What is the Shahada (Declaration of Faith)?
How should our declaration of faith be?
In the Quran, the words "shāhid" (شاهد - "witness, observer") , "mashhud" ("observed, watched"), and "shahīd" (شهيد - one who witnesses, one who is observed) are used with the meanings given to them. The act of witnessing is also called "shahada". Beyond this meaning, the known, visible, and perceived realms are called the realm of witnessing, used with the exact opposite meaning of the unseen. Witnessing is also mentioned in many verses concerning legal matters between people, in addition to matters of faith.
The act of witnessing, or testifying, in matters of faith that we will discuss here should not be considered merely an act performed with the eyes. Understanding something through thought and feeling it with the heart is also a form of witnessing. Ultimately, truth is one, and how a person perceives it and whether their witnessing is through sight or not is irrelevant. As stated in the verse below, the true witness is Allah. The witnessing of humanity as a part of existence is realized through the whole to which it is connected. Whether we witness or not will not change the unity and oneness of Allah. Allah primarily desires that we witness our own existence. By saying "I," we become aware of our own existence and declare, "I exist." If Allah had not created us, that "I" would actually be nothing. The word "I" fulfills the witnessing of the part to the whole. Therefore, we witness to Allah so that Allah may witness to us.
There is no god but He: That is the witness of Allah, His angels, and those endued with knowledge, standing firm on justice. There is no god but He, the Exalted in Power, the Wise.
The Shahada (declaration of faith) is to say the sentence , "Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh". The meaning of this sentence is: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger."
However, there is no verse in the Quran that could be called a verse of testimony that fully encompasses this statement. Therefore, we can quite clearly say that Allah does not demand submission and faith from us that is merely expressed through words. This testimony should only be fulfilled when the faith in a person's heart is reflected in their actions.
Nevertheless, in the current understanding, reciting the Shahada (whether its meaning is understood or not) is considered the first of the five pillars of Islam and a kind of entry into the Islamic faith. A person who says this statement with belief is considered a believer. However, since you cannot know whether someone says something with belief or not, the act has been reduced from an act of knowledge and awareness to a ritual.
But how many Muslims can truly testify that "there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the servant and messenger of Allah"? As we said, this testimony is not about seeing with the eyes, but about knowing, understanding, having an awareness at a conscious level, and being able to convey it. Is it enough for people who lack this awareness to simply say they have testified? This is precisely why there is no such command or expression in the Quran.
On the contrary, this situation is criticized in the following verse.
The bedouins say, "We have believed." Say, "You have not [yet] believed; but say [instead], 'We have submitted,' for faith has not yet entered your hearts. And if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not deprive you from your deeds of anything. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful."
The expression "amennâ" in this verse does not represent true faith, but merely "verbal affirmation." Indeed, the phrase at the end of the verse, "Faith has not yet entered your hearts," clearly shows that this belief is not true faith. It aims to convey that faith is realized not through words, but through the heart and actions; therefore, it indicates that they are not believers but rather Muslims—those who submit and surrender—and that faith has not yet entered their hearts.
Whoever disbelieved in Allah after his belief, except him who is forced thereto and whose heart is at rest with Faith but such as open their breasts to disbelief, on them is wrath from Allah, and theirs will be a great torment.
The phrase "while his heart is filled with faith (Tawhid)" in this verse clearly shows that faith requires a heartfelt affirmation. We see that even if those who do not believe in their hearts say they believe with their tongues, this does not make them believers. The following verses can also be given as examples of this.
And of mankind, there are some (hypocrites) who say: "We believe in Allah and the Last Day" while in fact they believe not.
Allah will not call you to account for that which is unintentional in your oaths, but He will call you to account for that which your hearts have earned. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Forbearing.
Your god(Ilah) is one God(Ilah). But those who do not believe in the Hereafter - their hearts are disapproving, and they are arrogant.
And of mankind there is he whose speech may please you (O Muhammad SAW), in this worldly life, and he calls Allah to witness as to that which is in his heart, yet he is the most quarrelsome of the opponents.
Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers, that is more just with Allah. But if you know not their father's (names, call them) your brothers in faith and Mawalikum (your freed slaves). And there is no sin on you if you make a mistake therein, except in regard to what your hearts deliberately intend. And Allah is Ever OftForgiving, Most Merciful.
In the verse below, Prophet Abraham reminds people that their testimonies should not be empty words. He testifies that Allah is their Lord and that what they worship is not their god. Because the only thing they say is expressed in verse 53 as follows:
53. They also said, “We found our forefathers worshipping these things.”
56. He said: "Nay, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, Who created them and of that I am one of the witnesses.
