The shahada (Arabic الشَّهَادَةُ, "testimony" or "witness") is the Muslim confession of faith and first Pillar of Islam. Also romanized as shahadah, this creed is so central to Islam that it is spoken, heard, and seen on a wide variety of occasions throughout the life of a Muslim.
Words of the Shahada
The Shahada is the Muslim profession of faith, expressing the two simple, fundamental beliefs that make one a Muslim. The content of the shahada in Arabic and English is:
La ilaha illa Allah wa-Muhammad rasul Allah.
There is no god but God and Muhammad is the prophet of God.
Shahada as a Pillar of Islam
To fulfill the first Pillar of Islam, the Shahada must be recited correctly aloud and with full inward sincerity and faith, with full understanding and internal assent, at least once in every Muslim's lifetime.1
But most Muslims recite it much more than this, and are also expected to uphold it with their actions and intentions throughout their lives.2
Shahada at Birth and Death
When a baby is born into a Muslim family, the first words spoken to the newborn is the call to prayer (adhan), which includes the shahada.2
In addition, Muslims hope for the shahada to be their last words before death.2
Converting to Islam
People who wish to become a Muslim need only recite the shahada sincerely and aloud twice, in front of at least one other Muslim.3 It represents acceptance not only of Allah and his prophet, but of the entirety of Islam.
Shahada in the Call to Prayer
As mentioned above, the Muslim confession of faith is part of the call to prayer (adhan) that a Muezzin sings out five times a day. In Muslim cities, the melodious Arabic words of the adhan, and thus the shahada, regularly fill the streets.
In Muslim Prayers
The shahada is repeated numerous times in the five daily ritual prayers known as salat. It is also a common element of individual devotional prayer and incorporated in Sufi contemplative prayer.
Shahada on Muslim Art, Architecture, & Flags
Written in calligraphic Arabic script, the shahada is depicted on mosques, furnishings, and manuscripts throughout the Islamic world.
The confession of faith is also featured on the flags of Saudi Arabia (home to Islam's holiest sites), Afghanistan, and Somaliland.
References
Esposito, John L., The Oxford Dictionary of Islam ↩