Kalimah al-Shahadah

“Islam is based on five pillars: To testify that there is no deity but Allah and Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger, to perform salah (prayer), to pay zakat (obligatory charity), to perform Hajj, and to observe fast during the month of Ramadan.” ¹⁷
(The Prophet Muhammad (saw))

What lies in the essence of Islam is “tawhid” - the principle of believing in Allah ^(swt). The expression of this principle and the first requirement of being a Muslim is “kalimah al-shahadah”: “Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa Rasuluh.” The meaning of kalimah al-shahadah is as follows: “I testify that there is no deity but Allah and Muhammad is Allah’s servant and messenger.”

By uttering this sentence, the first thing a person testifies is that “there is no deity but Allah.” If a person pronounces kalimah al-shahadah, they accept that there is no power or authority but Allah to pray and seek help from; that blessings only come from Allah and can only be asked from Him; that they can only trust in Him and cannot depend on any other creature; and that they can only worship Him and can only ask for protection from Him.

The second thing one testifies with the kalimah al-shahadah is that “the Prophet Muhammad is the servant and messenger of Allah.” Above all, the last Prophet Muhammad is a human and the servant of Allah. The Prophet Isa (Jesus) was later deified and seen as a god; however, this is definitely not the case for the Prophet Muhammad. On the other hand, the Prophet Muhammad was not a regular servant but he was also the Messenger of Allah. He received revelation, he was responsible for delivering and explaining them to the people, and living accordingly. He was always under the control and protection of Allah.

¹⁷ Bukhari, Iman, 2.