May God forgive me and guide me regarding any sign that would have been misinterpreted in this study and elsewhere. May He always guide us to a better understanding of His profound scripture so we can purify ourselves and increase our knowledge.

The primary focus of this study will be to demonstrate that including mention of Muhammad (to the exclusion of all other messengers) in the shahada misrepresents the relationship between God and Muhammad, by depicting him not as the servant of God who was the instrument for the revelation of the Quran, but rather to elevate him to the status of a partner of God. It thus is an oxymoron for it represents the contrary of the essence of the shahada, which focuses solely on the uniqueness of God.

The shahada is an expression of the core belief in Holy Scriptures of all three monotheistic religions and focuses on proclaiming the belief that there is only one God. The first of the ten commandment in the Torah, is:

 “You shall have no other gods before Me”. (Exodus 20:3)

According to the Quran, the fact that God is the one and only God is the foundation that guarantees peace in the universe:

(23:91) God has never ascribed to Himself any son, and there is no other god beside Him. Otherwise, each deity would have claimed his creations, and some of them would have prevailed over others. Glory to God; He far surpasses what they claim.

If there were other deities beside God, they would have been competing with each other, and there would have been chaos in the universe. As a result, God’s absolute Oneness is the primary foundation that guarantees peace in the heavens and on earth.

In the Quran, Muslims are commanded to bear solemn witness, or testify, that “there is no other god but God” (3:18, 37:35, 47:19). This act is known in Islam as the “shahada” (ُشَهَٰدَةُ = testimony) or the testimony of faith. Unfortunately, the pure Quranic shahada was gradually lost because of historic evolutionary factors initiated at the end of the first century of Islam and the emergence of hadiths (oral traditions falsely attributed to the prophet) 200 years after the death of the prophet that literally took precedence over the pure monotheistic message of the Quran. Hadiths contradict the Holy Book of Islam in numerous ways (see the article entitled “Are hadiths legitimate?”). We will prove that with regards to the Sunni shahada by quoting key hadiths and comparing them with relevant Quranic verses.

Hadiths quote both the pure Quranic shahada (أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ = Ash hadu an lâ elaha elâ Allah = I bear witness that there is no other god but God) and the Sunni shahada (أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ) = I bear witness that there is no other god but God and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God). Shia Islam adds “And Ali is the friend of God.”.

Tragically, Sunnis and Shias opted to mention Muhammad in addition to God instead of adopting the shahada as it appears literally in the Quran, most notably because many hadiths embrace beliefs such as the notion that Muhammad will intercede on judgment day. Such beliefs contradict the Quran and have had the effect of elevating Muhammad to the rank of a partner of God, which reflects why he became omnipresent in the shahada and call to prayer.

This study will make the following arguments: First, we will cite the three verses that define the shahada in the Quran (3:18, 37:35, 47:19) and will establish a link with verse 39:45 which forbids mentioning anyone next to God. 72:18 follows the same principle and prohibits “calling up anyone except God”, which is establishing partners beside God, sin that cannot be forgiven (4:48) if maintained until death. Several Quranic verses (4:36, 6:162-163, 18:110, 39:2-3) teach us that our religious practices are acts of worship: The shahada is no different and must therefore be dedicated solely to God. We will also see that one of the golden rules of the Quran is that no names are ever mentioned next to God when it comes to testifying about His Oneness or believe in Him. Sunnis and Shias “bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God” along with the testimony that there is only one God. The only instance in the Quran in which such an event occurs is when “the hypocrites” come to Muhammad and “bear witness that he is the messenger of God” (63:1): We will explain why Muslims are commanded to believe in messengers and not to bear witness to them. The shahada, the most important and solemn testimony of our lives, must focus solely on God (3:18). We will cite verses from the Quran that indicate that establishing any distinctions among messengers is prohibited, yet, the Sunni and Shia shahadas blatantly violate this injunction.

The shahada is recited also at the end of the prayers in Islam (it is called the “tashahud”, a word that comes from the same root as “shahada”). Thus, one question we will address is “would it make sense to assume that the prophet used to recite the Sunni or Shia shahada at the end of his prayers considering the fact that the Quran says that the prophet is a good example for us (33:21)?”. Could Muhammad have said in his own prayers, “I bear witness that there is no other god but God and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God”?

We will then examine the history of coins during the first century after the Hegira to demonstrate that the Sunni shahada is the result of a process that gradually conferred to Muhammad an increasing importance and did not even exist in the early history of Islam. Finally, we will quote hadiths which mention various forms of Sunni shadahahs and will demonstrate why they profoundly contradict the Quran and are therefore inauthentic.  

Table of contents

1. The Quranic shahada

1.1 Verse 3:18

1.2 37:35 and 47:19: “There is no other god but God

2.3 39:45: How do most people react when God alone is mentioned?

1.4 God commands: “do not call upon anyone beside God”

1.5 Associating anything next to God is forbidden

1.6 4:36, 6:162-163, 18:110, 39:2-3: The shahada is an act of worship and must therefore be dedicated to God alone

1.7 No name of a messenger or prophet is ever mentioned by name next to God in the Quran in a situation of believing in God or bearing witness to Him

1.8 There is only one instance in the Quran when people bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God, and doing so is very problematic

1.9 It is forbidden to make any distinction between messengers

1.10 We shall respect the divine order of the Quran

2. The Sunni shahada and its origin

2.1 The history of the shahada in early Islam

2.1.1 History of the earliest Islamic coins (23-65 AH)

2.1.2 First references of Muhammad on coins (66 AH and onward)

2.2 Hadiths

conclusion

1. The Quranic shahada

1.1 Verse 3:18

(3:18) Allah bears witness that there is no god but He (Allah), and so do the angels and those endowed with knowledge, standing firm in justice. There is no other god but He, The Almighty, The Most Wise.

“God bears witness that there is no other god but He”: In other words, “those endowed with knowledge” among humans and jinns (for whom the Quran is intended) are commanded to do the same and say, “I bear witness that there is no other god but God” (أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ = “ash hadu an lâ elaha elâ Allah”). Claiming that we need to add anything to what God Himself commanded would amount to claiming that His word is incomplete. On the contrary, the Quran proclaims that it is complete and fully detailed (6:114, 7:52, 10:37). Therefore, the second part of the shahada found in Sunni and Shia Islam that claims that we have to add “and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God” (وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ = “wa ash hadu anna Muhammadan rasulullah”) is not part of the shahada specified in the Quran, and therefore it is not part of Islam.

We find numerous testimonies of faith similar to the Quranic one in previous Holy Scriptures, and none of them ever mentions the name of any prophet or anyone else next to God. Here are some examples:

(Deuteronomy 4:35) To you it was shown that you might know that the Lord, He is God; there is no other besides Him.

(Deuteronomy 32:39) ‘See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me;

(Psalm 86:10) For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.

(Isaiah 44:6) “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:

‘I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.

