Shahada: The Words, Their Meaning and How to Take It

The Shahada is the Muslim declaration of faith: ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasulullah, “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” It is the first of the five pillars of Islam. Saying it sincerely, understanding what it means, is how a person becomes Muslim, and Muslims repeat it every day: in the call to prayer, in every prayer, and as the words they hope to die on.

Below are the words in Arabic to copy and hear, what each word means, where the two halves come from in the Quran, why it is the first pillar, and how someone takes their shahada, with the practical questions new Muslims ask: alone or with witnesses, online, in English, and what to do afterwards.

The Shahada in Arabic and English

When people say it as one sentence they usually join the lines with “wa” (and): ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasulullah. In the call to prayer each line stands alone, which is the wording above (Sunan Abi Dawud 499). Both are correct.

The first half on its own, la ilaha illallah (“there is no god but Allah”), is the most repeated remembrance in Islam. Hear it said slowly:

Copy the Shahada

Tap or click a box to select it, then copy.

With vowel marks:

أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ

Without vowel marks, as you would type it in a message:

أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله أشهد أن محمدا رسول الله

Spellings in English letters vary: shahada, shahadah, shahadah kalima, ashhadu alla ilaha illallah. The words are the same.

Printable: the Shahada chart as a one-page PDF, with the eleven words and the seven conditions, for a wall, a binder or a new Muslim’s first week.

What each word means

Ash-hadu comes from the root sh-h-d, to witness. A witness says what they know to be true, as if they had seen it, so this is a statement of conviction rather than a guess or a hope. The same root gives shahada its other meanings: testimony in a court, and martyrdom, since a martyr (shahid) bears witness with their life. When people ask whether shahada means martyrdom, the answer is that the word covers both, and the context tells you which.

The first line works by negation, then affirmation. La ilaha clears away everything people worship, and illallah leaves only Allah. That is tawhid, the oneness of God, in four words.

Is the Shahada in the Quran?

Not as one sentence, but both halves are, word for word. Press play to hear each verse recited by Sheikh Mahmoud Khalil al-Husary.

And the act of witnessing itself starts with Allah. He bears witness to His own oneness, and so do the angels and people of knowledge:

Translations: Sahih International, from Quran.com.

Why the Shahada is the first pillar of Islam

The Prophet said Islam is built on five, and named the Shahada first, before prayer, zakat, Hajj and the fast of Ramadan (Sahih al-Bukhari 8). The reasons it comes first, as teachers usually give them:

1. It is the foundation the others stand on. Prayer, charity, fasting and pilgrimage are acts of worship, and the testimony says who they are for.
2. It is the door into Islam. A person becomes Muslim by saying it and meaning it. There is no other entry requirement.
3. It is the one pillar no one is excused from. A sick person may not fast, a poor one owes no zakat and many never reach Makkah, but every Muslim holds this one.
4. It carries a promise. The Prophet told Mu’adh that whoever bears witness to it sincerely, Allah saves from the Fire (Sahih al-Bukhari 128).

For a child’s version of all five pillars, with pictures and audio, see our five pillars of Islam for kids.

When Muslims say the Shahada

Most Muslims lift the right index finger during the tashahhud, which is why people speak of the “shahada finger”: it points to the One being declared as the words are said. The shahada is also the first line of the dua after wudu, from Sahih Muslim 234.

At the end of life the Prophet said to prompt the dying with la ilaha illallah (Sahih Muslim 916a), and that whoever’s last words are la ilaha illallah will enter Paradise (Sunan Abi Dawud 3116, graded sahih by al-Albani). Families say it softly beside the person rather than ordering them to repeat it, so as not to burden them.

How to take your Shahada

If you have decided to become Muslim, the steps are short. There is no fee, no exam and no waiting period.

1. Believe it first. It is a testimony, so it has to be true for you: that Allah alone is God and that Muhammad is His Messenger. Nobody can be made Muslim against their will. “There is no compulsion in religion” (2:256).
2. Learn what you are saying. Read the word table above once or twice. You do not need to know anything else about Islam yet.
3. Say it aloud. In Arabic if you can; the play button above lets you hear it and say it after. An imam will say it with you phrase by phrase if you take it at a masjid.
4. Say it in your own language too. Many imams have new Muslims repeat the English straight after, so the meaning is in their mouth as well as the words.
5. Take a bath (ghusl). When Qays ibn Asim came to accept Islam, the Prophet told him to wash (Sunan Abi Dawud 355, graded sahih by al-Albani). Many scholars treat it as recommended; some say it is required. Either way it is a good first act.
6. Then learn to pray. Prayer is the next pillar and the first thing to learn. Our Quran classes for reverts start there, with Al-Fatiha in your first weeks.

Questions new Muslims ask

The seven conditions of the Shahada

Scholars, reading the Quran and hadith together, list seven conditions that make the words count for the one who says them. They are not a test to pass before saying it; they describe what the testimony means.

Some scholars add an eighth, rejecting worship of anything besides Allah, which is the “la ilaha” half put into practice.

Shahada words in Sunni and Shia practice

Sunni and Shia Muslims share the same two testimonies. In the Shia call to prayer many add a third line, “wa ash-hadu anna Aliyyan waliyyullah” (and I bear witness that Ali is the friend of Allah). Shia scholars generally teach that this line is not part of the Shahada itself, and that a person becomes Muslim with the two testimonies alone.

Teaching the Shahada to children

Children usually learn la ilaha illallah first, from hearing it, long before they know what it means. Some ways to build on that, none of which need you to read Arabic:

1. Start with the first half. La ilaha illallah is short and rhythmic. Say it together at bedtime.
2. Point it out in the adhan. When the call to prayer plays, stop and listen for “ash-hadu.” Children love spotting words they know.
3. Teach the meaning with your hands. One hand sweeps away “no god”, one finger goes up for “except Allah”. It is the same finger they will raise in the tashahhud.
4. Add the second half when the first is steady. Then the whole Shahada, then what each word means using the table above.

Our Islamic phrases page has la ilaha illallah with audio beside the other everyday phrases, and bismillah, inshallah and astaghfirullah each have a page of their own.

Questions about the Shahada

What are the words of the Shahada?

Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasulullah: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”

What is the full Shahada in Arabic?

The two testimonies as they are said in the call to prayer, each beginning ash-hadu. The full Arabic, with vowel marks, is at the top of this page to copy and hear.

What do you say in your Shahada?

The two testimonies, in Arabic if you can, usually followed by the meaning in your own language. Nothing else is required: no extra oath, prayer or promise.

Can you take your Shahada alone?

Yes. Said sincerely, it makes you Muslim wherever you are. Witnesses at a masjid help later, when you need a certificate for a marriage or a Hajj or Umrah visa.

What does Shahada mean?

Testimony or witnessing, from the Arabic root sh-h-d. In Islam it names the declaration of faith; the same word also means martyrdom.

Why is the Shahada the most important pillar?

Because the other four rest on it. It makes a person Muslim, it states who every act of worship is for, and it is the one pillar nobody is exempt from.