``I praise the true God, besides whom there is none to be worshipped. I declare that Allah is One, without partner, and Muhammad is His servant and messenger. We affirm the message of Allah which he brought us. He who denies it, is a kafir.''

(Tarikh Tabari, Urdu translation, vol. i, part iv, p. 38)

How apostate tribe became Muslim: When the tribe of Abdul Qais became apostate upon the death of the Holy Prophet, one member of this tribe gathered them and brought them back to Islam. He announced:

``Muhammad has died, as did the previous prophets die. I declare that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.''

His tribe said:

``We too testify that there is no god but Allah, and certainly Muhammad is His servant and messenger.''

Thus did they stay firm in Islam.

(Tarikh Tabari, vol. i, pp. 94,--,95. Chapter on the apostates of Bahrain)

Imam Ghazali (d. 1111 C.E.): Ghazali, one of Islam's greatest philosophers, wrote:

``He who says, `There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger', with the tongue but does not confirm it in his heart, there is no doubt that in the Hereafter he shall be included among the unbelievers, and shall enter hell. But there is also no doubt that, so far as affairs of this world are concerned, the religious and secular authorities shall include him among the Muslims because it is not known what is in his heart, and we are obliged to accept what is on his tongue.''

(Ihya al-Ulum, p. 97)

In his biography of Ghazali, Maulana Shibi writes:

``What were Islamic doctrines according to Ghazali? The principle of Islam is only two sentences: There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. However, in explaining the details of these, differences arose and many sects sprang up.''

(Al-Ghazali by Shibli, p. 102)

Imam Ibn Taimiyya (d. 1327 C.E.): The Imam, an eminent theologian, considered as the mujaddid of his time, writes:

``The proof of someone's Islam should be based upon something which can be known to all alike. If this had been determined by the knowledge possessed by the messenger of God, then all the hypocrites would have been included in the disbelievers. If they had been killed on this basis, they would have got an opportunity to discredit Islam by saying that the Holy Prophet killed his own friends. Hence, the mere confession of the Kalima by tongue was made the criterion of embracing Islam, and the commencement and the end of war against disbelievers was made dependent on just this Kalima.''

(Kitab-ul-Iman, p. 172 as referred to in Tarjuman al-Sunna, footnote, vol. i, p. 471, Delhi, 1948)

Shah Wali-ullah of Delhi (d. 1763 C.E.): Shah Wali-ullah, a world-renowned Indian Muslim scholar, theologian and philosopher, acknowledged by all Muslims of India and Pakistan today, wrote:

``When the commandments were formalised by the Shari`ah, the word iman (faith) came to be applied to the `two testimonies', and the word kufr (unbelief) to the denial of these two. Bearing this terminology in mind, we can say that iman is to acknowledge with the tongue, and kufr is to deny these two with the tongue.''

(Al-Khair al-Kasir, p. 440, published in Karachi)

By the ``two testimonies'' is meant the Kalima shahada.

Another view from Shah Wali-ullah

``The Holy Prophet has described faith as being of two kinds. One is that upon which depend the commands relating to this world, such as the sanctity of life and property, and which is to do with matters of outward obedience. The Holy Prophet Muhammad has said: `I am commanded to fight people till they testify that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger, say prayers and give in charity; and when they do this, they have security of life and property from me.' And as to inward disbelief, Allah will call them to account for that. The Holy Prophet said: `He who prays our prayer, takes our qibla for his qibla, and eats our slaughtered meat, he is a Muslim for whom is the covenant [of protection] of Allah and His messenger; so do not violate the covenant of Allah.' And the Holy Prophet said: `Three things are the basis of our faith: he who says the Kalima with his tongue, do not call him kafir, for any sin, nor expel him from Islam for any misconduct'.''

