Transliteration:
Ash'hadu An La ilaha illa Allah wa hada'u La sharikala la'u, wa ash'hadu anna Muhammad abduhu wa rasul.
Translation.
I testify that there is no God except Allah alone, and i testify that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.
This statement of testimony shows that it is only Allah that is worth of being worshiped, since it negate every others things of being not worth of worship. It therefore declared that whatever people worship or have been worshiping are not worth of it. This statement of faith is an affirmation of strict monotheistic belief of every Muslim. Allah say in chapter 112 of the Holy Qur'an.
"Say He Allah is One, Allah the besought of all, He begets not, nor is He begotten and there is none comparable unto Him."
And in Q2: 163, Allah stated as follows.
"And your God is One, there is not god except Him, The Gracious The Merciful."
The Oneness of Allah could be viewed in His Essence, Attributes and Works. Some human being were sometimes misguided by worshiping the opposite of strict monotheism, such people worship idols, hereby bodies (Sun,Moon, Stars e.t.c) stones, trees, human being, springs water e.t.c. All these act of worship are termed Shirk (polytheism) and those who engage in them are called polytheist (Mushrik). In this aspect, it includes those who worships prophets, saints and their likes.
The second part of this statement of faith is Muhammad is the Servant and Messenger of Allah. As are mentioned all other things other than of Allah are created things which are not worth of being worshiped. Therefore, Muhammad serve as a Messenger but not a deity of worship. He delivered the Message of God, practice it and classified every aspect of Allah's message to human beings and jinns.
He act as the Last Prophet (the seal of the Prophet). His messenger-ship is universal. All other Prophet were seat to a particular people or generation but that of Muhammad is to the whole universe. Below are the Qur'an Proof of all the above assertion concerning the prophet-hood messenger-ship and servant-ship of Muhammad respectively.
Universality of His Prophet-hood.
- "Say (O Muhammad)! O mankind! Indeed I am an apostle of Allah to all of you...." (Qur'an 158) "Now( as for you Muhammad) we have not sent you to mankind at large except as a herald of gld tidings and Warner: but most people do not understand (This) (Q34:28)
- Finality of His Prophet-hood.
"And Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but is Allah's Messenger and the seal of Prophets....(Q33:40)
3. Servant-hood messenger-ship of Muhammad.
" Muhammad is the messenger of Allah (Q48:29)
"All praise is due to to Allah, Who has bestowed this revelation from a High upon His Servant, and has not allow any deviousness to ob-sense its meaning" (Q18:11)
Implications of Kalimatul Shahadah
- It is the statement which must be offered by every individual who want to embrace Islam.
- Its content abolished all idol worship and other forms of polytheism.
- It is always being repeated in all our five times daily prayers.
- It shows that Muhammad (SAW) is a human being and not a divine being to be worshiped.
- It also indicates that Muhammad (SAW) is the seal of the Prophet sent to the whole world.
Lesson contained in the implication of Kalimatul Shahadah
- It teaches the Unity of God.
- It shows that Muhammad (SAW) is the Messenger of Allah.
- The statement also implies that there is no prophet after the seal of the Prophet (Muhammad).
- It is a statement used in recognizing a Muslim from non-Muslims.
Applications of Lessons to daily Life.
- We should believe in the Oneness of God.
- We should believe in the Servant and Prophet-hood of Muhammad (SAW) and as the the Last Prophet.
- Our faith in God should be of a strict monotheism.
- We should avoid any act of association of Partnership with Allah.