The five declarations of faith (kalimas)
The five declarations of faith every Muslim learns, in Arabic, transliteration and translation, with what each one means.
Muslims learn five short Arabic sayings by heart, called the Five Kalimas. Each one says something important about believing in Allah.
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللهِ
Lā ilāha illa'llāhu Muḥammadur-Rasūlullāh
There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger.
أَشْهَدُ أَن لَّا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهٗ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهٗ وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهٗ وَرَسُولُهٗ
Ashhadu an lā ilāha illa'llāhu waḥdahū lā sharīka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhū wa rasūluh
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, who has no partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.
Believing and saying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is His Messenger is what makes a person a Muslim. Every Muslim must believe this.
12345سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ وَلَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَ اللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيمِ
Subḥāna'llāhi wa'l-ḥamdu lillāhi wa lā ilāha illa'llāhu wa'llāhu akbar, wa lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā bi'llāhi'l-ʿaliyyi'l-ʿaẓīm
Glory be to Allah! All praise is for Allah! There is no god but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. There is no power and no strength except with Allah, the Most High, the Most Great.
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهٗ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهٗ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ يُحْيِي وَ يُمِيتُ وَ هُوَ حَيٌّ لَّا يَمُوتُ بِيَدِهِ الْخَيْرُ وَ هُوَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَيْء قَدِيرٌ
Lā ilāha illa'llāhu waḥdahū lā sharīka lah, lahu'l-mulku wa lahu'l-ḥamdu yuḥyī wa yumīt, wa huwa ḥayyul-lā yamūt, bi-yadihi'l-khayru wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr
There is no god but Allah, who has no partners. All authority and praise belong to Him. He gives life and causes death, and He is alive and does not die. All good is in His hands, and He has power over everything.
Saying the words of praise in the third and fourth kalimas, like "Glory be to Allah", "All praise is for Allah", "There is no god but Allah" and "Allah is the Greatest", is a good deed that brings reward.
123456اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ أَنْ أُشْرِكَ بِكَ شَيْئًا وَ أَنَا أَعْلَمُ بِهِ وَ اَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا لَا أَعْلَمُ بِهٖ تُبْتُ عَنْهُ وَ تَبَرَّاْتُ مِنَ الْكُفْرِ وَ الشِّرْكِ وَ الْمَعَاصِي كُلِّهَا وَأَسْلَمْتُ وَ اٰمَنتُ وَ أَقُولُ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللّٰهِ
Allāhumma innī aʿūdhu bika min an ushrika bika shayʾan wa anā aʿlamu bihī, wa astaghfiruka limā lā aʿlamu bih, tubtu ʿanhu wa tabarraʾtu mina'l-kufri wa'sh-shirki wa'l-maʿāṣī kullihā, wa aslamtu wa āmantu wa aqūlu lā ilāha illa'llāhu Muḥammadur-Rasūlullāh
O Allah, I seek refuge with You from associating anything with You knowingly, and I ask for Your forgiveness for what I do not know. I turn to You in repentance, and I reject all disbelief, polytheism, and sins. I embrace Islam and believe, saying there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger.
The Five Kalimas are five short declarations that every Muslim learns by heart, each affirming a different facet of belief in Allah's oneness and Muhammad's ﷺ messengership.
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللهِ
Lā ilāha illa'llāhu Muḥammadur-Rasūlullāh
There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger.
أَشْهَدُ أَن لَّا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهٗ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهٗ وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهٗ وَرَسُولُهٗ
Ashhadu an lā ilāha illa'llāhu waḥdahū lā sharīka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhū wa rasūluh
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, who has no partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.
Affirming that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger, the content of the first two declarations, is obligatory on every Muslim; it is the foundation on which Islam is built.
12345سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ وَلَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَ اللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيمِ
Subḥāna'llāhi wa'l-ḥamdu lillāhi wa lā ilāha illa'llāhu wa'llāhu akbar, wa lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā bi'llāhi'l-ʿaliyyi'l-ʿaẓīm
Glory be to Allah! All praise is for Allah! There is no god but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. There is no power and no strength except with Allah, the Most High, the Most Great.
