Understanding 'Shahada'

 

'Shahada': First Pillar of Islam

لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله

Laa-Ilaaha Illallah Muhammadur Rassoolullah

“There is no other God but God [Allah] and Muhammad (pbuh) is His Messenger.” 

It is by accepting this confession that one becomes a Muslim. This is the first pillar of Islam. It is the profession of faith of every Muslim. It proclaims the oneness of God and totally refutes the idea that He could have been begotten (like human beings) or created. 

The Shahada therefore leads us to submit to God and become His servants. By reciting it, we affirm to our Creator that we will follow His recommendations and refrain from His prohibitions. Our goal is to try to correct ourselves, by leading our life according to the commands of our Master. 

To this end, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) said: “He who recites the Shahada with sincerity will enter paradise”. He was then asked: “What is the sign of sincerity?” The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) replied, “It prevents him from doing things forbidden by Allah.” 

We must therefore strive to obey Allah in all circumstances, whether in the way we eat, drink, dress or behave with others. It is not appropriate to be satisfied with what suits us, by conforming ourselves, for example, to the customs and behaviours of other people, foreign to Islam, by abandoning the Sunnah and all that Allah has prescribed to us in His Holy Book.