57. And [I swear] by Allah, I will surely plan against your idols after you have turned and gone away."
58. So he broke them to pieces, (all) except the biggest of them, that they might turn to it.
The part beginning with the phrase "By Allah" in verse 57 demonstrates that by shattering them into pieces, he can prove with evidence that the idols they made with their own hands are not their Lord, but that their Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, whom He created from nothing .
Bearing witness to the Messenger
When the hypocrites come to you (O Muhammad SAW), they say: "We bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of Allah." Allah knows that you are indeed His Messenger and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars indeed.
(48:29) states, "Muhammad is His Messenger," but there is no verse in the Quran that could even partially support the second part of the shahada. The verse above, in response to the hypocrites who testified verbally to the Messenger of Allah, points out that Allah already knew this and that their lies only deceived themselves. This also emphasizes the fact that verbal testimony(shahada) is, in a sense, not filled with substance.
The following verse also places a very important emphasis on how a person's testimony to the prophethood of Muhammad should be, not merely through verbal repetition, but through genuine expression.
And those who have disbelieved say, "You are not a messenger." Say, [O Muhammad], "Sufficient is Allah as Witness between me and you, and [the witness of] whoever has knowledge of the Scripture."
It is stated that only those who possess knowledge of the Book can bear witness to the prophethood of Muhammad . Therefore, the path to testifying to the prophethood of Muhammad lies in having knowledge of what revelation is and learning about Muhammad as described in the Quran.
Of course, this does not mean that you should not recite the Shahada (declaration of faith) or that you are not required to do so. Absolutely not! The point we want to make is that people have turned religion into an empty ritual, thus missing the true essence of religion. Otherwise, what could be more beautiful for a person than expressing the oneness of Allah and that His Prophet is His servant and messenger? In this regard, the essence is of paramount importance.
Those who have faith in Allah and His apostles(messengers)—it is they who are the truthful and witnesses with their Lord; they shall have their reward and their light. But as for those who are faithless and deny Our signs, they shall be the inmates of hell.
The fundamental criterion for people to affirm and bear witness to the truth is the evaluation of Almighty Allah. Therefore, the phrase "with their Lord" is included at the end of the sentence. Because the important point is that Almighty Allah approves of who are the truthful and the witnesses. This verse specifically states that those who affirm and bear witness to the truth in the sight of Allah are those who believe in and trust in Almighty Allah and all the prophets.
As the following verses repeatedly conveyed to us through the Prophet's own words, the essence of the matter is actually very simple:
"Allah is sufficient as a witness."
Or they say, ‘He has fabricated it.’ Say, ‘Should I have fabricated it, you would not avail me anything against Allah. He best knows what you gossip concerning it. He suffices as a witness between me and you, and He is the All-forgiving, the All-merciful.’
"So sufficient is Allah for a witness between us and you, that We indeed knew nothing of your worship of us."
Whatever of good reaches you, is from Allah, but whatever of evil befalls you, is from yourself. And We have sent you (O Muhammad SAW) as a Messenger to mankind, and Allah is Sufficient as a Witness.
Say (to them O Muhammad SAW): "Sufficient is Allah for a witness between me and you. He knows what is in the heavens and on earth." And those who believe in Batil (all false deities other than Allah), and disbelieve in Allah and (in His Oneness), it is they who are the losers.
Those who believe (in the Qur'an), those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Sabians, Christians, Magians, and Polytheists,- Allah will judge between them on the Day of Judgment: for Allah is witness of all things.
It is He Who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Religion of Truth, to proclaim it over all religion: and enough is Allah for a Witness.
Say: "Sufficient is Allah for a witness between me and you. Verily! He is the All-Knower, the All-Seer of His slaves."
But Allah bears witness to what He has sent down to you—He sent it down with His knowledge—and the angels bear witness [too], and Allah quite suffices as witness.
54. “We only say that some of our gods have possessed you with evil.” He said, “I call Allah to witness, and you to witness, that I am innocent of what you associate
55. besides Him. So scheme against me, all of you, and do not hesitate.
We will show them Our Signs in the universe, and in their ownselves, until it becomes manifest to them that this (the Quran) is the truth. Is it not sufficient in regard to your Lord that He is a Witness over all things?
The Testimony(Shahada) of Allah is superior to all other testimonies.
Say (O Muhammad SAW): "What thing is the most great in witness?" Say: "Allah (the Most Great!) is Witness between me and you; this Quran has been revealed to me that I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach. Can you verily bear witness that besides Allah there are other aliha (gods)?" Say "I bear no (such) witness!" Say: "But in truth He (Allah) is the only one Ilah (God). And truly I am innocent of what you join in worship with Him."
It was emphasized that human testimony cannot be trusted and that a person may testify falsely:
Bring forward your witnesses, who can testify that Allah has forbidden this. Then if they testify, testify not you (O Muhammad SAW) with them. And you should not follow the vain desires of such as treat Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) as falsehoods, and such as believe not in the Hereafter, and they hold others as equal (in worship) with their Lord."