(Hujjat-ullah al-Baligha, vol. i, ch. The second type of belief, p. 322)

Imam Raghib's `Mufradat': In the standard dictionary of the Holy Quran, the Mufradat of Imam Raghib, Islam is defined as follows:

``According to the Shari`ah, there are two grades of [a person's commitment to] Islam. One [extent of professing] Islam is below the level of faith, and that is confession with the tongue and reciting the Kalima. That assures protection of life. In this case, the question of the correctness of belief does not arise. The Quranic verse pointing to this grade of Islam is: `The desert Arabs say, We have faith. Tell them, You do not have faith, you should just say we are Muslims.'

``The other grade of Islam is that which is above the level of faith, and that is that, besides professing the Kalima with the tongue, there should be faith in the heart and the person should show fidelity in practice and submit to the decrees of God. This grade of Islam is referred to in the following mention of Abraham: `When his Lord said to him, submit, he said, I submit to the Lord of the worlds.' And it is referred to in the following: 'Surely the religion with God is Islam'.''

(Mufradat of Raghib)

`Lisan al-Hukam': The author of the classical Lisan al-Hukam wrote:

``It is written that if an atheist, or an idol worshipper, or one who believes in gods besides the One God, were to merely say, There is no god but Allah, he enters Islam. Or if he were to say, I believe Muhammad to be the messenger of God, he enters Islam. This is because the deniers of Islam refrain from saying these two formulae. Hence if he were to declare even one of these two commandments, he would be taken out of the category called non-Muslim, and would be considered as a Muslim.''

(Lisan al-Hukam, p. 204)

Imam Shafi`i: Shafi`i, founder of one of the four schools of jurisprudence in Sunni Islam, related the following:

``It was reported to Umar, the second Caliph, regarding a certain man that he was not a believer at heart, but merely a Muslim in the outward sense. Umar asked him: `Is it not true that you are only outwardly a Muslim, and not really a Muslim, and your only reason for embracing Islam is to gain Islamic rights?' He asked Umar: `Sir, does Islam deprive those people of their rights who follow Islam only in the outward sense, and does it leave no way for them?' Umar said: `Islam has left a way for them', and then said nothing further.''

(Kitab al-Um, vol. vi, p. 154)

Sharh Fiqh Akbar: In this authoritative work of Islamic law, Imam Abu Mansur writes:

``He who wishes to be from among the community of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, must say with his tongue, There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, and affirm its meaning in his heart. He is then a Muslim, even though he may not know about the duties and prohibitions.''

(p. 34 of the edition published by Da'irat al-Mu`arif of Egypt)

Sayyid Muhammad Ismail Shaheed (d. 1831 C.E.): This famous Muslim religious and military leader of North-West India converted two Sikhs to Islam as follows. The account is taken from his biography by the well-known modern writer Abul Hasan Ali Nadawi.

``During his stay in Panjtar, two Sikh spies came to meet Shah Ismail Shaheed. He asked them the reason for their coming. They said that they had come only to meet him. He said: `You are our guests, stay as long as you like.' After about ten days, they said one day: `Sir, we have stayed with you for so many days, listened to what you say, and we find you to exceed what we had heard from people regarding your praiseworthy qualities and likeable morals. We much admire your way and religion and we would like you to instruct us in it.' The Sayyid was very pleased, and immediately got them to recite the Kalima and become Muslims.''

(Jab Iman ki Bahar A'ee, Lucknow, India, 1974, pp. 139,--,140)

The Preaching of Islam: This is a renowned history book giving an accurate account of the spread of Islam, written in the late nineteenth century by the eminent orientalist Sir Thomas Arnold. It is much popular in the Muslim world, and is available in Urdu as Da`wat-i Islam. The author quotes a reply written by the Shaikh al-Islam of Constantinople in 1888 to an enquirer who wanted to become a Muslim. The reply said:

``In reality, the basis of Islam is that one should believe God to be one, and believe in the apostleship of the Holy Prophet Muhammad. That is, one should believe this in the heart, and profess it in words such as those of the Kalima: There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger. Any person professing this Kalima becomes a Muslim, without having to obtain anyone's approval. If, as you have written in your letter, you accept the Kalima, i.e. you confess that there is only one God, and Muhammad is His messenger, you are a Muslim, and you do not need our approval.''

