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Showing posts with label Pillars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pillars. Show all posts

Saturday 14 April 2018

Testimony of Faith (Shahada)


Whenever we adopt a religion, we must undertake to abide by its very basics and make a testimony to this effect. Unless we make a testimony, we cannot be called a follower of that particular religion. Thus, like all religions, Islam also seeks its would be follower to undertake the testimony which we call faith or Shahada in Arabic. The noun šahāda (شَهادة), from the verbal root šahida ([ˈʃahɪd(a)] شَهِدَ) meaning "to observe, witness, testify", translates as "testimony" in both the everyday and the legal senses.

Whenever anyone converts to Islam, he has to thus declare very clearly and take a oath: Ash hadu Al-laa Ilaaha illa-llaahu, Wa Ash hadu Anna Muhammadan Abduhoo Wa Rasooluhu.” (in Arabic).

The oath translates in English as: "I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is Servant and Messenger (Prophet) of Allah."

By saying these words, one enters the religion of Islam and the Muslim community. And then he is to abide by the fact of oneness of almighty Allah, without attaching anything or anyone to Allah and acknowledging that none other than Muhammad (may peace be upon him) is his messenger.

We as Muslims thus do not equate with Allah and acknowledge the end of prophet hood with the demise of Muhammad (may peace be upon him). Anyone who willfully tries to revere anyone after Muhammad as a prophet denounces the very faith, shahada or the declaration one made when entering the religion of Islam.

While the oneness of Allah has been mentioned in many places in the Koran, Allah, the Almighty, has sent simple four verses in Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ, the 112th surah of Koran in its 30th chapter, which describes Allah's absolute oneness and leave no doubt about His absoluteness:
Say, O' Prophet, "He is Allah, [who is] One
Allah, the Eternal Refuge
He neither begets nor is born
Nor is there to Him any equivalent
It may also be added here for information that once one enters the religion of Islam, he also acknowledges that all prophets before Muhammad (may peace be upon him) were prophets of Allah, like prophets Adam, Ibraheem (Abraham), Moses, David and Isac (may peace be upon them all), and that the three holy books given to prophets Dawood (David), Musa (Moses) and Isa (Isac) are the true holy books revealed on the chosen prophets of Allah.

Thus a Muslim must have:
  • Faith in Allah;
  • Faith in His angels;
  • Faith in His revealed Books;
  • Faith in all of His messengers or Prophets;
  • Faith in the Last Day or the Day of Judgment;
  • Faith in the doctrine of predestination, which lays down that everything good or bad is decided by Allah), (Taqdir) and
  • Faith in the life after death.
Unless a Muslim testifies the oneness of Allah, the omnipotent, and does not include anyone at His par, testifies that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is his messenger and have faith in previous prophets and revealed books and that there is to be a day of judgment when those with good deeds will be rewarded and those who sinned and did not repent will be penalized, one can not call himself a Muslim.

You may like to view this enlightening video in which a brother and sister are entering the fold of Islam by taking their shahada at the hands of one of the most enlightened and learned scholars of present times Dr Zakir A Naik:
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Pillars of Enlightenment


Every religion is based on certain basic requirements or can we say pillars which rest on the very foundation of a religion. Thus like others religion, Islam hinges on five pillars, I call Pillars of Enlightenment,  without which one cannot claim to be a follower of Islam or in other words a Muslim. These five pillars or basic requirements to be a Muslim and follower of religion of Islam are a MUST and one has to abide by these totality without any question as these have been laid down by none other than Allah or 'the God" as in other religions.

These five pillars of Islam are:
  1. Testimony of faith: Anyone entering the religion of Islam or embracing Islam must testify that  “There is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah.” Unless one pounces this testimony loud and clear from his heart, one can enter the religion of Islam.
  2. Prayers: After entering the religion of Islam, every Muslim is bound to offer five prayers a day to glorify the dignity of Allah. The five prayers are offered before the dawn , noon, mid afternoon, just after sunset and then at night.
  3. Zakat or Alms giving: Alms giving assumes an important part of the religion of Islam. It is sharing of one's wealth, which is given by Allah, to those who are less privileged.
  4. Fasting: For thirty days once a year, each Muslim is to observe fasting from dawn to dusk in the Islamic month of Ramadan. This means one has to abstain from food, drink and marital relations with one's spouse.
  5. Hajj, the pilgrimage to Makkah: Every able bodied Muslim who can afford to embark upon a journey to Makkah, the center of Islam and Allah's home, is to perform Hajj at least once in one's life.
These five pillars of Islam in fact define and describe the identity of a Muslim, his faith, beliefs and practices.

This is the just the introduction to the five pillars of Islam. In following posts, each pillar will be discussed in detail for clarification of any doubt that may come in one's mind.

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If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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