THE SHAHADAH: THE FIRST PILLAR OF ISLAM AND THE UNIVERSAL CALL TO DIVINE ONENESS

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Introduction

The Shahadah — Ashhadu an lā ilāha illā Allāh wa ashhadu anna Muḥammadan rasūl Allāh — is the foundational declaration of Islam. It is the statement that establishes one’s faith, defines one’s purpose, and unites the message of all prophets sent to humanity. It proclaims with certainty that nothing is worthy of worship except Allah, the sole Creator and Sustainer of all things, and that Muhammad ﷺ is His final Messenger.

This testimony is not a mere utterance; it is a covenant with the Creator, a commitment to truth, and the entry point into the life of faith. It affirms that existence is neither random nor purposeless but guided by the One who created, sustains, commands, and judges.

I. EVIDENCES: THE QUR’ANIC FOUNDATION OF THE SHAHADAH

1. The Universal Mission of All Prophets

The Qur’an explicitly states that every nation, every community, and every prophet carried one unchanging message: worship Allah alone.

وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَسُولًا أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ
“And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], ‘Worship Allah and avoid false gods.’” (Surah al-Naḥl 16:36)

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدُونِ
“And We did not send any messenger before you except that We revealed to him: ‘There is no deity except Me, so worship Me.’” (Surah al-Anbiyā’ 21:25)

وَاسْأَلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رُّسُلِنَا أَجَعَلْنَا مِن دُونِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ آلِهَةً يُعْبَدُونَ
“And ask those We sent before you of Our messengers: Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the Most Merciful?” (Surah al-Zukhruf 43:45)

These verses demonstrate that monotheism is not exclusively “Islamic” in the narrow sense; it is the religion of all prophets — hundreds, perhaps thousands, many unnamed — culminating in the final Messenger, Muhammad ﷺ.

2. The Nature of Allah: Creator, Sustainer, and Only One Worthy of Worship

The Qur’an calls humanity to reflect rationally and honestly:

أَمْ خُلِقُوا مِنْ غَيْرِ شَيْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ الْخَالِقُونَ
“Were they created by nothing, or were they the creators?” (Surah al-Ṭūr 52:35)

This is not philosophy — it is observable reality:

• Nothing creates itself.

• Nothing appears from absolute nothingness.

• Every created thing depends on a cause.

Thus, Allah alone — eternal, self-sufficient, uncaused — is logically and evidently the only One deserving worship.

اللَّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَكِيلٌ
“Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is, over all things, Guardian.” (39:62)

Rejecting false gods is not blind dogma — it is the only rational response to the reality of a dependent creation.

3. The Inevitability of Being Tested

Accepting the Shahadah is not an escape from trials — it is the beginning of a path shaped by divine wisdom:

أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَنْ يُتْرَكُوا أَنْ يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ
وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْكَاذِبِينَ
“Do the people think they will be left to say, ‘We believe,’ without being tested?
We certainly tested those before them, so Allah will make evident those who are truthful, and He will make evident the liars.” (Surah al-‘Ankabūt 29:2–3)

Faith is proven in the furnace of trials — an ancient truth known to all prophets and their followers.

II. VIRTUES, BENEFITS, AND THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF THE SHAHADAH

1. Entry into Islam and Eternal Salvation

The Prophet ﷺ said:

عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَفَّانَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ:
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: «مَنْ مَاتَ وَهُوَ يَعْلَمُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ»
“Whoever dies knowing that there is no deity but Allah will enter Paradise.”
— Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim

This knowledge is not merely verbal; it is conviction, sincerity, and commitment.

2. Protection from Hellfire

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ:
«لَا يَلْقَى اللهَ عَبْدٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَقُولُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، يَبْتَغِي بِذَلِكَ وَجْهَ اللهِ، إِلَّا حَرَّمَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ النَّارَ»
“No servant meets Allah on the Day of Resurrection saying ‘Lā ilāha illā Allāh,’ seeking Allah’s Face by it, except Allah will make the Fire forbidden for him.”
— Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī

3. Purifying the Heart from False Attachments

The Shahadah liberates the heart from:

• slavery to desires

• worship of wealth or status

• fear of creation

• reliance on anything other than Allah

It builds a heart that is anchored, courageous, resilient, and spiritually alive.

III. MAIN ARTICLE: THE SHAHADAH AS THE FOUNDATION OF FAITH

1. What the Shahadah Means

The Shahadah consists of two testimonies:

(1) Lā ilāha illā Allāh

There is no true deity worthy of worship except Allah.
This negates all false gods and affirms the worship of the One who created, sustains, guides, and judges.

(2) Muḥammad rasūl Allāh

Muhammad ﷺ is the final Prophet, sent as a mercy and a guide, completing the message of thousands before him.

2. The Shahadah and the Purpose of Life

In declaring the Shahadah, a believer accepts life as a test, a journey of truth, patience, and moral refinement. This aligns with the repeated message in scripture:

• Adam was guided to repentance.

• Noah warned his people against shirk (polytheism).

• Abraham rejected idols and proclaimed pure monotheism.

• Moses called Israel to the worship of the One God.

• Jesus affirmed the first commandment: “The Lord our God, the Lord is One.”

This mission is universal and unchanging.

IV. THE SHAHADAH IN EARLIER SCRIPTURE

1. The Torah (Old Testament)

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.”
— Deuteronomy 6:4

2. The Psalms

“For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.”
— Psalm 96:4–5

3. The New Testament

“The Lord our God, the Lord is One.”
— Mark 12:29

These verses show continuity, not conflict — a single divine call across ages.

V. LIVING THE SHAHADAH

To live the Shahadah is:

• to worship Allah alone

• to obey His Messenger ﷺ

• to uphold justice

• to seek truth

• to avoid hypocrisy

• to persevere through trials

• to embody mercy, humility, and sincerity

It is a lifelong commitment that shapes every thought, action, and aspiration.

Conclusion

The Shahadah is the essence of the religion of all prophets — an eternal truth that unites humanity under the worship of the One Creator. It is the key to purpose, the foundation of morality, the compass through trials, and the path to Paradise.

Through it, the believer affirms reality as it is: that the universe has one Lord, one Sustainer, one Judge, and one ultimate destination. Saying it with sincerity transforms life; living it with conviction transforms the soul.