(Da`wat-i Islam, edition published in Karachi, 1979, Appendix iv, p. 350)

`Roman Princes embrace Islam': In Dawat-i Islam, under the above heading it is recorded:

``To embrace Islam, all that was required was to confess the Kalima: There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.''

(ibid., pp. 143,--,144; see also The Preaching of Islam, English edition, reprinted by Renaissance Publishing House, Delhi, 1984, p. 160)

`Simplicity of embracing Islam': In the same work it is written:

``The most important of all the reasons for the success of the propagation of Islam is the simplicity of the Kalima of Islam: There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. These are the only two points which a convert to Islam must profess. It is not found anywhere in the history of the theology of Islam that the Ulama of Islam devised some complicated and intricate formulation, in place of this clear Kalima, for the guidance of the masses.''

(ibid., p. 319; see also The Preaching of Islam, op. cit., p. 413)

Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (d.1943): This famous theologian, a leading Deoband scholar of early this century, related:

``I once went to Jaunpur at the request of a butcher, and stayed as his guest. There I received a letter containing a poem, saying four things about me…The third one was: 'You are a kafir'…I need not say anything about this third point because I do not have to discuss the past state as to whether I was a kafir or a Muslim. At this time I recite the Kalima in front of everyone: I testify that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. So now I am a Muslim.''

(Majalis Hakim al-Ummat, compiled by Maulavi Mufti Muhammad Shafi, one-time Head Mufti of Pakistan, published by Darul Isha`at, Karachi, 1974, pp. 196, 197)

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (d. 1958): He was a Muslim theologian, scholar and author of this century in India, who also held high political and ministerial posts in the republic of India. In his well-known Urdu commentary of the Quran, he writes:

``Here we draw attention to just one thing. What Islam has made as the basic expression of its teaching is known to everyone --- Ashhadu an la ilaha ill Allah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammad-an abdu-hu wa rasulu-hu. That is, I confess that there is none to be worshipped besides God and I confess that Muhammad is the servant of God and His messenger.''

(Tarjuman al-Quran, Delhi, 1931, vol. i, p. 119)

Maulana Shibli (d. 1914): Shibli, a renowned Indian Muslim scholar, writer and historian of Islam, wrote in his book on theology and philosophy:

``The principles that form the basis of Islam are Tauheed [belief in the Unity of God] and Nubuwwah [belief in the prophethood of the Holy Prophet Muhammad]. Whoever said La ilaha ill-Allah, he entered the garden [of Islam]. This is Islam --- simple, clear and short. This simplicity is Islam's mark of distinction as compared to other religions, and a European scholar has expressed his opinion about this simplicity in the following words: If a Christian thinker will cast a look at the lengthy and complicated beliefs of his religion, he will exclaim, Why could not my religion be so clear and simple that I could be a believer by declaring [something as simple as] belief in one God and His messenger Muhammad. In fact, these were the only two statements by reciting which, and by expressing belief in which, a kafir became a Muslim, a wicked became a righteous, a vicious one became auspicious, and a reprobate became a chosen one.''

(Ilm-ul-kalam aur Al-kalam, Karachi, 1976, p. 273)

Maulana Shabbir Ahmad Usmani: This modern theologian writes:

``The word Muslim means only that one included in it claims to belong to Islam, and reads the holy Kalima: There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.''

(Khutbat Sadarat, p. 15)

Qari Muhammad Tayyib: The head of the Jami`a Qasimiyya, Darul `Ulum, Deoband, India, wrote:

``Hence, in introducing a convert into Islam, he can be required to recite the Kalima Tayyiba or the Kalima Shahada. In either case, he shall enter Islam.''

(Kalima Tayyiba, Deoband, 1369 A.H., p. 66)

Maulavi Muhammad Yusuf Banori: The Shaikh al-hadith (chief scholar of Hadith) at the Jami`a Islamiyya in Dabhail, writes:

``It is regrettable to know that today a new trouble is rearing its head in an astonishing manner. That is, the Kalima of Islam, There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger, which is the basic tenet of the Islamic religion and the line of demarcation between unbelief and Islam, is now the subject of debate.''

