Qur’an & Divine Guidance
Attestation of the Islamic Faith (Kalmah Shahadat)
The Declaration of Faith
To enter Islam, a person must declare, with understanding and sincere free will, the foundational truth of the religion—the two essential witnesses (shahādatayn):
Ash-hadu an Lā Ilāha Illallah
“I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah (SWT).”Ash-hadu anna Muhammadur Rasūlullāh
“I bear witness that Muhammad (SA) is the Messenger of Allah (SWT).”
This declaration, recited with conviction and sincerity, is the key to becoming a Muslim. But its full meaning and depth extend beyond mere verbal repetition. It reflects a covenant with Allah (SWT), and it must be grounded in truth, obedience, and action.
The Hypocrites’ Manipulation
Even during the time of the Prophet (SA), hypocrites (munāfiqīn) attempted to manipulate this formula for worldly gain. Allah (SWT) exposed them and ordered the demolition of their false place of worship, Masjid al-Ḍirār (see Qur’an 9:107). Concerned companions asked the Prophet (SA) how to distinguish hypocrites from true believers. In response, the Prophet (SA) gave a criterion:
“Love for ʿAlī (AS) is the sign of faith, and enmity toward ʿAlī (AS) is the sign of hypocrisy.”
Figures like Abū Sufyān, Muʿāwiyah, and Marwān, despite claiming Islam, were identified as hypocrites through their deeds and confirmed hostility toward ʿAlī (AS).
A Muslim vs. a Mu’min
The Qur’an draws a distinction between a Muslim (one who submits) and a Mu’min (true believer). Refer to Qur’an 49:14–15. A Mu’min lives the faith through action, not just proclamation. This is why Allah (SWT) consistently addresses believers with the phrase:
“Yā ayyuhalladhīna āmanū…” (O you who believe…)
The Ideal Mu’min: Abū Ṭālib (AS)
The Prophet’s uncle, Abū Ṭālib (AS)—father of ʿAlī (AS)—was a towering example of īmān. His sacrifices for the Prophet (SA) and Islam are historically undeniable. He even officiated the Prophet’s (SA) nikāḥ (marriage ceremony), beginning with “Alḥamdulillāh”—before the Qur’an’s revelation had begun.
Despite this, fabricated hadiths from hypocrites tried to portray him as a kāfir—purely to lower ʿAlī (AS)’s lineage. Meanwhile, figures like Abū Sufyān were rebranded as Muslims. But what reasonable Muslim would accept that the Prophet’s (SA) marriage was officiated by a disbeliever?
Like Jesus (ʿĪsā), who was a prophet as an infant (see Qur’an 19:30), the Prophet Muhammad (SA) was divinely chosen before his birth.
The Three-Part Kalmah: Qur’an-Based
Some claim the Kalmah has only two parts. But the Qur’an itself lays the foundation for a three-part declaration:
Tawḥīd – “Lā Ilāha Illallah” – There is no god but Allah
Nubuwwah – “Muhammadur Rasūlullāh” – Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger
Wilāyah – “ʿAlīyyun Walīullāh” – ʿAlī is the Guardian appointed by Allah
Key Qur’anic References:
4:59 – Obey Allah, the Messenger, and those vested with authority (Ulil-Amr)
9:105 – Allah, the Messenger, and the believers observe your deeds
5:55 – Your true Guardian is Allah, His Messenger, and those who establish prayer and give charity while in prayer
63:8 – All honor belongs to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers
Understanding the Three Components
1. Ash-hadu an Lā Ilāha Illallah
Belief in the absolute oneness of Allah (SWT)—Tawḥīd—requires more than lip service. It calls for a rejection of worldly distractions that hinder the worship of Allah. Even worldly actions—work, parenting, study—when done for Allah’s sake (qurbatan ilallāh), become acts of worship.
One cannot follow Satan’s footsteps while claiming to love Allah (SWT). The Qur’an tells us that Satan believed in Allah’s existence and majesty, but was cursed because he refused to obey Allah’s command to honor His chosen Khalīfa. (See Qur’an 38:82)
The true test of love for Allah is obedience to the Prophet (SA), as shown in Qur’an 3:31:
“Say: If you love Allah, follow me...”
2. Ash-hadu anna Muhammadur Rasūlullāh
This means belief in Prophet Muhammad (SA) as the final messenger and leader of all prophets. It also entails belief in the 124,000 prophets, including 313 major messengers, all infallible and divinely inspired.
Every prophet had:
Ilm-e-Ladunnī – direct divine knowledge
Miracles – suited to their time and people
The miracle of Prophet Muhammad (SA) is the Qur’an—eternal and unmatched in eloquence, structure, and insight. It stands as proof of his Prophethood until the end of time.
3. Ash-hadu anna ʿAlīyyun Walīullāh
This attests to the divine appointment (wilāyah) of Imam ʿAlī (AS) and the succession of the twelve Imams, starting from ʿAlī (AS), followed by Imam Ḥasan, Imam Ḥusayn, and nine others from Ḥusayn’s lineage—including the living Imam al-Mahdī (AJ).
This is not innovation. It is grounded in:
Qur’an: 4:59, 5:55, 9:105, 63:8, 2:124, 36:12, and others
Hadith: Hadīth al-Thaqalayn, Ghadeer Khumm, and more
Sunna of the Prophet (SA) from the first to last year of his mission
The Divine Roles of the Imams (AS)
Allah’s appointed Imams have been called by many titles in the Qur’an:
Ulil-Amr – Those with divine authority (4:59)
A’immah – Leaders of creation (2:124, 36:12)
Khulafā’ – Caliphs/Vicegerents (2:30–34)
Awliyā’ – Guardians and friends of Allah (5:55)
Qur’an Identifies the Twelve:
12 Imams after the Prophet (SA), just as:
12 successors of Musa (AS) (7:160)
12 disciples of ʿĪsā (AS)
The word Imām appears 12 times in the Qur’an.
This pattern reflects the Qur’an’s unique numerical integrity. Just as man and woman appear 24 times each, and dunya and ākhirah appear 115 times each, so too is divine leadership encoded numerically.
Authentic Ahadith Confirming the 12 Imams
The Prophet (SA) said:
“I am the chief of the prophets, and ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib is the chief of successors. After me there will be twelve successors, the first being ʿAlī and the last al-Mahdī.”
[Sources: Tadhkirat al-Ḥuffāẓ, vol. 4, p. 298; al-Durar al-Kāminah, vol. 1, p. 67]
2. Jabir ibn Samura narrates:
“There will be twelve commanders, all from Quraysh.”
[Sources: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 9.329, Kitāb al-Aḥkām]
The Prophet (SA) said:
“I, ʿAlī, Ḥasan, Ḥusayn, and nine from Ḥusayn’s descendants are all purified and inerrant.”
[Source: al-Juwaynī, Farā’id al-Simṭayn, p. 160]
The Prophet (SA) said:
“Islam will continue until the Day of Judgment, governed by twelve caliphs—all from Quraysh.”
[Sources: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (Arabic & English editions)]
Final Note
The three-part Kalmah—Lā Ilāha Illallah, Muhammadur Rasūlullāh, ʿAlīyyun Walīullāh—is not sectarian innovation. It is Qur’anically grounded, Prophetically affirmed, and logically coherent.
It completes the arc of tawḥīd, nubuwwah, and imāmah—the three pillars of the religion of truth.