(Isaiah 45:5) I am the Lord, and there is no other. There is no other God besides me. I will strengthen you, although you don’t know me.

(1 Timothy 1:17) Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

(Mark 12:32) The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that He is One, and there is no one else besides Him.

Never do we find in the Bible that a particular messenger or prophet is to be mentioned next to God when it comes to bearing witness to His Oneness. The message of the Holy Quran is exactly the same: No one is ever mentioned by name next to God in a situation in which one bears witness to God or is commanded to believe in God:

(6:19) Say [O Muhammad], “Which testimony (shahada) is the greatest of all?” Say: “God is witness between me and you that He has revealed this Quran to me that I may warn you with it, as well as whomever it reaches. Do you really testify that there are other gods beside God?” Say: “I refuse to testify”. Say: “He Alone is the One and Only God, and I am innocent of what you ascribe (to Him).”

1.2 37:35 and 47:19: “There is no other god but God”

إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوٓا۟ إِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ

(37:35) Indeed, whenever they were told “There is no other god but God”, they turned arrogant.

(47:19) You shall then know that “There is no other god but God”, and ask forgiveness for your sins, as well as for believing men and women; God knows your dwellings and your resting places.

1.3 39:45: How do most people react when God alone is mentioned?

(39:45) When God alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the hereafter are repulsed, but when others are mentioned beside Him, behold! They rejoice.

(40:12) This is because when they called only upon God, you disbelieved, but when partners were associated beside Him, [only then] did you believe. Therefore, God’s judgment rests with God, The Most High, The Great.

39:45 and 40:12 are fully consistent with 37:35 which states, “Whenever they were told: “There is no other god but God”, they arrogant”. Is the shahada as it appears in the Quran (3:18, 37:35, 47:19) sufficient, or do you feel compelled to rely upon extra Quranic sources, such as hadiths recorded for the first time over two hundred years after the death of the prophet, which are explicitly condemned (sometimes even by name) in the Quran itself in 45:6, 7:185, 12:111, 17:46, 31:6, 39:23 56:81 and 77:50?

What do you feel deep in your heart?

Are you at peace with yourself when you solemnly declare “I bear witness that there is no other god but God” (أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ = “ash hadu an lâ elaha elâ Allah”) as decreed by God in the Holy Quran in 3:18, or are you only satisfied when you mention the name of Muhammad next to God by adding to the commandment of Allah “and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God” (وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ = “wa ash hadu anna Muhammadan rasullullah”) as recommended by some hadiths?

It is a great tragedy that most people prefer to follow blindly what their parents taught them (5:104) or follow the majority, such as the Catholic faith in Christianity or Sunnism in Islam. In fact, the Quran warns us that following the majority blindly is a path to perdition:

(6:116) And if you obey most people on earth, they will divert you from the path of God. They follow nothing but conjecture and guessing.

The only thing one is allowed to follow for religious guidance is the Word of God (the Quran), not the word of men.

(17:46) We placed veils over their hearts to prevent them from understanding it, and deafness in their ears; and when you mention your Lord relying upon the Quran alone, they turn away (lit. “turn away their backs”) in disgust.

Whenever you recite the Quranic shahada (لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ = There is no other god but God), it is tragic that the hearts of most people are repulsed (39:45) and they become arrogant (37:35). They reject the purity of the Word of God and turn away from it in disgust (17:46).

1.4 God commands: “do not call upon anyone beside God”

وَأَنَّ ٱلْمَسَٰجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا۟ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ أَحَدًا

(72:18) Mosques belong to God; Therefore, do not call upon anyone beside God.

Unfortunately, in virtually all mosques throughout the world, Muhammad is consistently mentioned along with God in the call to prayer and at the end of ritual prayers when people recite their tashahud, thus breaking the admonition in verse 72:18 not to call upon anyone beside God. We even frequently see on the walls of mosques calligraphy of the name of Muhammad written right next to God. In addition, Sunnis believe that Muhammad will intercede on behalf of Muslims on judgment day, which is a pagan belief based on “hadiths other than God and His verses” (45:6). Before we prove that the Quran overwhelmingly condemns such a belief, let us examine some hadiths that support the belief in “the great intercession” of Muhammad on the day of resurrection:

Sahih al-Bukhari 4718

Narrated by Ibn `Umar:

On the Day of Resurrection, the people will fall on their knees and every nation will follow their prophet and they will say, “O so-and-so! Intercede (for us with Allah), “untill (the right) intercession is given to the Prophet (Muhammad) and that will be the day when Allah will raise him into a station of praise and glory (i.e. Al-Maqam -al-Mahmud).

Sahih al-Bukhari 1474, 1475

Narrated by `Abdullah bin `Umar:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “A man keeps on asking others for something until he comes on the Day of Resurrection without any piece of flesh on his face.” The Prophet (ﷺ) added, “On the Day of Resurrection, the Sun will come near (to the people) to such an extent that the sweat will reach up to the middle of the ears, so, when all the people are in that state, they will ask Adam for help, and then Moses, and then Muhammad (p.b.u.h) .”The sub-narrator added “Muhammad will intercede with Allah to judge amongst the people. He will proceed until he will hold the ring of the door (of Paradise) and then Allah will exalt him to Maqam Mahmud (the privilege of intercession, etc.). And all the people of the gathering will send their praises to Allah.

Riyad as-Salihin 103

Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “He who says upon hearing the Adhan: ‘Allahumma Rabba hadhihid-da’wati-ttammati, was-salatil-qa’imati, ati Muhammadanil-wasilata wal-fadhilata, wab’athu maqaman mahmuda nilladhi wa ‘adtahu [O Allah, Rubb of this perfect call (Da’wah) and of the established prayer (As-Salat), grant Muhammad the intercession and superiority, and raise him up to a praiseworthy position which You have promised him]‘, it becomes incumbent upon me to intercede for him on the Day of Resurrection.”

Sahih al Bukhari, vol 1, page 48, Sahih Muslim, vol 1 page 199:

“I (Muhammad) have been appointed as the intercessor, and intercession has been bestowed exclusively upon me. Other than me, no one else has been given this rank”.

There are numerous alledgedly sahih (authentic) hadiths that embrace the belief in the great intercession of Muhammad on judgment day and it is undeniable that this belief is a cornerstone of Sunni doctrine. That belief played a major role in the adoption of a shahada which mentions Muhammad next to God instead of the shahada in the Quran which we will show is also very present in hadiths.

The Quran overwhelmingly condemns that pagan belief:

(2:48) And fear the day when no soul can assist another soul in any way, and no intercession will be accepted from it, and no ransom can be received in exchange for it, nor will they be helped.

(2:123) And fear the day when no soul can assist another soul in any way, and no ransom can be accepted in exchange for it, and no intercession will be of any use for it, nor will they be helped.

