Shahada
/ʃəˈhɑː.də/noun
The Islamic declaration of faith affirming the oneness of God and the prophethood of Muhammad.
Did you know?Shahada comes from an Arabic root tied to witnessing and testimony, showing how sacred speech in Islam is literally framed as an act of public attestation, not just private belief.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
PS
*šhd
“to witness, bear testimony”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
شَهِدَ (šahida)
“he witnessed, he testified”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
شَهَادَة (šahāda)
“testimony, witness statement”
Early Islamic Period
Arabic
الشهادة (aš-šahāda)
“the testimony of faith”
Modern English
English
shahada
“the Islamic declaration of faith”