(THE DECLARATION OF FAITH)
PREPARED BY IMAM KHALIL ABDULLAHI
It has been related in the Saheeh of al-Bukhari on the authority of Abdullah Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said; “I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, ‘Islam has been built upon five principles: [1] to testify to Laa ilaha illa Allah wa Muhammadun rasulullah; [2] to establish the prayer (salaaat); [3] to pay the obligatory alms (zakaat); [4] the pilgrimage (al-hajj); and [5] to observe the fast of Ramadhan’.”
THE SHAHADA
It is that [1] you testify verbally that – Laa ilaha illa Allah wa Muhammadan `Abduhu wa Rasuuluhu (There is no deity except Allah and Muhammad is His slave and messenger); [2] you establish the prayer; [3] give the alms; [4] fast Ramadhan and [5] make the pilgrimage to the house of Allah if you have the ability.
The meaning of – Laa ilaha illa Allah (There is no deity except Allah) that there is nothing worthy of worship in truth except Allah.
Allah ta`ala says:
He, upon him be blessings and peace said as is related in the Sahih of al-Bukhari on the authority of Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him: (“I have been commanded to fight the people until they: [1] bear witness that there is no deity except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; [2] establish the prayer; and [3] give the obligatory alms. If they do this then their blood and their property is protected from me, except by the rights of Islam - for their final reckoning is with Allah.”)
He, upon him be blessings and peace, said as is related in the Sahih of al-Bukhari on the authority of Anas: ( “Whoever prays our prayer, faces our direction of prayer and eats our slaughtered meats - is a Muslim who is under the protection of Allah (dhimmatu Allah) and the protection of His Messenger. Therefore, be mindful of Allah regarding those under His protection.”)
Ibn al-`Arabi says in his Ahkaam: “As for the witnessing (shahadat) of the tongue verified with speech - it is the outward pillar upon which is built all legal judgments and upon which defense and immunity is determined.”
Shaykh Uthman ibn Muhammad says in his Mirat al Tulaab:
I say: It is the agreement of the consensus of the scholars of the sunna, may Allah be pleased with them, that whoever verbally pronounces the two testimonies (shahadatayn) has secured for himself the judgment of Islam. Abd’s-Salaam ibn Ibrahim ‘l-Laqaani says in his commentary of his Jawharat ‘t-Tawheed: “Whoever makes the verbal pronouncement ( of the shahadatayn) has secured the judgment of Islam regarding his religion. He can never be judged as a disbeliever except if there is associated with him by his own unequivocal conviction, that which corroborates his disbelief, like prostrating to idols for example.”
I say: The division of the Muslims is three: [1] those who are Muslim by birthright. These are the children of Muslims who have not attained the level of responsibility (takleef). [2] Those who are Muslim based upon the outward only. These are those who outwardly manifest Islam, while their tenets of beliefs (i`tiqaad) are erroneous and corrupt. However no one knows that about them except Allah. [3] There are those who are Muslims both in their outward and inward. These are those who outward manifest their Islam, along with the soundness of their tenets of beliefs. Imam Fakhr ‘l-Islam al-Badhdawi outlined these divisions in minute detail.
Success is with Allah.
Sahih al-Bukhari on the authority of Mu`adh(2): “There is no one who bears witness to `La ilaha illa Allah wa Muhammadan rasul Allah', sincerely(3) except that Allah makes the Fire forbidden for him.”(4) This means the fire of eternity
It has also been related in the Saheeh of al-Bukhari on the authority of Abu Hurayra, who said, “O Messenger of Allah! Who will be the most fortunate of people with your intersession (shafa’at) on the Day of Standing?” The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, replied; “O Abu Hurayra, I thought no one was more worthy of asking me about that tradition than you since I realize your longing for learning the traditions. The most fortunate of people with my intersession (shafa’at) on the Day of Standing will be he who said, ‘Laa ilaha illa Allah’, sincerely in his heart or soul,”
(1) - It is the statement which brings a person into the fold of Islam
(2) - He was the master, the Imam Abu Abd’r-Rahman Mu`adh ibn Jabal ibn `Amr ibn Aws al-Ansari al-Khazraji al-Medini al-Badri. He was present at the oath of allegiance taken at `Aqaba and at the battle of Badr. He was among the Companions who had gathered the Qur’an during the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace said about him: “Mu`adh ibn Jabal is the most knowledgeable of the people in the matters of the prohibitions of Allah and what He has made permissible.”
(3) - This means ‘sincerely in his heart’, as it has been narrated in another prophetic tradition on the authority of Anas ibn Malik. The expression ‘in his heart’ is conceivably connected to the expression ‘sincerely’, meaning that he verbally testifies to the expression with sincerity in the heart. Or it is also conceivably connected to the testimonial itself, meaning by that he testifies in his heart. However the first opinion is the soundest. This statement ‘sincerely in his heart’ also excludes the testimony of the hypocrite.
(4) - This prophetic tradition is conclusive proof for the people of the Sunna that there will be a group among the disobedient believers who will be punished then they will be brought out of the Fire by means of intercession.
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