The Shahadah
The Shahada is the first Pillar of Islam. It is what you say to declare your faith in Islam. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his messenger. Ash hadu la illaha illa Allah, wa ash hadu ana Mohammedan Rasulullah. When you first say these words with the intention of being Muslim, you are cleansed of your past sins, and your life as a Muslim begins.
The Shahada is more than a simple statement. The first part is a declaration that Allah has no sons, no partners. Allah is one, the only Creator. We need Allah, but Allah does not need us. Everything we have, the air we breathe, food we eat, our health, all given to us out of the Mercy of Allah. Ash hadu La Illaha Illah Allah.
The second part is a declaration that Mohammed (saws) is the Messenger of Allah. There were many Prophets, peace be upon them all. We have two books before the Quran, which are the Torah and the Bible. But the final, the sealed book, the Quran, was sent by Allah (swt) to Mohammed (saws) through the angel Jibreel. After Mohammed, peace be upon him, there were no more Prophets. Mohammed is the final Messenger of Allah. Ash hadu ana Mohammedan Rasulullah.
When someone first says the Shahada with the intention of becoming Muslim, their past sins are cleansed, and their life as a Muslim begins with a clean slate. Shahada will be repeated countless times throught the life of a Muslims person, during their prayers, during times of happiness, times of stress. It is a simple reminder of our faith, and keeping the Shahada in your mind, heart, and mouth will help keep us on the straight path and away from sin.
When I first said the Shahada, I felt my heart open. I was happy, more exited than I had ever been. I knew that this one statement was going to change my life, and it did. And today, the Shahada is a comfort to me. When I feel down, or when I feel exited, when something wonderful or distressing happens, I say La Illaha Illa Allah, Mohammedan Rasulullah. It is a reminder to me that everything good that we have is a Mercy from Allah, and also that Allah (swt) will never give us a burden that we can't handle.
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