(ibid., pp. 2,--,3)

Dr Sir Muhammad Iqbal (d. 1938 C.E.): This great poet-philosopher of Muslim India, and a national hero of Pakistan, writes:

``Once, under the influence of some spiritual urge, the Holy Prophet Muhammad told one of his companions: `Go and tell people that whoever in his life even once says with his tongue, there is no god but Allah, he should know that he shall enter paradise.' The Holy Prophet purposely omitted the second constituent of the Kalima, i.e. Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, without professing which a person cannot be a Muslim, and he considered just the confession of the Unity of God to be sufficient.''

(Khilafat Islamia, Lahore, 1923, pp. 9,--,10)

Sayyid Abul Ala Maudoodi (d. 1979 C.E.): Maulana Maudoodi is the best known religious leader of Pakistan, and founder of the powerful Jama`at-i Islami political party. In a compilation of his sermons, he wrote:

``Brothers-in-Islam! You know that a man enters the pale of Islam by reciting a certain sentence. And even that sentence is not very long but a few words: There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. Expressing these words by tongue, a person changes altogether. He was a kafir, and is now a Muslim. He was impure and is now pure.''

(Khutbut-i Maudoodi, Pathankot, India, 1940, p. 24)

``In these hadith, the Holy Prophet has explained the constitutional law of Islam. And that is that when a person professes the unity of God and the apostleship of the Holy Prophet, he enters the fold of Islam and becomes a citizen of the Islamic state. As to whether he is a true believer or not, only God can judge that. We are not permitted to judge it because of the [Holy Prophet's] words: `I have not been commanded to cut open people's hearts and search their inner selves.' Security of life and property is established by the mere confession of unity and apostleship.''

(Tafhimat, Pathankot, India, 1942, p. 164)

``Every person knows that the confession of the oneness of God (tauhid) and the prophethood of the Holy Prophet (risalat) is given the name faith (Iman). If a person confesses this, the legal requirement to enter the pale of Islam is fulfilled, and he deserves to be treated as one of the Muslims.''

(Tahrik Islam Ki Ikhlaqi Bunyaden, i.e. Moral basis of the Islamic Movement, p. 39)

 

Ghulam Ahmad Pervez: This well-known present-day Pakistani Muslim thinker, author, and founder of the institute Idara Tulu`-i-Islam, writes in his Urdu commentary of the Holy Quran:

``It has been made essential that every person who wishes to enter this order [Islam] should affirm two points. One is la ilaha ill-Allah --- I testify that there is none except Allah to bow to. Secondly, ash-hadu anna Muhammad-an abdu-hu wa rasuluh --- Muhammad, who takes the central place in this order, is the servant and messenger of Allah.''

( Mu`arif al-Quran, vol. iv, p. 613)

Chaudhary Afzal Haque: The President of the Ahrar Muslim political movement in India before partition writes:

``Whatever degree of knowledge one has about Islam, one should convey that to non-Muslims. One should not think that one has only little knowledge. The knowledge of Islam is only a few words, by understanding which a person enters Islam. Besides Allah there is none worthy of worship --- no jinn, man, tomb or cemetery --- and Muhammad is the apostle of Allah. By just this, the doors of righteousness open for man, the polluted became pure, and the wicked became good.''

(Khutbut Ahrar, Lahore, 1944, p. 61)

Daily Azad, organ of the Ahrar:

``As long as a person strictly adheres to the two basic principles of Islam, i.e. tauhid and risalat [oneness of God, and prophethood of Muhammad], no cleric or priest can expel him from the pale of Islam, regardless of how erroneous and misguided that person's views about the interpretation of the Quran and the Shari`ah may be.''

