مَنْ شَهِدَ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ النَّارَ
Translation: Whoever bears witness that none is worthy of worship but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, Allah has forbidden the Fire to that person.
Source: مسلم
شَهِدَ means “bore witness” or “affirmed.” The expression لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ expresses exclusive worship of Allah through negation and exception. وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ affirms Muhammad’s messengership. In حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ النَّارَ, Allah is the subject of the verb.
The two testimonies form the foundation of Islamic faith: affirming Allah’s oneness and the messengership of Muhammad ﷺ. This is a meaningful commitment that establishes the direction of a Muslim’s religious life, not merely a string of syllables.