(7:53) Are they waiting for its fulfilment? The day its fulfillment comes to pass, those who disregarded it in the past will say: “Verily, the messengers of our Lord have come endowed with the truth. Are there any intercessors to intercede on our behalf or can we be sent back so we can behave differently from how we behaved previously? They ruined their souls, and what they previously invented will have forsaken them.

This verse demonstrates that no messenger can intercede on Judgment day.

قُل لِّلَّهِ ٱلشَّفَٰعَةُ جَمِيعًا لَّهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ

(39:44) Say (O Muhammad): “All intercession belongs to God.” To Him belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. Then, you will be returned to Him.

This Quranic hadith (the only type of hadith permitted in pure Islam) suffices to nullify all spurious hadiths about the intercession of the prophet on judgment day.

(43:86) None of those whom they invoke beside Him possesses any power to intercede, except whoever [has already] testified to the truth, and they fully cognizant [of the uniqueness of God].

This verse demonstrates that the only type of intercession that can be approved by God in this life (in the form of prayers or actions) is if a person fully embraces the truth (God and His Word alone). This does not affect verses that prove that no intercession will take place on judgment day.

(53:26) [Not even] the myriad of angels in the heavens can avail their intercession in any way, except after God grants permission to whomever He wishes and approves.

This verse preaches the same message as 43:86. Heavenly angels do not possess any power of intercession: Only God has the power to grant any intercession.

فَمَا تَنفَعُهُمْ شَفَٰعَةُ ٱلشَّٰفِعِينَ

(74:48) The intercession (in the context of the verse: on judgment day) of those who engage in intercession will be of no benefit to them.

In short, as demonstrated, for instance in verse 53:26, intercession can only be accepted if God permits it, which demonstrates the effectiveness of prayer and good deeds. However, the Quran tells us repeatedly that no one, not even messengers (7:53) or heavenly angels (53:26) can intercede on judgment day. This is made extremely clear in 2:48 (“And fear the day when no soul can assist another soul in any way, and no intercession will be accepted from any [soul], and no ransom can be received in exchange for it, nor will they be helped.”), 2:123 and 74:48. People who believe that Muhammad, messengers, or saints can intercede on their behalf commit the sin of shirk (associating partners with God), and will be exposed on judgment day.

(See also verses 2:255, 19:87, 20:109, 21:28, 30:13, 34:23, 36:23).

Furthermore, Sunni Muslims who believe in hadiths and judge on the basis of them instead of on the basis of the Quran alone (5:44, 5:47) and desperately hope for Muhammad’s intercession will be dismayed when Muhammad himself declares the following on the day of resurrection:

وَقَالَ ٱلرَّسُولُ يَٰرَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِى ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ هَٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ مَهْجُورًا

(21:30) Moreover, the messenger will say: “O Lord, indeed, my people (Arabs and Muslims around the world) have deserted this Quran as if it were obsolete!

They will have deserted this Quran for hadiths and Sunna and other baseless doctrines instead of relying exclusively upon the Word of God (17:46).

1.5 Associating anything with God is prohibited

(4:48) Indeed, God does not forgive any partners being associated with Him, but He forgives to whomever He wishes for any lesser offense. Moreover, whoever associates partners with God, has most certainly committed a grievous sin.

Mentioning partners alongside God is the greatest sin, one that cannot be forgiven unless someone repents and reforms before it is too late.

1.6 4:36, 6:162-163, 18:10, 39:2-3: The shahada is an act of worship and must therefore be dedicated to God alone

قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِى وَنُسُكِى وَمَحْيَاىَ وَمَمَاتِى لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ

(6:162) Say [O Muhammad]: Verily, my ritual prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my life, and my death belong to God, Lord of the universe.

لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُۥ وَبِذَٰلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا۠ أَوَّلُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ

(6:163) He has no partner. This is what I have been commanded, and I am the first to submit.

… وَٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا۟ بِهِۦ شَيْـًٔا

(4:36) Worship God and do not associate anything with him …

(18:110) Say (O Muhammad): I am no other than a man like you. It has been revealed to me that your God is one God. Therefore, whoever longs for the meeting with his Lord shall do good deeds and shall not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord.

إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ بِٱلْحَقِّ فَٱعْبُدِ ٱللَّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ ٱلدِّينَ

(39:2) Indeed, we revealed to you the book truthfully. Therefore, worship God devoting all religious matters to Him.

(39:3) Assuredly, the pure religion shall be devoted to God. Those who ascribe protectors beside Him [say]: “We do not idolize them except to bring us closer to God.” Indeed, God will judge among them regarding their dissent. Indeed, God does not guide whoever engages in lies and disbelief.

Note: Mentioning Muhammad in the shahada or believing in his intercession on judgment day amounts to regard him as a protector or a way to bring us closer to God, as pointed out in the above verse.

We are commanded to worship God and not to associate anything (4:36) nor anyone (18:110) beside Him. Our ritual prayer, any invocation, sacrifices (6:162) and any religious matter (39:2-3) are acts of worship. Likewise, the shahada is much more profound than simply making a statement and represents a profound act of worship. Bearing witness that “there is no other god but God” is the ultimate testimony and acknowledgment of God’s Oneness and amounts de facto to worshiping Him as the One and Only deity in the heavens and the earth. Nothing nor anyone deserves to be mentioned next to Him in a proclamation which reflects the purity of our faith.

1.7 No name of a messenger or prophet is ever mentioned by name next to God in the Quran in a situation of believing in God or bearing witness to Him.

(4:136) O you who believe, believe in God and His messenger, and in the book that He revealed to His messenger and in the Holy Scriptures that were revealed in the past. But whoever disbelieves in God, His angels, His books, His messengers, and in the last day has indeed strayed far away.

One of the golden rules of the Holy Quran is that no name of a messenger or prophet is ever mentioned next to God in the context of believing in God or bearing witness to His Oneness. You will repeatedly see that believers shall “believe in God and His messenger” (4:136, 7:158, 9:80, 24:62, 48:9, 48:13, 49:15, 57:7, 58:4, 61:11, 64:8) or “believe in God and His messengers” (3:179, 4:150, 4:152, 4:171, 57:19, 57:21), but you will never find a single sentence in the 6236 numbered verses of the Quran indicating that you shall believe in God and in Muhammad or that you shall “bear witness that there is no other god but God, and bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God”. Obviously, we do find that “Muhammad is the messenger of God” (“Muhammad rasulullah”) in 48:29 because it is who he is, but never in the context of believing in God or bearing witness to His Oneness. The only names that are mentioned in the vicinity of God in the Quran in a same sentence are Gabriel and Michael (2:98):

(2:98) Whoever is an enemy of Allah, His angels, His messengers, Gabriel and Michael, then [you shall know that], indeed, God is an enemy of the disbelievers.

(66:4) If the two of you turn to God in repentance, your hearts will have indeed leaned (towards the right side), but if you band against him, then, [you shall know that] indeed, Allah is his protector, and Gabriel, the virtuous believers and the angels will assist [him] from now on.

