Tashahhud
/taʃahˈhud/noun
A prescribed testimony recited while sitting during the Muslim ritual prayer.
Did you know?Tashahhud comes from the same Arabic root as shahāda, the Islamic profession of faith, and shahīd, a martyr—each centered on witnessing or testimony.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*š-h-d
“To witness, testify, or be present as an observer”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
شَهِدَ (šahida)
“He witnessed, testified, or bore witness”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
شَهَادَة (šahāda)
“Testimony, witness, or profession of faith”
Early Islamic Arabic
Arabic
تَشَهُّد (tashahhud)
“The act of reciting testimony, especially the formal testimony within prayer”
Modern English
English
tashahhud
“The seated testimony recited during Muslim ritual prayer”