llaah "I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."

To "testify" means to say something you truly know, from the bottom of your heart.

The shahada has two parts: 1. Laa ilaaha illa llaah: there is no god except Allah. We worship only Allah, we pray only to Allah, we ask only Allah (47:19). 2. Muḥammadun rasuulu llaah: Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah (48:29). We learn from him how to worship Allah and how to behave well.

Where do you hear the shahada? • In the call to prayer (the adhan), five times a day. • In every prayer, when we are sitting. • After wudu (Muslim 234). • And it is what a person says to become Muslim.

Little activity: listen to the adhan with your parent (at the mosque, on the website or on the centre's radio). Raise your finger every time you hear "ash-hadu"!

Understanding the lesson

Explanation The shahada is the first pillar, the one that holds all the others. Without it, the other pillars make no sense: we pray, fast and give for Allah, because we believe in Him. The first part means: nothing and no one deserves to be worshipped except Allah. Not a statue, not the sun, not a person. The second part means: we love the Prophet ﷺ and we follow him. Allah says: "Say: if you love Allah, follow me, and Allah will love you." (meaning of part of verse 3:31) The shahada is not only said with the mouth: we believe it with the heart, and we show it through our actions.

Lessons to draw from it • I worship only Allah, and I ask Him alone for what I need. • I learn about the life of the Prophet ﷺ so that I can do as he did. • My shahada shows in what I do: I pray, I tell the truth, I am kind.

Key points to remember • Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa llaah, wa ash-hadu anna Muḥammadan rasuulu llaah. • Two parts: Allah alone is worshipped (47:19); Muhammad ﷺ is His Messenger (48:29). • Loving Allah means following the Prophet ﷺ (3:31).

The main message The shahada is the first pillar: I believe in my heart that Allah alone is worshipped and that Muhammad ﷺ is His Messenger, and I show it through my actions.