Even though Gabriel and Michael are mentioned by name in the same sentence as Allah, it is not in a situation where believers are told to “believe in God” or “bear witness to Him”. 2:98 and 66:4 are the only verses in the entire Quran where a name is mentioned alongside God in a same sentence.

1.8 There is only one instance in the Quran when people bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God, and doing so is very problematic

(63:1) When the hypocrites come to you, they say: “We bear witness that, indeed, you (O Muhammad) are the messenger of God!”. God knows full well that you are His messenger, and God bears witness that the hypocrites are patented liars.

63:1 is the one and only instance in the entire Quran where people actually “bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God”, and it is very revealing that it is the hypocrites who do so. God’s reply is extremely stern: “Allah knows full well that you are His messenger, and God bears witness that the hypocrites are patented liars.”.

God already knows that Muhammad is His messenger. Why would there be any requirement to bear witness to that every time you bear witness regarding God’s absolute Oneness? Is mentioning Muhammad next to God a mandatory password or passport to go to paradise or is it plain shirk (associating partners beside God) that is not authorized by the Quran fully detailed (6:114, 7:52, 10:37)?

When it comes to bear witness to God’s absolute Oneness, which is the ultimate testimony of faith and foundation of the Quran and Holy Scriptures in general, no one in the entire creation, not even Gabriel and Michael, has any legitimate reason being mentioned next to Allah, which we saw is made emphatically clear in 39:45 (When God alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the hereafter are repulsed, but when others are mentioned beside Him, behold! They rejoice.).

1.9 It is forbidden to make any distinction between messengers

(2:136) Say: “We believe in God, and in what was sent down to us, and in what was sent down to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes; and in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and in what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We do not make any distinction among any of them, and we submit to Him.”

(2:285) The messenger believed in what was sent down to him from his Lord, and so did the believers. They all believed in God, His angels, His books, and His messengers: “We do not make any distinction among any of His messengers.” They said: “We hear, and we obey. Bestow upon us your forgiveness, our Lord! Everything returns to You.

(3:84) Say (O Muhammad): “We believe in God, and in what was revealed to us, and in what was revealed to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes, and in what was given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets from their Lord. We do not make any distinction among any of them, and we submit to Him.”

(4:152) As for those who believed in God and His messengers, and make no distinction among any of them: Unto them, He will grant their reward. God is Forgiver, Most Merciful.

If Sunnis and Shias make no distinction among any of the messengers, then why do they consistently “bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God” in their shahada to the point that they are completely incapable of bearing witness that “there is no other god but God” without mentioning Muhammad? Rashad Khalifa, whose lifetime achievement was in my view to profess the pure shahada after many centuries of obscurantism, brilliantly challenged Sunnis to say “ash hadu an lâ elaha elâ Allah” (أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ = I bear witness that there is no other god but God) without mentioning Muhammad. It is a fact that they simply cannot do it because they de facto established Muhammad as a partner beside God, for instance by giving precedence to so called “hadiths of the prophet” over the Quran and by claiming that Muhammad will intercede on their behalf on judgment day as demonstrated earlier. Bearing witness to God’s absolute Oneness demonstrates that our faith is pure. What does “bearing witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God” next to God have to do pertaining to God’s absolute Oneness except blemishing a pure testimony that originates from God Himself (3:18, 37:35, 47:19)?

Note: Rashad Khalifa made a mistake derived from hadiths by saying in his tashahud: “I bear witness that there is no other god but God, the One, He has no partner”. A lot of Sunnis say exactly the same adding after that “and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God” as found for instance in hadith Riyad as-Salihin number 412 and others. Adding “the One, He has no partners” next to “I bear witness that there is no other god but God” is never found in the Quran because it is redundant. It is originally an attempt to disguise the fact that mentioning Muhammad in the shahada is associating a partner beside God. The Quran is perfect; there is never any useless repetition and our words must be conform to it word for word.

Bearing witness that “there is no other god but God” is the pure and perfect Quranic shahada. What is there after the truth except falsehood (فَمَاذَا بَعْدَ ٱلْحَقِّ إِلَّا ٱلضَّلَٰلُ, 10:32)?.

Sunnis and Shias consistently make a distinction between Muhammad and previous messengers and prophets by mentioning Muhammad next to God in the shahada and the call to prayer. They claim that if you bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God, since he is the seal of the prophets (33:40), it signifies that you believe automatically in all previous messengers and prophets until Muhammad.

Mentioning Muhammad next to God in the shahada is not a mandatory password that will make you a Muslim or make you necessarily believe in all previous messengers because the Quran indicates that some messengers are not even mentioned in the Quran (وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلًا مِّن قَبْلِكَ مِنْهُم مَّن قَصَصْنَا عَلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُم مَّن لَّمْ نَقْصُصْ عَلَيْك, 40:78). If we stumble upon the story of a previous messenger, we may not necessarily understand or believe that he was one. Furthermore, the Quran specifies that Muhammad was the last prophet (33:40) but never that he was the last messenger. If God decides to send a messenger after Muhammad, you can be certain that many of those who believe that Muhammad was the last prophet would reject him because it is a common trait for the human race to reject messengers (2:87, 15:11, 23:44, 34:34, 36:30, 43:7). In other words, no, bearing witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God next to the shahada as found in the Quran does not guarantee in any way that one believes in all messengers in the history of mankind.

Aside from the fact that it is forbidden to mention or call upon anyone beside God (39:45, 72:18), being a Muslim involves much more than the narrow minded, impure Sunni or Shia shahada because the Quran actually requires five mandatory beliefs, not just two in order to go to heaven: A Muslim must (1) Believe in God, (2) His angels, (3) His books, (4) his messengers and (5) the last day (4:136), and not just believe in God and His messengers, and it also requires to do good deeds. Furthermore, and regardless of the shahada which is unquestionably the primary foundation of faith (3:18), you cannot be a Muslim if you do not perform at least the salât and pay the zakât as demonstrated in 9:5, 9:11 and 19:31. You can recite the shahada as much as you want, even the Quranic one, but if you do perform at least the ritual prayer on time and pay the mandatory charity every year, you are not a Muslim.

Believing that Muhammad is the messenger of God is a very small part of what we are required to believe and do in order to go to heaven contrary to the claim of some hadiths (for instance Sahih Muslim number 29: “He who testifies that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, Allah would prohibit the fire of Hell for him”).

The above is a complete lie. Moreover, bearing witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God is not a Quranic requirement: We are required to believe that he is the messenger of God at the same level as other messengers, but we are never told that we shall bear witness to it, because bearing witness to God’s Oneness is the utmost level of purity of faith and is a solemn proclamation reserved exclusively to God (3:18). Again, it is the hypocrites who bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God in 63:1 and it is not a requirement for believers who submit to God by relying on the Quran alone (17:46).

