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The Islamic Shahadah, or testimony of faith, carved in wood on the wall of a masjid

Question:

Asalamu Alaykum.

A few months back, I took Islamic lectures and the young girl giving us this lecture told us that if you say Ashadu, you can convert yourself to not being a Muslim.

Well the thing is, I said Ashadu while listening to her lecture and when she was done talking that's when she said, "saying Ashadu can take you out of Islam". I was too afraid and ashamed to talk to her about it. But that's not the only thing, I said Ashadu a couple of times.. and then I lost track of how much times I said it. So I went home frightened.

Now for about a couple of months I still worry if i am a Muslim or not. I don't know how to prove it. Please help me, I am in need. I do not want to go to hell for a mistake!

- Sahra

Wael's Answer:

Dear Sister Sahra, As-salam alaykum,

Rest assured, you are still Muslim. There is nothing to fear or feel ashamed about.

I am really quite puzzled about this lecture you attended. I never heard of such a thing and it's very strange. Where did you hear this lecture? Was this young woman educated in the Islamic religion? Were these people Sunni Muslims, or were they followers of some other sect?

The word "ashhadu", or sometimes written "ash-hadu" is a part of the Islamic Shahadah, or testimony of faith. The word simply means, "I testify," or "I bear witness." It's a completely innocent word and there is nothing wrong with saying it.

The Shahadah in full is,

"Ash-hadu an laa ilaha il-Allah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Rasul-ullah."

Meaning, "I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."

Furthermore, the question of niyyah or intention is crucial in Islam, as the Prophet Muhammad said in the famous hadith, narrated by Omar bin Al-Khattab, who said : I heard the messenger of Allah salla Allah u alihi wa sallam say:

"Actions are but by intention and every man shall have but that which he intended..." related by Bukhari and Muslim

Saying a word without understanding can never harm you or take you out of your deen, because the niyyah to do wrong is not there.

Of course words can take you out of Islam, but they have to be unambiguous words that you understand and speak with intention. So if you were to say, for example, any of the following things with understanding and intention in your heart, believing them to be true, then you would not be considered Muslim any more:

• I don't believe that the Quran is relevant in the modern world.
• I believe in the Quran only, not the Prophet Muhammad.
• I don't believe that salat (prayer) and sawm (fasting) are necessary or required.
• I was born Muslim, but I'm an agnostic. Maybe Allah exists, maybe not.
• I believe in Allah, but I believe in the Hindu gods as well.
• I believe in the Prophet Muhamamad, but I also believe in another Prophet who came after him.

These are various types of statements of disbelief that you might encounter in your lifetime if you speak to people or if you are active on discussion forums. These people understand their words and speak them deliberately, believing in them. There is a huge difference between making a statement like this, and just uttering a word whose meaning you do not understand.

My last bit of advice to you is to educate yourself as a Muslim, not necessarily by going to lectures but by reading some of the basic books about Islam. For example the hadith about intentions is the first hadith given in the book "40 Hadith," which is a simple and fundamental book that every Muslim should read and understand.

Read the Quran, read some introductory books like Islam in Focus, read the biography of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), read some good books of hadith like Riyadh As-Saliheen (Gardens of the Righteous), read about the lives of the Sahabah, etc. Lectures are fine too, but the source must be reliable and they should be on basic subjects that will help you learn the principles of religion.

And Allah knows best.

If any readers have some additional advice for this questioner, I invite you to post your comments below.

(O Allah), Guide us to the straight path; The path of those whom you have favored; Not those with whom you are angry; Nor those who go astray.

Best regards,

- Wael Abdelgawad
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