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهٗ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهٗ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ يُحْيِي وَ يُمِيتُ وَ هُوَ حَيٌّ لَّا يَمُوتُ بِيَدِهِ الْخَيْرُ وَ هُوَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَيْء قَدِيرٌ
Lā ilāha illa'llāhu waḥdahū lā sharīka lah, lahu'l-mulku wa lahu'l-ḥamdu yuḥyī wa yumīt, wa huwa ḥayyul-lā yamūt, bi-yadihi'l-khayru wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr
There is no god but Allah, who has no partners. All authority and praise belong to Him. He gives life and causes death, and He is alive and does not die. All good is in His hands, and He has power over everything.
Reciting the words of glorification and oneness in the third and fourth declarations, Glory be to Allah, All praise is for Allah, There is no god but Allah, Allah is the Greatest, and There is no power and no strength except with Allah, is recommended and greatly rewarded.
123456اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ أَنْ أُشْرِكَ بِكَ شَيْئًا وَ أَنَا أَعْلَمُ بِهِ وَ اَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا لَا أَعْلَمُ بِهٖ تُبْتُ عَنْهُ وَ تَبَرَّاْتُ مِنَ الْكُفْرِ وَ الشِّرْكِ وَ الْمَعَاصِي كُلِّهَا وَأَسْلَمْتُ وَ اٰمَنتُ وَ أَقُولُ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللّٰهِ
Allāhumma innī aʿūdhu bika min an ushrika bika shayʾan wa anā aʿlamu bihī, wa astaghfiruka limā lā aʿlamu bih, tubtu ʿanhu wa tabarraʾtu mina'l-kufri wa'sh-shirki wa'l-maʿāṣī kullihā, wa aslamtu wa āmantu wa aqūlu lā ilāha illa'llāhu Muḥammadur-Rasūlullāh
O Allah, I seek refuge with You from associating anything with You knowingly, and I ask for Your forgiveness for what I do not know. I turn to You in repentance, and I reject all disbelief, polytheism, and sins. I embrace Islam and believe, saying there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger.
The five kalimāt are memorised declarations, each affirming a distinct facet of tawḥīd and of the shahādah, in ascending detail from the simplest confession to a formal disavowal of kufr and shirk.
| # | Name | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kalimah Ṭayyibah | The basic confession of tawḥīd and risālah. |
| 2 | Kalimah Shahādah | A formal bearing of witness to the same two truths. |
| 3 | Kalimah Tamjīd | Glorification and magnification (tasbīḥ, taḥmīd, takbīr) of Allah. |
| 4 | Kalimah Tawḥīd | Allah's exclusive sovereignty, life, and power over all things. |
| 5 | Kalimah Radd-e-Kufr | A disavowal of shirk, kufr, and sin, and a renewal of Islam. |
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللهِ
Lā ilāha illa'llāhu Muḥammadur-Rasūlullāh
There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger.
أَشْهَدُ أَن لَّا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهٗ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهٗ وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهٗ وَرَسُولُهٗ
Ashhadu an lā ilāha illa'llāhu waḥdahū lā sharīka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhū wa rasūluh
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, who has no partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.
The shahādah affirmed in the Kalimah Ṭayyibah and the Kalimah Shahādah, that there is no god but Allah and that Muḥammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger, is farḍ upon every Muslim and the first of the pillars on which Islam is built.
12345سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ وَلَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَ اللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيمِ
Subḥāna'llāhi wa'l-ḥamdu lillāhi wa lā ilāha illa'llāhu wa'llāhu akbar, wa lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā bi'llāhi'l-ʿaliyyi'l-ʿaẓīm
Glory be to Allah! All praise is for Allah! There is no god but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. There is no power and no strength except with Allah, the Most High, the Most Great.