First Shahada(Testimony)
There is also the testimony of a person during the covenant (mîsak) made between Allah and the human soul. At this time, Allah asks people, making them testify to their own selves, "Am I not your Lord?" and they reply, "Yes, You are our Lord, we testify to that." This testimony will prevent them from saying, "We were unaware of such a thing," during the final reckoning.
And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying to them], "Am I not your Lord?" They said, "Yes, we have testified." [This] - lest you should say on the day of Resurrection, "Indeed, we were of this unaware."
Another form of testimony taken was the testimony of the prophets to one another.
And [recall, O People of the Scripture], when Allah took the covenant of the prophets, [saying], "Whatever I give you of the Scripture and wisdom and then there comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you, you [must] believe in him and support him." [Allah] said, "Have you acknowledged and taken upon that My commitment?" They said, "We have acknowledged it." He said, "Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses."
It is also mentioned that prophets will bear witness for their communities in the hereafter.
And [mention] the Day when We will resurrect among every nation a witness over them from themselves. And We will bring you, [O Muhammad], as a witness over your nation. And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all things and as guidance and mercy and good tidings for the Muslims.
So how [will it be] when We bring from every nation a witness and we bring you, [O Muhammad] against these [people] as a witness?
And [mention] the Day when We will resurrect from every nation a witness. Then it will not be permitted to the disbelievers [to apologize or make excuses], nor will they be asked to appease [Allah].
And We will extract from every nation a witness and say, "Produce your proof," and they will know that the truth belongs to Allah, and lost from them is that which they used to invent.
Testifying by Setting an Example
Allah Almighty states that He made the last nation a witness for humanity, and the witness mentioned in the following verse is that the nation is made an "example" for other people. The word "shahīd" in the verse does not mean "martyr" in the conventional sense, but rather, as in all its uses in the Quran, it means "witness, example." In accordance with this meaning, the words "shuhada" and "shahīd" in the verse should be interpreted in a worldly context, and it should be understood that the intention is "to be an example."
We have made you (true Muslims) a moderate nation so that you could be an example for all people and the Prophet an example for you. The direction which you had been facing during your prayers (the qibla) was only made in order that We would know who would follow the Messenger and who would turn away. It was a hard test but not for those to whom Allah has given guidance. Allah did not want to make your previous prayers worthless; Allah is Compassionate and All-merciful.
And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. Allah named you "Muslims" before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation] that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer and give zakah and hold fast to Allah. He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper.
It seems that the Prophet Muhammad was made a "witness (example)" for the last nation in this world. As stated at the beginning of the verse, since the reason for making the nation of Prophet Muhammad a "moderate, balanced, just, and measured nation" is defined as bearing witness to other people, then this witnessing must primarily be considered in the context of worldly conditions. When witnessing is considered essentially in the sense of "setting an example," then it means that the goal is to create a better human community in the world.
Obtaining Witnessing
The issue of witnessing is also mentioned in the verses concerning Jesus and his apostles. In the following verse, the apostles answer the question posed by Jesus, stating that they are helpers in the path of God, that they believe in and trust in Him, and that they wish Jesus to bear witness that they are Muslims. Because, as we mentioned above, prophets will bear witness on the Day of Judgment, either for or against their people.
52. Then when 'Iesa (Jesus) came to know of their disbelief, he said: "Who will be my helpers in Allah's Cause?" Al-Hawariun (the disciples) said: "We are the helpers of Allah; we believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are Muslims (i.e. we submit to Allah)."
53. Our Lord! We believe in what You have sent down, and we follow the Messenger ['Iesa (Jesus)]; so write us down among those who bear witness (to the truth i.e. La ilaha ill-Allah - none has the right to be worshipped but Allah).
"Write us down with those who bear witness," meaning that the apostles wished to be mentioned and written down alongside all the universal witnesses of the truth, primarily the prophets, who would testify to their communities.
Say (O Muhammad SAW): "O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah. Then, if they turn away, say: "Bear witness that we are Muslims."
And when they (who call themselves Christians) listen to what has been sent down to the Messenger (Muhammad SAW), you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of the truth they have recognised. They say: "Our Lord! We believe; so write us down among the witnesses.
And when I (Allah) put in the hearts of Al-Hawarieen (the disciples) [of 'Iesa (Jesus)] to believe in Me and My Messenger, they said: "We believe. And bear witness that we are Muslims."
When we examine the verses above concerning Jesus and his apostles, we clearly see that the apostles did not call themselves witnesses to Jesus being the servant and messenger of Allah; rather, they called Jesus to witness their own faith. People need to increase the number of witnesses to their faith; otherwise, they should know that neither Allah, nor His prophet, nor the message itself needs such testimony, and we should express our testimony in essence, not just in words.