Shahada
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The shahadah (Arabic: شهادة 
audio (info • help)) is the Islamic creed. It means "to testify" or "to bear witness" in Arabic. The shahadah is the Muslim declaration of belief in the oneness of God and in Muhammad as his final prophet. Recitation of the shahadah is one of the Five Pillars of Islam for Muslims and is said daily.
The Shahada (الشهادة) derived from the root Shahida (شَهٍدَ) “he witnessed” means “to know and believe without suspicion, as if witnessed. The Shahada is the Muslim declaration of belief in the oneness of Allaah, and acceptance of Muhammad as Allaah’s final Messenger.
The Shahada of the Sunni is أشهد أن لا اله الا الله و أشهد أن محمداً عبده و رسوله أشهد I witness أن that لا اله الا الله no other deity is worthy of being worshipped besides Allaah و أشهد and I witness أن that محمداً Muhammad عبده is his slave
و رسولهand Messenger
The Shahada of the Shiia is the same thing, except that they add و علي وليُ اللهِ)) meaning that they bear witness that Ali is Allaah’s representative. Allaah almighty’s message to all nations is the same message (la ilaha illa Allaah) except for witnessing that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah. This testimony of faith أشهد أن لا اله الا الله و أشهد أن محمداً عبده و رسوله only occurred after the Prophet Muhammad (Salla Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam) was sent, and before him it was Eissa (Jesus), and the testimony of faith at that time to those people was (Ash-hadu Anna la ilaha illa Allaah wa anna Eissa ibn Maryam abdahu wa rasulahu), and the same thing for Musa’s people (Ash-hadu Anna la ilaha illa Allaah wa anna Musa abdahu wa rasulahu)
Of all the Prophets that were sent only five of them as mentioned in the Quran were Messengers of Allaah sent to every existing creature, and the rest were prophets who were sent only to their people. These five Messengers are (Noah, Musa, Eissa, & Muhammad “Salla Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam”)
As for the followers of Muhammad (Salla Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam) being the last of all nations because of him being the last of all Messengers, and the Quran being the last of all books this puts all creatures who hear of Allaah, and Muhammad (Salla Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam) on the target to embrace Islam. Furthermore, it is important to know that no one may embrace Islam until he makes Shahada, and no one may make Shahada until he believes in (Tawheed Ar-rabubiya, Tawheed Al-Alauhiya, and Tawheed Al-Asmaa’ Wassefat.) After the person believes in all three sections of the Tawheed with a firm belief he can then witness that there is no other God worthy of being worshipped other than Allaah, and that Muhammad is indeed his final Messenger.
أشهد أن لا اله الا الله و أشهد أن محمداً عبده و رسوله
