Shahada

"There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger."

This is the basic statement of the Islamic faith. anyone who cannot recite this wholeheartedly is not a Muslim. The Arabic can be transliterated into the Roman alphabet like this: Ashhadu Allah La ilaha illa Allah wa Ashhadu Anna Muhammad rasul Allah.

When a Muslim recites this they proclaim:

• Allah is the only God and that Muhammad is His prophet
• They personally accept this as true
• They will obey all the commitments of Islam in their life

Reciting this statement three times in front of witnesses is all anyone needs do to become a Muslim. A Muslim is expected to recite this statement out loud, with total sincerity, fully understanding what it means.