The Effects and Conditions of the Shahadah

The shahadah if said with truthfulness and sincerity from the heart and acted upon both inwardly and outwardly brings about the following effects: Uniting the word of the Muslims: This will result in strengthening the Muslims and assisting them in defeating their enemies - as long as they continue to follow and practice the same single religion, and as long as they adhere to the same single 'aqeedah (belief). Allah - said: "And hold fast to the rope of Allah and do not be divided." [3:103] " It is He Who has strengthened you with His help and with the Believers, and moreover, He has put love and affection between their hearts. If you were to spend all that is in the earth, then never could you have united their hearts, but Allah has united them. Indeed He is the all-Mighty, the all-Wise." [8:62-63]

Differing in matters of 'aqeedah (beliefs) is the cause for splitting, disunity and hostility, as Allaah - said: " Indeed those who split-up their religion and become sects, you have no part with them in the least." [6:159] " But people have cut-off their affair of unity between them and have become sects, each party rejoicing in that which is with itself. " [23:53] So people cannot truly be united except upon the correct concept of eemaan (faith) and the correct 'aqeedah of Tawheed, which are both direct implications of Laa ilaha ilallaah.

Another effect of the shahadah is that it brings about peace and safety in a unified society: Since the individuals in such a society will take care in doing only that which Allah has made halal (lawful) and abandoning that which Allah has made haraam (unlawful) this will prevent people from enmity, oppression and injustice, whilst directing them towards co-operation, love and deep brotherhood for the sake of Allah: " Indeed the Believers are but brothers." [49:10]

This is clearly reflected in the life of the Arabs before and after believing in Laa ilaha ilallaah. Before Islaam, they lived in hostility and insecurity. After Islam they became a brother hood . “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, and those who are with him are strong and mighty against the unbelievers and merciful and kind amongst each other." [48:29] " And remember the favour of Allaah upon you; for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His grace you became brothers " [3:103]

Another effect is it brings about happiness and authority on earth: " Allah has promised to those among you who truly have eemaan (true faith and belief) and act in obedience to Allah and His Messenger, that he will grant them leadership upon the earth, just as He granted it to those before them, and that He will establish their Religion for them and grant them the authority to practice their religion which He chose and ordered them with. And He will certainly change their situation to one of security, after their fear. Providing that they worship and obey Me, not associating anything else in worship with Me. Then, whoever rejects this favor by disobedience to their Lord - then they are the rebellious transgressors." [24:55]

In order to attain these effects of Faith, certain conditions must exist. The First of these conditions is Knowledge: That is, one must have the basic and general knowledge of what is meant by the shahadah. One must understand what the shahadah is affirming and what the shahadah is denying. Allah says in the Quraan, "So know that there is no God save Allah, and ask forgiveness for your sin" (Muhammad : 19) Similarly, the Prophet said, "Whoever dies knowing that there is no one worthy of worship except Allah shall enter Paradise."

In fact, the shahadah itself is a testimony In fact, the shahadah itself is a testimony. When one testifies to something, one must know what it is that he is testifying concerns. Obviously, a testimony about something that one does not have any knowledge about is absolutely unacceptable. Allah says in the Quraan: " Save him who bears witness unto the truth knowingly" (al-Zukhruf : 86)

The Second condition of the Shahadah is Certainty of faith – 'Al-Yaqeen' This is the opposite of doubt and uncertainty In Islam, in fact, any kind of doubt is equivalent to Kufr or disbelief. We must, in our hearts, be absolutely certain of the truth of the shahadah. Our hearts must not be wavering in any way when we testify to the truth of, "There is none worthy of worship except Allah"Allah describes the believers in the Quraan as those who have belief in Allah and then their hearts waver not. Allah says, "The (true) believers are those only who believe in Allah and His messenger and afterward doubt not, but strive with their wealth and their lives for the cause of Allah Such are the sincere" (al-Hujuraat : 15)

Similarly, the Messenger of Allaah said, "No one meets Allah with the testimony that there is none worthy of worship but Allah and I am the Messenger of Allah, and he has no doubt about hat statement, except that he will enter Paradise." ( Muslim.) Indeed, Allah describes the hypocrites as those people whose hearts are wavering. For example, Allah says "They alone seek leave of thee (not to participate in jihad) who believe not in Allah and the Last Day and whose hearts feel doubt, so in their doubt they waver" (al-Tauba : 45)

If a person has knowledge of and certainty in the shahadah, this must followed by acceptance, with the tongue and heart, of whatever that shahadah implies. Whoever refuses to accept the shahadah and its implications, even if he knows that it is true and certain about its truth, than he is a disbeliever. Thus the Shahadah is not a true Shahadah unless it has this third condition which is acceptance. Allah says in the Quraan, "Do you believe in part of the book and reject part of it? And what is the reward of those who do so save ignominy in the life of the world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be consigned to the most grievous doom" (al-Baqara : 85)

If all these conditions are met then this leads to the next condition which is Submission and Compliance: This implies the actual physical enactment with our deeds of our shahadah. This is what Allah commands in the Quraan, "Turn unto Him repentant, and surrender unto Him" (al-Zumar : 54) Allaah has praised those who submit to His command by their actions. Allaah says, "Who is better in religion than he who surrenders his purpose to Allaah while doing good" (al-Nisa : 125)

Actually, Allaah has clearly made it a condition of faith that one submits to the command of Allaah and His messenger. Allaah says "But nay, by your Lord, they will not truly believe until they make you [the Messenger of Allah] judge of what is in dispute between them and find within themselves no dislike of which you decide, and submit with full submission" (al-Nisa : 65)

Happiness and Authority on earth So thus as Muslims if we truly understood and lived up to the shahadah it would bring about the following beneifts for us as a nation: Unity Peace and safety Happiness and Authority on earth

But those benefits will not come unless we work to attain: Knowledge of Allah Certainty of Faith Acceptance of Islam in tongue and heart Full submission and compliance to the laws of Allah and the example of the Prophet