Q. What is the kalimah tayyibah
and what does it mean?
A. Kalimah
tayyibah is:
Laa ilaa-ha il-lal-laa-hu muhammadur-rasoolul-laah
There is no god except Allah; Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His Messenger.
Q.
What is kalimah shahaadah
and what is its meaning?
A. Kalimah
shahaadah is:
Ash-hadu an-laa ilaaha il-lal-laa-hu wa ash-hadu an-na Muhammadan
‘ab-duhoo wa rasooluh
I bear witness that there is no god except Allah and I bear witness that
Muhammad (peace be upon him) is Allah’s worshipper and His Messenger.
Q.
Does a man or woman become Muslim if they recite the kalimah
without understanding its meaning and intent?
A. No.
It is necessary to understand its meanings and believe in it and express this
belief in words.
Q.
What do you call this belief and its oral expression?
A. It
is called “testification” or expression of imaan.
Q.
How does one receive the testification of a dumb man who cannot talk?
A. Since
it his natural inability to talk, his gestures would do. That is, he must
express himself by pointing out that Allah is one and that Muhammad (
) is His prophet.
Q.
What are the articles of faith according to Islam?
A. There
are seven of them as mentioned in imaan
mufassal :
aamantu bil-laahi wa ma-laa-i-katihi wa kutubihi wa rusulihi wal-yaumil-aakhiri
wal-qadri khairihi wa shar-rihi minal-laahi ta’aalaa wal-ba’thi
ba’dal-maut.
I believe in Allah, in His angels, in His books, in His messengers, in the Day
of Judgement, and (I believe) that all good and evil is decreed by Allah, and in
the life after death.
