The ‘Shahaadah’ or Declaration of Faith
To be a Muslim, one must believe in and pronounce the words that mean, “There is no deity worthy of being worshipped except Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and Muhammad صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is His Messenger.” This declaration testifies that Almighty Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ exists, that He is dissimilar and superior to His creation and that none is worthy of worship but Him. It also testifies that He عَزَّوَجَلَّ is the Creator and Owner of all that exists and the Disposer of all affairs. Allah Almighty عَزَّوَجَلَّ says in the Holy Quran:
اَلَاۤ اِنَّ لِلّٰہِ مَنۡ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ مَنۡ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ ؕ وَ مَا یَتَّبِعُ الَّذِیۡنَ یَدۡعُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ شُرَکَآءَ ؕ اِنۡ یَّـتَّبِعُوۡنَ اِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَ اِنۡ ہُمۡ اِلَّا یَخۡرُصُوۡنَ ﴿۶۶﴾
Indeed all those in the heavens and all those in the earth are in Allah’s control; and what do those who pray to the partners instead of Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ), follow? They do not follow anything except assumption, and they only make guesses. [Yunus 10:66]
In fact, it is stated in the Majestic Quran that the Beloved Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is the last of Almighty Allah’s Messengers. Allah Almighty عَزَّوَجَلَّ says:
مَا کَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ اَبَاۤ اَحَدٍ مِّنۡ رِّجَالِکُمۡ وَ لٰکِنۡ رَّسُوۡلَ اللّٰہِ وَ خَاتَمَ النَّبِیّٖنَ ؕ وَکَانَ اللّٰہُ بِکُلِّ شَیۡءٍ عَـلِیۡمًا ﴿٪۴۰﴾
Muhammad (صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم) is not the father of any man among you – but he is the Noble Messenger of Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) and the Last of the Prophets[1]; and Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) knows all things. [Ahzab 33:40]
The Holy Quran also confirms that the Beloved and Blessed Prophet Muhammad’s صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم words are infallible and are conveyed from Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, the Most Exalted. Almighty Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ says:
وَ مَا یَنۡطِقُ عَنِ الۡہَوٰی ؕ﴿۳﴾ اِنۡ ہُوَ اِلَّا وَحۡیٌ یُّوۡحٰی ۙ﴿۴﴾
And he does not say anything by his own desire. It is but a divine revelation, which is revealed to him. [Najm 53:3]
Thus, the Glorious Quran and Sunnah traditions of the Final Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, are the basis of the religion of Islam, and they define every aspect of the Islamic way of life.