لا اله الا الاه محمد رسول الله
Lā Īlāha illā ʾllāhu: Muḥammadun Rasūlu ʾllāh.
“There is no deity but God: Muḥammad is the Apostle of God.”
The whole sentence as it stands does not occur in the Qurʾān; but the first part of the creed, “There is no deity but God,” is in the Sūratu Muḥammad, or XLVIIth chapter of the Qurʾān, verse 21; and the second part, “Muḥammad is the Apostle of God,” is in the Sūratu ʾl-Fatḥ, or XLVIIIth chapter, verse 29. The first sentence is known as the Nafy and the Iṣbāt, or the rejection (there is no deity) and the affirmation (but God), and is recited often as a religious office by the Ṣūfī faqīrs.
The whole creed frequently occurs in the Traditions, and is an oft-recurring clause in the daily prayer.
This Kalimah occupies a similar place in the Muslim religion to the “Shemaʿ Israīl” of the Hebrew Bible in the Jews’ religion. The Shemaʿ (“Hear”) is the fourth verse of [Deut. vi].: “Hear, O Israīl, Jehovah our Elohīm is one Jehovah”; which is frequently used in daily morning and evening service of the Jews. From the Traditions (Mishkāt, book xi. ch. 2, pt. 1) it appears that a something similar to this well known symbol of the Muslim creed, was in use amongst the ancient Arabians, and is still recited by Muslims, amongst whom it is known as the Talbiyah: “I stand up for Thy service, O God! There is no partner with Thee.” [[TALBIYAH].]
The recital of the kalimah is the first of the five foundations or pillars of practice, and, according to the Fawāʾidu ʾsh-Sharīʿah, every Muslim should recite it aloud at least once in his lifetime, and he should understand its meaning. [[RECITAL OF THE CREED].]
KALIMATU ʾL-ḤAẒRAH (كلمة الحضرة). The fiat of God when He said “Be,” and it was created. The word كن, kun, is therefore called the Kalimatu ʾl-Ḥaẓrah. It occurs in the Qurʾān, [Sūrah xxxvi. 82]: “His bidding is only when He desires anything to say to it ‘BE,’ and it is.” And in about eleven other places.
KALIMATU ʾSH-SHAHĀDAT (كلمة الشهادة). “The word of testimony.” The following expression of belief: “I bear witness that there is no deity but God, and that Muḥammad is His Apostle.” [[PRAYER].]
KALĪMU ʾLLĀH (كليم الله). “The Converser with God.” A title given to the Prophet Moses (vide Mishkāt, book xxii. ch. xii.). It is also referred to in the Qurʾān, [Sūrah iv. 162]: “Moses did God speak to—conversing.”