Shahaadah — literally means ‘witness’ or ‘testimony — of the kalimah of Tawheed, Islamic Creed, or article of faith is the first of the five pillars of Islam; its nomenclature derives from the word ‘Ashhadu’, which means ‘I declare’, or ‘I bear witness’. As an Islamic term, it means testifying to faith in Islam. The words of the kalimah of Tawheed in Arabic are: La ilaha illa Allah Muhammad ur-rasul Allah. This means: There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Its recital is called the ‘Kalimah’.

Saying the kalimah of Tawheed consists of two parts with reference to God; one, a negation, the other an affirmation. The first part— La ilaha illa Allah (there is no other God) negates the existence of each and every false God, and condemns false worship. The word ‘ilaah’ means ‘god’ or any object of worship; it could refer to any being, person, or concept, which is taken as an object of adoration or worship.

The second part of Shahaadah—illa Allah— stresses that only Allah, the one and only God, the Creator and Sustainer of all being, merits our reverence. No one else is to be worshipped or turned to for help or refuge. Neither angels, nor prophets nor saints, nor any other object share in His divinity. There is only One God, One Creator, One Sustainer— the Almighty Allah.

Reciting the kalimah is accepting the ‘oneness’ and ‘unity’ of Allah. This is the essence of Islam, another word for which is tawheed or monotheism.