Shahada

Some Shia Muslims also include a statement of belief in the wilayat of Ali,[1] but they do not consider it as an obligatory part for converting to Islam.

[10] The noun shahādah (شَهَادَة), from the verb šahida ([ʃa.hi.da] شَهِدَ), from the root š-h-d (ش-ه-د) meaning "to observe, witness, testify", translates as "testimony" in both the everyday and the legal senses.

[21] Islam's monotheistic nature is reflected in the first sentence of the Shahada, which declares belief in the oneness of God and that he is the only entity truly worthy of worship.

[22] While the first part is seen as a cosmic truth, the second is specific to Islam, as it is understood that members of the older Abrahamic religions do not view Muhammad as one of their prophets.

In a well-known hadith, Muhammad defines Islam as witnessing that there is no deity but God and that Muhammad is God's Messenger, giving of alms (zakat), performing the ritual prayer, fasting during the month of Ramadan, and making a pilgrimage to the Kaaba: the Five Pillars of Islam are inherent in this declaration of faith.

[28][29][30][31] Versions of both phrases began to appear in coins and monumental architecture in the late seventh century, which suggests that it had not been officially established as a ritual statement of faith until then.

[16] Another variant appears in coins minted after the reign of Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, the fifth Umayyad caliph: "Muhammad is the Servant of God and His messenger".

[33] During the ceremony, the Shahada may be repeated thousands of times, sometimes in the shortened form of the first phrase where the word 'Allah' ("God") is replaced by 'huwa' ("Him").

[36] Due to this and their belief in Ali as the physical manifestation as God, they weren't considered Muslims because it was considered idolatrous until 1932 when the Grand Mufti of Palestine, Amin al-Husseini, issued a fatwa seeking to undermine the foundations of French colonialism in French Syria.

[37] The Shahada appears as an architectural element in Islamic buildings around the world, such as those in Jerusalem, Cairo, and Istanbul.

[16][38][39] Late-medieval and Renaissance European art displays a fascination with Middle Eastern motifs in general and the Arabic script in particular, as indicated by its use, without concern for its content, in painting, architecture and book illustrations.

When Ottoman Turkey joined the war on the side of the Central Powers in 1914, it declared a jihad against the Entente States.

[citation needed] The 2004 draft constitution of Afghanistan proposed a flag featuring the Shahada in white script centered on a red background.

In 2006, the Islamic State of Iraq designed its flag using the Shahada phrase written in white on black background.