2008 July 24 | Between Asgard and the Western Paradise

Archive for July 24th, 2008

Jul 24 2008

The Seven Conditions for Shahada

Posted by: 阿偉 in Religion

I have often encountered non-Muslims who have said to me that if one has been fooled into reciting Shahada, or recites it in jest, that he is ‘instantly’ a Muslim, and that his attempt to go back to another faith constitutes irtad (apostasy) for which the penalty is death. This however, is a misconception. Just as in any other religion, if precepts are not taken full-heartedly, they are invalid. In Islam, there are seven conditions which are required for the declaration of Shahada to be considered valid, which are explained here:

1. Al-Ilm, or knowledge. — This is to say that one must understand what is meant by the shahada. The first word of shahada, Ašhadu literally means to testify; and one must therefore understand that they are testifying that there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad (SAW) is his messenger. This can be compared to testifying in a court of law: if you testify before a judge to something that someone else has said without knowing its meaning, just repeating what they said, it cannot be considered as valid evidence.

2. Al-Yaqin, or certainty — When a scholar or scientist begins his study, he continues to refine what he knows until he uncovers facts which can’t be denied. Once we have knowledge, we should perfect this knowledge. Certainty is perfected knowledge which negates doubt, and here it is to be sure of the truth of shahada. The Quran says,إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَرْتَابُوا وَجَاهَدُوابِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أُوْلَئِكَ هُمُالصَّادِقُونَ, which means: “[Know that true] believers are only those who have attained to faith in God and His Apostle and have left all doubt behind, and who strive hard in God’s cause with their possessions and their lives: it is they, they who are true to their word!” (49.15) Abolishing doubt therefore increases faith and belief in Allah.

3. Al-ikhlaas, or sincerity — In today’s society, people constantly want to distinguish themselves from the rest. Some can successfully pursue fame and fortune, but others are not as lucky. Ordinary people might try to stand out from the crowd by the way they dress, the music they listen to, or even the religion they claim they believe in. When I studied Buddhism, I often attended lectures at a monastery. I happened on one occasion to ask another attendee who sat behind me, “Why did you become a Buddhist?”. His reponse: “Because I couldn’t stand Christianity and how strict it was”.

Can we convert to Islam because we want to make some kind of “fashion statement”? No. When we declare faith in Allah (swt), we do it for the sake of Allah (swt). We must not do it because we are running away from our former religions, or solely because we seek a Muslim’s hand in marriage and are attempting to please his or her family, and certainly not for superficial reasons of wanting to be an “individual”. Ikhlass helps us remain true to the purpose of Islaam, submitting to Allah (swt), and not to ourselves, and therefore negates shirk.

4. As-sidq, or truthfulness — Once we know something and are certain of it, we can say it truthfully. This means that when we say the shahada, we say it honestly. Going back to what I said in the beginning of this post, many people in the West assume that taking the shahada in jest makes one a Muslim. This is a direct refutation of that idea. Furthermore, the Quran says: يُخَادِعُونَ اللّهَ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إِلاَّ أَنفُسَهُم وَمَا يَشْعُرُونوَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ آمَنَّا بِاللّهِ وَبِالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَمَا هُم بِمُؤْمِنِينَ, which means: “And there are people who say, ‘We do believe in God and the Last Day,’ the while they do not [really]. believe. They would deceive God and those who have attained to faith-the while they deceive none but themselves, and perceive it not.” (2.8-9) Allah (SWT) cannot be fooled: those who claim to be Muslims and have taken the Shahada under false pretenses will be punished on the Last Day.

5. Aq-qabul, or acceptance -– A good scientist accepts the results of his experimentation, even if he previously had different thoughts on the matter. When one recognizes the implication of the Shahada as truth, then he must accept it, else he is an atheist. This also prepares us to accept the full truth of the Noble Qur’an as the inerrant and perfected word of Allah transmitted through his Messenger.

6. Al-inqiyad or compliance –- This is the manifestation of acceptance. We must be prepared upon reciting shahada, to carry out all the obligations of the Qur’an and submit to Allah (swt) as Muslims. This is shown in our daily actions, such as prayer, making hajj, and the like.

You may have heard Protestants say that salvation shall be attained by faith alone. This misconception has also spread somewhat into Islam. However, if we transgress Allah (swt) purposely while knowing this is non-compliance. This is not to say that we will be perfect, either. Everybody makes mistakes, but as long as we repent, we aren’t violating the precept of Shahada, for the Quran says: وَأَنِيبُوا إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ وَأَسْلِمُوا لَهُ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَكُمُ الْعَذَابُ ثُمَّ لَا تُنصَرُونَ which means “Turn unto Him repentant, and surrender unto Him” (39.54).

7. Al-mahabbah, or love – This means that we are satisfied with the conditions of the shahada,love its implications of making us true Muslims. It means our actions will be guided by the love of Allah and by love of fellow Muslims.