(23 May 1952)

Sayyid Abu Zarr Bukhari: Son of the well-known Ata-Ullah Shah Bukhari, and head of the committee of the Ahrar, said in an interview:

``We believe it to be wrong to use our positions of issuing religious verdicts in order to unlawfully expel a person from the fold of Islam. No one has the right to call kafir those people who are claiming with their own tongues to be Muslims.''

(Daily Nawa-i-Waqt, Lahore, 12 March 1969, front page)

Maulana Amin Ahsan Islahi (a leader of the Jama`at Islami):

``The basis of Islam is the Kalima: There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.''

(Haqiqat-i Shirk, preface, p. 5)

Dr Israr Ahmad: He is a well-known scholar of the Holy Quran in Pakistan who frequently writes on Islam in the newspapers. He writes:

``Only that person in this world will be called a Muslim who professes with the tongue and expresses the Kalima Shahadat.''

(Nabi Akram sey hamaray taluqaat ki bunyadain, Lahore, 1978, p. 6)

Muhammad Rafiq, M.A., M.Ed., Cadet College, Kohat, Pakistan:

``17 ,--, What is the Kalima Tayyiba?

``Answer -- In the Kalima Tayyiba, a person professes with his tongue, and affirms with his heart, the unity of God and the apostleship of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, and he joins the brotherhood of Islam. The Kalima Tayyiba is: La ilaha ill-Allah, Muhammad-ur Rasul Allah, i.e. he says that there is none to be worshipped except Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.''

(Iman-o-`Amal, Lahore, 1968, pp. 19,--,20)

Mr Qadir-ud-Din, ex-chief Justice, West Pakistan High Court. He said in a newspaper interview:

``It is fortunate that all sects are united upon God, Muhammad, the Quran and worship. This is the basis of the faith. Because of this, the definition of Muslim given from the very beginning is that it is he who affirms with the tongue, and the heart and soul, that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. In the time of the Holy Prophet himself, this was the very sign of a Muslim, and by accepting this Kalima from the heart, and affirming with the tongue, the greatest unbeliever became a Muslim.''

(Daily Jang, Karachi, 16 May 1976)

MUSLIM VIEWS IN RECENT ENGLISH BOOKS

Islam and Contemporary Society --- Islamic Council of Europe This is a collection of papers by various present-day Muslim scholars, published in 1982 by the Islamic Council of Europe (Longman Publishers, London). The article Islam and the Pillars of its Faith by Dr Ebrahim El-Khouly (pp. 47,--,61) begins as follows:

``By this expression Islam is visualised as a building borne on five pillars. The primary pillar is testification to the unity of God, which is the foundation and source of Islamic principles, values, provisions and systems that direct society and all affairs in life. Other pillars surround this basic centre point: Prayer…Community wealth tax (Zakah)…fasting…the pilgrimage…All five pillars stand on the firm foundation of God being the Lord of all creation, and men being His servants.'' (p. 47)

And at the end of his discussion on the First Pillar, he concludes:

``The choice of the word Shahada (testification) to express belief in God and the prophethood of Muhammad means that the believer must declare his belief, just as a witness declares his testimony. Concealing a testimony in worldly matters is sinful: concealing the Shahada deprives a person of being regarded as a Muslim until he declares it.'' (p. 49)

Islam, its meaning and message --- Khurshid Ahmad: This book is edited by Khurshid Ahmad, who was at the time of publication Director-General of the Islamic Foundation, Leicester, England. He has often spoken out against the Ahmadiyya Movement, and was a witness against us in this court case. Writing in the second chapter, Islam: Basic Principles and Characteristics, Khurshid Ahmad says:

``A man joins the faith of Islam by honestly believing in and professing faith in the unity of God and the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him). Both these beliefs are epitomised in the Kalima: La ilaha ill-Allahu Muhammad-ur Rasul-ullah (`There is no god except Allah, Muhammad is His prophet').

``The first part of this Kalima presents the concept of Tawhid (unity of God) and its second part affirms the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him).''

(Islam, its meaning and message, Islamic Foundation, Leicester, England, 1975, page 29)