We will also mention to close this section that one absolute proof that Sunnis establish a difference between Muhammad and other messengers is that hadiths and Sunni literature in general contain hundreds of non Quranic attributes lauding the prophet such as the following attributes found in hadiths:

– Rasul al-Rahmah (messenger of mercy)

– Nabi al-Rahmah (prophet of mercy)

– Khatam al-Rusul (Seal of the messengers): The Quran proclaims that Muhammad is the seal of prophets (33:40), not the seal of the messengers.

– Al Mushaffa (Appointed Intercessor)

– Sayyid al-Mursalin (Master of the Apostles)

– Rakib al-Buraq (Rider of the Buraq, Al buraq being a legendary horse like creature which, according to hadiths, allegedly took Muhammad to heaven during the celestial ascension).

– Rasul al-Malahim [Messenger of the Battles (of the Last Day)].

– Nabi al-Malahim [prophet of the Battles (of the Last Day)]

– Sayyid Walad Adam (master of the sons of Adam)

… and many more names or attributes designed to establish Muhammad above all other messengers, which is proof that hadiths and Sunnis violate the Quranic command not to establish any distinction between messengers.

1.10 We shall respect the divine order of the Quran

There is a divine order in the Quran: You cannot copy and paste the pure shahada enacted in 3:18 and mentioned literally in 37:35 and 47:19 (لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ = “There is no other god but God”) together with the fact that 48:29 states that “Muhammad is the messenger of God” (مُّحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ ٱللَّهِ) to artificially match the idolatrous shahada mentioned in unauthorized “hadiths other than God and His verses” (45:6), verse which prohibits them by name. Both statements in 47:19 and 48:29 are independently true but are not meant to be artificially assembled to form a new, non-Quranic shahada. The divine shahada decreed by God in 3:18, 37:35 and 47:19 is already irrevocably engraved in the Quran fully detailed (6:114, 7:52, 10:37) and reflects the exact same spirit as in the Bible (Deuteronomy 4:35, Isaiah 45:6, etc…).

In addition, the Quran forbids to quote Holy Scriptures out of context:

(5:13) Thus, as a result of their breaking their covenant, we cursed them (the children of Israel) and We hardened their hearts: They alter the words [of God] from their context and forgot part of what they were reminded of it [the Torah]; you will not cease to unveil their treachery, except for a few of them. So, forgive them and ignore [them]. Indeed, God loves those who do good deeds. 

Adding the expression “Muhammad rasulullah” (“Muhammad is the messenger of God”) present in 48:29 to the Quranic shahada (“There is no other god but God”) found in 37:35 and 47:19 is distorting God’s word because it ignores its context and violates its spirit.

In addition, imagine how Muhammad used to end his prayers reciting the tashahud: Would it have made any sense for him to say “I bear witness that there is no other god but God, the one he has no partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God” as commonly found in Sunni Islam?

Muhammad knew full well that he was the messenger of God, which is reminiscent of the fact that God rebukes the hypocrites in 63:1 by saying that “God knows full well that you are His messenger, and God bears witness that the hypocrites are patented liars”. It is obvious that he did not utter such words because they conflict in many ways with the letter and spirit of many Quranic verses, and because it would have been absurd for him to “bear witness that he is the messenger of God”. Finally, the following question comes to mind: Would it make sense for believers to recite a different tashahud from the one the prophet used to recite in his prayers? Obviously not. Isn’t the prophet supposed to be a good example for us (33:21)? Then why recite words inspired from hadiths written down 200 years after the death of the prophet which would have made no sense for him to recite?

2. The Sunni shahada and its origin

2.1 The history of the shahada in early Islam

2.1.1 History of the earliest Islamic coins (23-65 AH)

The first Islamic coins to mention the name of God are the following:

– The earliest bears the name of Yazgird III (who reigned from 31 AH / 652 CE) and mentions “In the name of God” (بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ = Bismillah) in the obverse margin. The first Islamic coins were therefore minted around 31 AH.

– Another Sassanian coin dated from 40 AH (661-662 CE) displays an anonymous bust with “Lillahi” (لِلَّه = unto God) in the obverse margin.

– The next oldest coin mentioning God was issued by Mu’awiya Abu Sufyan and was minted in 43 AH. The obverse margin reads “In the name of God” (بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ = Bismillah).

– Another Arab-Sassanian coin frozen in 47 AH displays an anonymous bust and reads in the obverse margin “In the name of God, The King” (بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ الْمَلِكُ = Bismillahi, Al Malik).

– An Arab Sassanian coin issued in 48 AH by Ziyad Ibn Abu Sufyan, governor of Basra, reads in the obverse margin “In the name of God, my Lord” (بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ رَبِّى = Bismillahi, Rabî).

– An Arab Sassanian coin mentions the governor Hakam Ibn Abi l-As and was frozen in 57AH. It mentions in the obverse margin “In the name of God, the Lord of judgment” (بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْحُكْمِ = Bismillahi, Rabil Hukm).

– An Arab-Sassanian coins minted by Talha Ibn ‘Abd Allah in 64 AH reads in the obverse margin “Talha Lillahi” (“Talha unto God”). أَكْبَرُ

– An Arab Sassanian coin issued by Salm Bin Ziyad in 65 AH (684-684 CE) reads in the obverse “In the name of God, God is the Greatest” “Bismillah, Allahu Akbar” (بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ = “Bismillah, Allahu Akbar”).

It is really striking that the coins issued during the first seventy years the Islamic empire focused on God Alone. Consistent with the letter and spirit of the Quran, it simply never occurred to early Muslims to mention Muhammad next to God.

2.1.2 First references of Muhammad on coins (66 AH and onward)

The dual shahada as known in Sunni Islam and which includes Muhammad simply did not exist in early Islam and is the result of a historical evolution which was initiated under the reign of khalife ‘Abd al-Malik who ruled the Umayyad empire from 685 to 705 CE. This is the conclusion that Professor Fred Donner, expert on the first century of Islam, has reached in his book “Muhammad and the believers” (Harvard University press, 2012, page 205):

“The first inscriptions of any kind to carry the phrase “Muhammad is the apostle of God” are coins from Bishapur (Fars) apparently issued in 66/685-686 and 67/686-687 by a governor from the Zubayrid, so it may be that the Umayyads were inspired to emphasize the role of the prophet by their rival ‘Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, known, as we have seen, for his stern piety. Whatever his inspiration, ‘Abd al-Malik and his entourage seem to have advanced this process energetically and in several media. The Dome of the Rock inscriptions lay considerable emphasis on Muhammad’s position as prophet; but more telling is the appearance on coins, from the time of ‘Abd al-Malik onward, of the full “double shahada”, that is the combining of the phrase “There is no god but God” with the phrase “Muhammad is the apostle of God” as a decisive marker of the character of the issuing authority.”

