Shahadah Means To Me

Shahadah is the first pillar of five pillars of faith in Islam. All Muslim in the world should fulfill these pillars in their life. The first one is Shahadah, it is the declaration of creed that None has right to be worshiped, but Allah and Muhammad (PBUH) is His Messenger.

I declared Shahadah in my early age as I was born in Muslim family, but I declared again with clear intention after Khitan (circumcision). I didn't really understand what does Shahadah mean at that time. What my parent and many old people included the Islamic teachers in my village said that by declaring it I become a real Muslim and was allowed to perform As-sholah (The second pillar of five pillars of faith in Islam).

As I was growing up and gaining more knowledge about Islam from schools and Musholla (Small mosque, also used to study Islam, mostly Quran). Once I was thinking about this first pillar of five pillars of faith in Islam. "Is it only a word? Is it only a declaration? I don't think so. It's more than it."

I thought about the meaning of words:

1) Bear witness that no God but Allah

"Am I a real Muslim?" I ask myself. I felt something was absent, as though something was missing and I should figure out. "If I believe that there's no God but Allah, what's the proof? Does it just bear witness by saying 'No God, but Allah?' No." If I believe that my father is the only man who can help me, so I will ask him help. If I believe that my father is the only man who can guide me, I will follow him.

If I believe that there is no God, but Allah, it means ... What is God? ... God is not something you can imagine like what He is. He is out of our imaginations. If I believe that God is the only One who can helps me, so to Him I ask help. If I believe that God is the only One who can guides me, so I follow His Guidance. Then, how? So sure, I should read Quran and follow his messenger.

2) Bear witness that Muhammad (PBUH) is his Messenger

"Muhammad is the Messenger of God, but we cannot follow everything he can do," some of my neighbors and friends said. It's crazy I think. They said without clear proof, without knowledge. "We're not Messenger, we can't be the same as him," they said. "Then, what does you bearing witness that He is God's Messenger mean?" I ask myself in my mind.

"What is God's Messenger? Who is He? What does He do?"

Doesn't God sent His Messenger to this planet to be followed by the believers? Yeah, we should follow him.Through Him God guide us. Bearing witness that Muhammad (PBUH) is God's messenger means we believe that we must follow Him.

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