THE ESSENTIALS OF BELIEF

Islam is the Religion of all Prophets of Allah, starting with Adam and ending with Muhammad (sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam). In Arabic, Islam means submission. To believe in the heart and declare with tongue: <<No one is God except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah >> is how one becomes a Muslim. Uttering the Two Testifications (Shahadatan) is required of the person who is not already a Muslim. A Muslim is a believer and follower of Islam.

The First Testification (Shahadah), i.e. <<No one is God except Allah >> means nothing deserves to be worshipped except Allah.>> The Second Testification, i.e., <<Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah >> includes believing that Muhammad (sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam) was the last of the prophets, that he was truthful in all he told about and conveyed from Allah (as were all the prophets before him), and that the Creator gave us prophets and messengers to guide us worship Him correctly. A Muslim must believe in all the prophets and messengers.

The Two Testifications are the essentials of belief in Islam; they are the foundation of the faith. The analogy of constructing a building is useful in explaining the importance of this basic belief. There will be no building without a concrete foundation. Likewise, there will be no benefit and fruitful results in the Hereafter without firs having the correct belief.

This analogy illustrates the need to start from the beginning and build upward; before one can remain steadfast in the Religion, one must have the proper belief. Muslim firmly believe only one Creator exists, Whose name is Allah, and Muhammad (sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam) is His prophet and messenger. Knowledge of the belief in this are the foundation of the faith, and all Muslims uses the mind as a guide, because the mind and the faith go hand-in-hand. Knowledge is essential, since learning gives one strength and purpose.