Shahadah

The declaration of faith

The first pillar of Islam

أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

Ashhadu an la ilaha illal-lahu wahdahu la shareeka lah, wa-ashhadu anna Muhammadan ʿabduhu warasooluh.

“I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, alone without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.”

Hisn al-Muslim · Muslim 1/209

Its two parts

1

None has the right to be worshipped except Allah — affirming that Allah alone, without any partner, deserves worship.

2

Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger — accepting the Prophet ﷺ as Allah's final Messenger and following his guidance.

Accepting Islam

A person enters Islam by sincerely believing in the Shahadah and declaring it. There is no fee or formal ceremony — many choose to say it at a mosque, where the community can welcome and support them.

The wording above is the testimony the Prophet ﷺ taught to be said after wudu; the core declaration is the same.

Next steps