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهٗ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهٗ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ يُحْيِي وَ يُمِيتُ وَ هُوَ حَيٌّ لَّا يَمُوتُ بِيَدِهِ الْخَيْرُ وَ هُوَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَيْء قَدِيرٌ
Lā ilāha illa'llāhu waḥdahū lā sharīka lah, lahu'l-mulku wa lahu'l-ḥamdu yuḥyī wa yumīt, wa huwa ḥayyul-lā yamūt, bi-yadihi'l-khayru wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr
There is no god but Allah, who has no partners. All authority and praise belong to Him. He gives life and causes death, and He is alive and does not die. All good is in His hands, and He has power over everything.
Recitation of the tasbīḥ, taḥmīd, tahlīl and takbīr of the Kalimah Tamjīd, the ḥawqalah, and the tahlīl with sovereignty and praise of the Kalimah Tawḥīd is mustaḥabb and richly rewarded.
123456اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ أَنْ أُشْرِكَ بِكَ شَيْئًا وَ أَنَا أَعْلَمُ بِهِ وَ اَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا لَا أَعْلَمُ بِهٖ تُبْتُ عَنْهُ وَ تَبَرَّاْتُ مِنَ الْكُفْرِ وَ الشِّرْكِ وَ الْمَعَاصِي كُلِّهَا وَأَسْلَمْتُ وَ اٰمَنتُ وَ أَقُولُ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللّٰهِ
Allāhumma innī aʿūdhu bika min an ushrika bika shayʾan wa anā aʿlamu bihī, wa astaghfiruka limā lā aʿlamu bih, tubtu ʿanhu wa tabarraʾtu mina'l-kufri wa'sh-shirki wa'l-maʿāṣī kullihā, wa aslamtu wa āmantu wa aqūlu lā ilāha illa'llāhu Muḥammadur-Rasūlullāh
O Allah, I seek refuge with You from associating anything with You knowingly, and I ask for Your forgiveness for what I do not know. I turn to You in repentance, and I reject all disbelief, polytheism, and sins. I embrace Islam and believe, saying there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger.
This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 317 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.
Five Declarations of Faith First Declaration (Kalimah Tayyibah)
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللهِ
“There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger.”
Meaning: This means that only Allah deserves to be worshipped, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His Messenger.
Five Declarations of Faith Second Declaration (Kalimah Shahadah)
أَشْهَدُ أَن لَّا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهٗ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهٗ وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهٗ وَرَسُولُهٗ.
“I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, who has no partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.”
Five Declarations of Faith Third Declaration (Kalimah Tamjid)
سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ وَلَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَ اللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيمِ.
“Glory be to Allah! All praise is for Allah! There is no god but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. There is no power and no strength except with Allah, the Most High, the Most Great.”
Meaning: This declaration praises Allah and acknowledges that only He is great and powerful.
Five Declarations of Faith Fourth Declaration (Kalimah Tawhid)
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهٗ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهٗ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ يُحْيِي وَ يُمِيتُ وَ هُوَ حَيٌّ لَّا يَمُوتُ بِيَدِهِ الْخَيْرُ وَ هُوَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَيْء قَدِيرٌ .
“There is no god but Allah, who has no partners. All authority and praise belong to Him. He gives life and causes death, and He is alive and does not die. All good is in His hands, and He has power over everything.”
Five Declarations of Faith Fifth Declaration (Kalimah Rad-e-Kufr)
اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ أَنْ أُشْرِكَ بِكَ شَيْئًا وَ أَنَا أَعْلَمُ بِهِ وَ اَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا لَا أَعْلَمُ بِهٖ تُبْتُ عَنْهُ وَ تَبَرَّاْتُ مِنَ الْكُفْرِ وَ الشِّرْكِ وَ الْمَعَاصِي كُلِّهَا وَأَسْلَمْتُ وَ اٰمَنتُ وَ أَقُولُ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللّٰهِ.
“O Allah, I seek refuge with You from associating anything with You knowingly, and I ask for Your forgiveness for what I do not know. I turn to You in repentance, and I reject all disbelief, polytheism, and sins. I embrace Islam and believe, Saying there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger.”
Terms on this page
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