THE SHAHADA
THE SHAHADA Islam has five pillars, actions obligatory for believers. The first, shahada, means “to observe, witness, or testify.” Sometimes in Arabic the dual form is used for the twin actions of observing and then declaring that observation. The two acts in Islam are perceiving there is no god but God and testifying of God’s messenger. A single honest recitation of the shahada in Arabic is the only requirement to become a Muslim. We prefer to live in a God-honoring way because living is less scary than proclaiming. We quote St. Francis of Assisi’s “Preach the Gospel always; if necessary,…