Coin minted in 66 AH / 685-686 CE. from Bishapur (Fars) by a governor from the Zubayrid, British Museum, London. The coin reads in the obverse on the right “In the name of God” (بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ = Bismillah), and on the left “Muhammad is the messenger of God” (مُّحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ ٱللَّهِ = Muhammad rasulullahi).

The prophet passed away on June 8, 632. The earliest shahadahs were logically conform to the one found in the Quran and only included the first part (لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ = “Lâ elaha elâ Allah”, 37:35, 47:19).

Coin minted in 70 AH/ 689 CE, Arab Sassanian bust without the name of the governor. The coin reads in middle Persian in the obverse field: “MHMT PGTAMI Y DAT” (“Muhammad is the messenger of God”) and reads in the obverse margin in Arabic “Bismillahi, waliyu al amri” (بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِىُّ ٱلْأَمْرِ = “In the name of God, the Master of Affairs”).

The first statement that is rather similar in spirit to the Sunni shahadah is from the end of the 7^th century. Stefan Heidemann, a German orientalist, pointed at a coin from 689-90 which mentions both parts of the Sunni shahadah, but the two sentences are still separated: The obverse of the coin focuses on God’s Oneness, while the reverse focuses on Muhammad being the messenger of God. The first statement which has been termed a dual shahadah by historians appears on a Persian coin from 691-692, that is to say 60 years after the death of the prophet.

The first coin issued by khalife ‘Abd al-Malik to display a semblance of a dual shahadah (picture above) was minted in Damascus in 75 AH, (694-695 C.E.) and reads on the obverse: “In the name of God, there is no god but God alone, Muhammad is the apostle of God” (بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ مُّحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ ٱللَّهِ). The reverse reads “In the name of God. This dinar was minted in the year 75”. 

Another coin issued two years later by ‘Abd al-Malik (picture above) in 77 AH (696-697 C.E.) is a reform gold dinar which reads on the obverse as a central inscription “There is no god but God alone, He has no partner” (لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ  لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ), which combines expressions found in 47:19 and 6:163), while the marginal inscription which surrounds it reads “Muhammad is the messenger of God; He sent him with the guidance and the religion of truth, to make it prevail over all religions” (مُّحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَرْسَلَهُ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ ٱلْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلدِّينِ كُلِّهِ) which is a combination of 48:29 and 61:9 (imperfectly quoted). The inscriptions on both coins are therefore still radically different from the Sunni shahada and illustrate the gradual evolution initiated under ‘Abd Al-Malik that provides prominence to the prophet, rather than an actual dual shahada (“I bear witness that there is no other god but God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God”. Such coins which mention God’s Oneness together with the fact that Muhammad is the messenger of God are nothing but the infancy of what was to become much later the Sunni shahada, many variants of which can be found over a century later in the first hadiths (Bukhari, Muslim, etc…). There is no complete hegemony (that is to say word for word) regarding the Sunni shahada in hadiths, far from that, despite the fact that it is the cornerstone of Sunni doctrine, which is one indication among many of their inauthenticity. We will cite several hadiths in this regard in the next section.

It is very important to note that none of those early coins or any document during the reign of ‘Abd Al-Malik or before mention the requirement to actually “bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God” next to “bearing witness that there is no other god but God”. Therefore, even though Muhammad is mentioned by name alongside God for the first time, it is technically not a “shahada” (testimony) which by definition requires “to testify”.

Even after the appearance on coins of what has been be termed by Pr. Donner to be a “double shahada”, the authentic Quranic shahada (There is no other god but God, 37:35, 47:19) as defined by God in 3:18 was still found on coins from 708-709 (“Roman and Early Muslim Coinage in North Africa” by Pr. Michael Bates) and at the beginning of the Abbasid period which started in 750 CE (Solange Ory, Aspects religieux des textes épigraphiques du début de l’Islam », revue des mondes musulmans et de la Méditerranée, n˚ 58, 1990, page 32).

Once again, it reflects that there wasn’t any dual shahada in the Islamic empire at the time and mentioning Muhammad by name next to God on coins merely initiated a gradual process which took a decisive turn when the first hadiths were written down and started gaining a widespread recognition in the Islamic empire at the beginning of the 9^th century.

The fact remains that no trace of even a semblance of a dual shahada has ever been found before the reign of ‘Abd Al-Malik (685 to 705 CE) on coins, written documents or even graffiti, which is in line with the fact that the Quran focuses on God’s Oneness, while Muhammad and other messengers are mere servants of the Most High.

2.2 Hadiths

The earliest hadiths (Bukhari, Muslim) were written down for the first time about two hundred years after the death of the prophet. Under the influence of the gradual appearance of the concept of a dual shahada mentioning the prophet next to God, which tendency was initiated at the end of the 7^th century as described in the previous section, many hadiths mention in various formats the Sunni requirement to “bear witness that there is no other god but God and bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God” (أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ = “I bear witness that there is no other god but God and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God):

Riyad as-Salihin 1209:

Ibn ‘Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “I have been commanded to fight people till they testify ‘La ilaha illallah’ (there is no true god except Allah) that Muhammad (ﷺ) is his slave and Messenger, and that they establish the Salat, and pay the Zakat; and if they do that, their blood (life) and property are secured except when justified by law, and it is up to Allah to call them to account.”

Note: It is forbidden in pure Islam to force anyone to embrace Islam (2:256: “There shall be no compulsion in religion”) and the above hadith (and many others that advocate fighting against non-Muslims until they forcibly embrace the Sunni shahada) thus contradicts the message of the Quran and Muhammad could therefore not have pronounced such words.

Sahih Muslim 29:

It is narrated on the authority of Sunabihi that he went to Ubada b. Samit when he was about to die. I burst into tears. Upon this he said to me: Allow me some time (so that I may talk with you). Why do you weep? By Allah, if I am asked to bear witness, I would certainly testify for you (that you are a believer). Should I be asked to intercede, I would certainly intercede for you, and if I have the power, I would certainly do good to you, and then observed: By Allah, never did I hear anything from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) which could have been a source of benefit to you and not convey it to you except this single hadith which I intend to narrate to you today, since I am going to breathe my last. I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “He who testifies that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, Allah will prohibit the fire of Hell for him.”

Riyad as-Salihin 1271:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Islam is based on five (pillars), testifying the fact that La ilaha illallah wa anna Muhammad-ar-Rasul-ullah [there is no true god except Allah, and Muhammad ((ﷺ)) is the Messenger of Allah], establishing As- Salat (the prayers), paying Zakat (poor due), the pilgrimage to the House [of Allah (Ka’bah)], and the Saum (fasting) during the month of Ramadan.”

Note: The five pillars of Islam are derived from hadiths as illustrated above and not from the Quran which mandates many other commandments.

