The shahadah means complete submission
“We negate worship of anything except for Allah.”
Muslims should understand the shahadah as complete, exclusive submission to Allah, learn tawhid and its boundaries, and avoid shirk and other nullifiers before judging others.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Defines Islam as complete submission and obedience to Allah, with freedom from shirk.
- Unpacks the shahadah through negation and affirmation, then introduces knowledge as a condition.
- Explains tawhid through Allah’s Lordship, exclusive worship, and unique names and attributes.
- Discusses affirming Allah’s attributes without denial, distortion, comparison, or asking how.
- Lists selected nullifiers of the shahadah and warns against recklessly labeling others disbelievers.
- Closes with a foundational reminder, Quran recitation, and community announcements.
In the khateeb's words
“First, we negate worship of anything except for Allah. And then we affirm the worship for Allah alone which is "Ithbat".”
“So "Tawheed" is the oneness of Allah Jalla Wa'ala and it's broken down into three aspects.”
“So we don't deny. We don't distort. Meaning if Allah Jalla Wa'ala mentions that He sees or He hears. It means seeing and hearing.”
“How can we go and speak about other people, speak about the rulers saying this person's a kaffir, this person's this, when we ourselves don't even know the meaning of "La ilaha illallah".”
For the dinner table
Today, Brother Mateen reminded us that Tawheed, the oneness of Allah, is the foundation of our faith. He explained that the shahadah means rejecting worship of anything else and worshipping Allah alone. He described three aspects of Tawheed: Allah's unique actions as Lord, our worship directed to Him, and His names and attributes. Using the example of a key with the right teeth, he emphasized learning what the shahadah means and understanding what contradicts it. He also warned against mocking religion and urged us to understand our own faith before speaking about other people's faith. He ended by reminding himself first and acknowledging his own shortcomings, an attitude we can bring to learning together as a family.
- How would you explain worshipping Allah alone to someone younger than you?
- What did the example of a key with teeth help you understand about the shahadah?
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