Sahih Muslim 17a:

It is narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas that a delegation of Abdul Qais came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: Messenger of Allah, verily ours is a tribe of Rabi’a and there stand between you and us the unbelievers of Mudar and we find no freedom to come to you except in the sacred month. Direct us to an act which we should ourselves perform and invite those who live beside us. Upon this the Prophet remarked: I command you to do four things and prohibit you against four acts. (The four deeds which you are commanded to do are): Faith in Allah, and then he explained it for them and said: Testifying the fact. that there is no god but Allah, that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, performance of prayer, payment of Zakat, that you pay Khums (one-fifth) of the booty fallen to your lot, and I prohibit you to use round gourd, wine jars, wooden pots or skins for wine. Khalaf b. Hisham has made this addition in his narration: Testifying the fact that there is no god but Allah, and then he with his finger pointed out the oneness of the Lord.

Note: The prohibitions mentioned in this hadith are laughable (and false) given the fact that the real Quranic prohibitions (do not kill your neighbor, do not eat pork’s meat, do not consume any alcohol or drugs, etc…) are not even mentioned.

Musnad Ahmad 452:

It was narrated from Nafi` from Ibn `Umar, that Uthman (رضي الله عنه) looked out at his companions when he was under siege and said: Why do you want to kill me? I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: `It is not permissible to shed the blood of a Muslim man except in one of three cases; a man who commits zina after being married, so he is to be stoned [to death], or a man who killed deliberately (committed murder), so he is to be killed in retaliation, or a man who committed apostasy after having become Muslim, so he is to be executed.” By Allah, I never committed zina either during the Jahiliyyah or in Islam, I never killed anyone in such a way that my life should be taken in retaliation; and I never committed apostasy since I became Muslim and bore witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.

Note: The above hadith gravely contradicts the Quran in three instances:

1. The punishment for adultery in the Quran is 100 moderate lashes (24:2), and certainly not being stoned to death. The punishment of stoning to death is mentioned in the Quran but is always the signature mark of disbelievers (11:91, 18:20, 19:46, 26:116, 36:18, 44:20). It is a barbaric punishment that is not permissible in Islam simply because the Quran never advocates malevolent behavior (9:67, 16:90).

2. The death penalty for apostasy is another barbaric punishment which originates from hadiths like the one quoted above. On the contrary, the Quran decrees that “there shall be no compulsion in religion” (2:256: لَآ إِكْرَاهَ فِى ٱلدِّينِ). Therefore, there is absolutely no judicial punishment for leaving Islam according to the Quran and therefore in pure Islam which is entirely based upon it. The death penalty in Sunni and Shia Islam for adultery and apostasy is solely based on hadiths which contradict the Quran. The latter proclaims in 5:44: “Do not barter my verses (i.e. Quranic verses) for a cheap price, and whoever does not judge according to what Allah has revealed, those are the ones who are disbelievers.” In other words, if you judge according to hadiths instead of the Quran, you are a disbeliever according to the book of God.

3. As extensively demonstrated in this article, the Quranic shahada is to bear witness that “there is no other god but God” (3:18, 37:35, 47:19) and the Sunni shahada which mentions after the Quranic shahada that “Muhammad is the messenger of God” amounts to establishing Muhammad as a partner beside God (condemned for example in 4:48).

Surprisingly, and despite the gradual appearance of a dual shahada during Abd al-Malik’s reign starting 60 years after the death of the prophet, a fairly large number of hadiths (the oldest being written down about 200 years after the death of the prophet) still profess the pure Quranic shahada (لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ = there is no other god but God) and do not advocate any need to bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God”:

Riyad as-Salihin 391:

Abu Abdullah bin Tariq bin Ashyam (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “He who professes La ilaha illallah (There is no true god except Allah), and denies of everything which the people worship besides Allah, his property and blood become inviolable, and it is for Allah to call him to account”.

Riyad as-Salihin 1437:

Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, “The best way to celebrate the remembrance of Allah is to say: La ilaha illallah (there is no true god except Allah).”

Riyad as-Salihin 918:

Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Exhort your dying men to recite: “La ilaha illallah” (There is no true god except Allah).”

Note: If you can recite the Quranic shahada at the time of death without bearing witness that “Muhammad is the messenger of God” it means that the dual shahada is not required to go to heaven as claimed by Sunnis.

Riyad as-Salihin 917:

Mu`adh bin Jabal (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “He whose last words are: “La ilaha illallah” (There is no true god except Allah) will enter Jannah.”

Thee above hadiths are mere examples, and there are more similar hadiths which focus only on bearing witness to God’s oneness. In other terms, we also witness in hadiths the importance of reciting the pure Quranic shahada even at the time of death when it matters the most.

Hadiths therefore gravely contradict themselves by claiming that it is a mandatory requirement to mention Muhammad next to God when you recite the shahada. The reason why Sunnis and Shias opted for a different shahada than the one found in the Quran (and even hadiths!) is due to the influence of the gradual appearance of a non Quranic dual shahada mentioning Muhammad next to God at the end of the 7^th century and especially because they chose to give precedence to hadiths over the Quran, some of which clearly idolize the prophet such as the numerous ones which advocate the belief in the great intercession of Muhammad on judgment day. It is such deviant beliefs based on non Quranic materials which caused the pure Quranic shahada to be ignored for over a thousand years.

Note: Let us make things very clear: Even hadiths which advocate the pure shahada are utterly false because they are condemned, sometimes by name, in the Quran (7:185, 12:111, 31:6, 39:23, 45:6, 56:81, 77:50, 17:46) and because the Quran proclaims that it is fully detailed (6:114, 7:52, 10:37). Hadiths always contradict the Quran at least in minor ways, for instance because they are written in a much later Arabic dialect than the pure Arabic Quran. It is impossible that Muhammad who is allegedly quoted in those hadiths could have spoken an Arabic dialect 200 years older than the Quraish dialect at the time of the revelation, and experts of the Quran are very well aware of this fact.

Conclusion

– The Quranic shahada is formulated in 3:18:

(3:18) Allah bears witness that there is no other god but He (Allah), and so do the angels and those endowed with knowledge, standing firm in justice. There is no other god but He, The Almighty, The Most Wise.

– The shahada to which we have to bear witness to is mentioned letter for letter in 37:35 and 47:19:

إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوٓا۟ إِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ

(37:35) Indeed, whenever they were told “There is no other god but God”, they turned arrogant.

(47:19) You shall then know that “There is no other god but God”, and ask forgiveness for your sins, as well as for believing men and women; God knows your dwellings and your resting places.

When you reconcile 3:18, 37:35 and 47:19, the Quranic shahada is “I bear witness that there is no other god but God” (أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ = “ash hadu an lâ elaha elâ Allah”). The pure Quranic shahada thus fundamentally departs from the Sunni dual shahada which adds a second part adding “and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God” (وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ).

– 37:35 makes it clear that many people become arrogant when they are told to utter the true shahada (“there is no other god but God” = لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ) and the elemental reason is explained in 39:45:

(39:45) When God alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the hereafter are repulsed, but when others are mentioned beside Him, behold! They rejoice.

Mentioning God Alone such as in the Quranic shahada is not enough for most people, and they need other names or entities such as Muhammad or Jesus to be mentioned next to God to be satisfied.  As a result, when you advise them to follow the Quran word for word telling them that they should only bear witness that “There is no other god but God”, they become arrogant (37:35).

(17:46) We placed veils over their hearts to prevent them from understanding it, and deafness in their ears; and when you mention your Lord relying upon the Quran alone, they turn away (lit. “turn away their backs”) in disgust.

– When you recite the shahada relying solely upon the Quran (لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ = There is no other god but God), it is a fact that most people reject its purity and truth and turn their backs away from you, thus expressing their aversion of the word of God.

What do you feel deep inside your heart?

Are you plainly at peace with yourself when you solemnly declare “I bear witness that there is no other god but God” (أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ = “ash hadu an lâ elaha elâ Allah”) as decreed by God in the Holy Quran in 3:18, or do you only become satisfied when you mention the name of Muhammad next to God by adding to the commandment of Allah “and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God” (وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ = “wa ash hadu anna Muhammadan rasullullah”) as recommended by some hadiths?

وَأَنَّ ٱلْمَسَٰجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا۟ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ أَحَدًا

(72:18) Mosques belong to God; Therefore, do not call upon anyone next to God.

– When the call to prayer is recited is Sunni Islam, the Sunni or Shia shahadas are recited and Muhammad and sometimes Ali are consistently called upon next to God during the call to prayer, which is an obvious breach of the above command.

(4:48) Indeed, God does not forgive any partners to be associated with Him, but He forgives anything lesser than that to whomever He wills. And whomever associates partners next to God, has most certainly committed a tremendous sin.

– Anyone who is confronted to the fact that mentioning Muhammad next to God in the shahada amounts to associate partners beside God and does not purify himself before it is too late is in great danger not to go to heaven.

– We are commanded to worship God and not to associate anything (4:36) nor anyone (18:110) next to Him. Our ritual prayer, any invocation, sacrifices (6:162) and any religious matter (39:2-3) are acts of worship. Likewise, the shahada represents a profound act of worship and nothing nor anyone deserves to be mentioned next to Him in a proclamation which reflects the purity of our faith.

– One of the golden rules of the Holy Quran is that no messenger or prophet is ever mentioned by name next to God in the context of believing in Him or bearing witness to His Oneness. You repeatedly see that believers shall “believe in God and His messenger” (4:136, 7:158, 9:80, 24:62, 48:9, 48:13, 49:15, 57:7, 58:4, 61:11, 64:8) or “believe in God and His messengers” (3:179, 4:150, 4:152, 4:171, 57:19, 57:21), but you never find any verse indicating that you have to believe in God and in Muhammad or anybody else mentioned by name, or that you have to “bear witness that there is no other god but God, and bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God”.

– There is only one instance in the Quran where people bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God, and it is not good news for anyone who would be tempted to do the same:

(63:1) When the hypocrites come to you, they say: “We bear witness that, indeed, you (O Muhammad) are the messenger of God!”. God knows full well that you are His messenger, and God bears witness that the hypocrites are patented liars.

God already knows that Muhammad is His messenger. Why would there be any need to emphatically bear witness to it every time we solemnly bear witness that “There is no other god but God”? Mentioning Muhammad next to God is not a mandatory password to go to paradise but equates to associating a partner beside God (4:48, 39:45, 40:12), sin which cannot be forgiven if maintained until death (4:48).

It is forbidden to make any distinction between messengers (2:136, 2:285, 3:84, 4:152). Sunnis and Shias consistently make distinctions among the messengers by consistently “bearing witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God” in their shahada and call to prayer to the point that they are utterly incapable of only bearing witness that “there is no other god but God” as commanded by God Himself in 3:18. They are divinely prevented from doing so because they established Muhammad as a partner next to God in their belief system in several ways, most notably by embracing the hadith based pagan belief that Muhammad will intercede on their behalfon judgment day (Sahih al-Bukhari 4718, Sahih al-Bukhari 1474, 1475, Riyad as-Salihin 103, etc…).

We must respect the divine order of the Quran and you cannot reformulate the Quranic shahada found literally in 37:35 and 47:19 by associating it with the expression “Muhammad rasullullah” (“Muhammad is the messenger of God”) found in 48:29. The Quran forbids to quote verses out of context (5:13) and it is exactly what it amounts to.

Imagine how Muhammad used to end his prayers reciting the tashahud: Could he have said “I bear witness that there is no other god but God, the one he has no partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God” as commonly found in Sunni Islam? Muhammad knew full well that he was the messenger of God; what mattered to him was to bear witness to God’s Oneness based on the word of God. In addition, the Quran does not command us to bear witness that he was God’s messenger, but simply to believe it (4:136, 7:158, 9:80, 24:62, 48:9, 48:13, 49:15, 57:7, 58:4, 61:11, 64:8). Would it make any sense for believers to recite a tashahud that is different from the prophet’s given the fact that the Quran states that he is a good example for us (33:21)? Obviously not.

Historical research conducted by historians such as Professor Fred Donner on the first century of Islam proves that the dual shahada which mentions Muhammad next to God simply did not exist in the first decades of Islam. The first sentence somewhat similar to a double shahada mentioning Muhammad appeared on a coin issued 70 years after his death under the reign of Abd al-Malik (685-705), while previous coins mention God alone following the example of the Quran (39:45, 40:12). The Quranic shahada continued to appear on several coins decades after that. Hadiths, which were written down approximately two centuries after the death of the prophet for the earliest, cemented what eventually became the dual shahada, even though there is no unity in hadiths regarding the shahada because it appears in different formats. It is worth noting that the Quranic shahada (لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ = There is no other god but God) is still present in many of them. It was discarded in favor of the dual non Quranic shahada because it does not fit the narrative of Sunnis scholars who elevated Muhammad to the rank of partner next to God, for instance by espousing the hadith belief that he will intercede in favor of Muslims on judgment day. While the Quran allows a form of intercession by means of righteous prayers and actions in this worldly life if it receives prior approval from God (53:26), it informs us categorically that no intercession will ever occur on judgment day (2:48, 2:123, 77:48, etc…).

(2:123) And fear the day when no soul can avail another soul in any way, and no ransom can be accepted in exchange for it, and no intercession will be of any use for it, nor will they be helped.

It is critical for the salvation of Muslims on judgment day to return to the pure teachings of the Quran and discard any other source. It starts with the foundational commandment found in 3:18 and reiterated in 37:35 and 47:19 which is to solemnly declare: “I bear witness that there is no other god but God” (أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ = “ash hadu an lâ elaha elâ Allah”).

Article published on 12/08/2021.