What is the meaning of testifying that Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger?
2026-09-20
F03 · Selected fatwas
Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn
الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين
Original Q&A · Full displayed answer
The complete answer includes the universal messengership, belief in his reports, obedience, avoiding his prohibitions, worship according to what he prescribed, denial of any share in lordship or entitlement to worship, all cited passages, and his concluding position as Allah’s servant and Messenger. “Except as Allah wills” is retained in both relevant passages.
النص العربي
السؤال الأصلي
فضيلة الشيخ، ما معنى شهادة أن محمدا رسول الله؟
الجواب
أما معنى شهادة أن محمدا رسول الله فهو الإقرار باللسان، والإيمان بالقلب بأن محمد بن عبد الله القرشي الهاشمي رسول الله عز وجل إلى جميع الخلق، من الجن والإنس، كما قال الله تعالى: ﴿قل يا أيها الناس إني رسول الله إليكم جميعا الذي له ملك السموات والأرض لا إله إلا هو يحيي ويميت فآمنوا بالله ورسوله النبي الأمي الذي يؤمن بالله وكلماته واتبعوه لعلكم تهتدون﴾ [الأعراف:158]، وقال تعالى: ﴿تبارك الذي نزل الفرقان على عبده ليكون للعالمين نذيرا﴾ [الفرقان:1].
ومقتضى هذه الشهادة: أن تصدق رسول الله ﷺ فيما أخبر، وأن تمتثل أمره فيما أمر، وأن تجتنب ما عنه نهى وزجر، وألا تعبد الله إلا بما شرع، ومقتضى هذه الشهادة أيضا: ألا تعتقد أن لرسول الله ﷺ حقا من الربوبية، وتصريف الكون، أو حقا في العبادة، بل هو ﷺ عبد لا يعبد، ورسول لا يكذب، ولا يملك لنفسه ولا لغيره شيئا من النفع والضر إلا ما شاء الله، كما قال الله تعالى: ﴿قل لا أقول لكم عندي خزائن الله ولا أعلم الغيب ولا أقول لكم إني ملك إن أتبع إلا ما يوحى إلي﴾ [الأنعام:50].
فهو عبد مأمور يتبع ما أمر به، وقال الله تعالى: ﴿قل إني لا أملك لكم ضرا ولا رشدا قل إني لن يجيرني من الله أحد ولن أجد من دونه ملتحدا﴾ [الجن:21–22]، وقال الله تعالى: ﴿قل لا أملك لنفسي نفعا ولا ضرا إلا ما شاء الله ولو كنت أعلم الغيب لاستكثرت من الخير وما مسني السوء إن أنا إلا نذير وبشير لقوم يؤمنون﴾ [الأعراف:188].
فهذا معنى شهادة أن لا إله إلا الله، وأن محمدا رسول الله، وبهذا المعنى نعلم أنه لا يستحق العبادة لا رسول الله ﷺ ولا من دونه من المخلوقين، وأن العبادة ليست إلا لله تعالى وحده، وأن حق رسول الله ﷺ أن تنزله المنزلة التي أنزله الله تعالى، وهو أنه عبد الله ورسوله.
English translation
English rendering prepared for SalafAlSalih.com from the cited complete Arabic answer; not an official translation.
Original question
Esteemed Shaykh, what is the meaning of testifying that Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger?
Answer
The meaning of testifying that Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger is to acknowledge with the tongue and believe in the heart that Muhammad ibn Abd Allah, of Quraysh and Banu Hashim, is the Messenger of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, to all creation, both jinn and human beings. Allah says, “Say: O people, I am Allah’s Messenger to all of you. To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. None has the right to be worshipped except Him; He gives life and causes death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet who believes in Allah and His words, and follow him so that you may be guided” [al-Araf 7:158]. He also says, “Blessed is the One who sent down the Criterion to His servant so that he might be a warner to all worlds” [al-Furqan 25:1].
This testimony requires you to believe Allah’s Messenger ﷺ in what he reports, obey him in what he commands, avoid what he prohibits and warns against, and worship Allah only in the manner he prescribed. It also requires that you do not believe Allah’s Messenger ﷺ has any share in lordship or in directing the universe, or any entitlement to worship. Rather, he ﷺ is a servant who must not be worshipped and a Messenger whose word must not be denied. He possesses no power to bring benefit or harm to himself or anyone else except as Allah wills. Allah says, “Say: I do not tell you that I possess Allah’s treasuries, nor do I know the unseen, nor do I tell you that I am an angel. I follow only what is revealed to me” [al-Anam 6:50].
He is a servant under command who follows what he is commanded. Allah says, “Say: I have no power to bring you harm or right guidance. Say: No one can protect me from Allah, and I will find no refuge besides Him” [al-Jinn 72:21–22]. Allah also says, “Say: I possess no power to bring myself benefit or harm except as Allah wills. Had I known the unseen, I would have obtained abundant good and no harm would have touched me. I am only a warner and a bringer of glad tidings to people who believe” [al-Araf 7:188].
This is the meaning of testifying that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and that Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger. Through this meaning we know that neither Allah’s Messenger ﷺ nor any lesser created being deserves worship; worship belongs to Allah alone, Exalted is He. The right owed to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ is that you accord him the position Allah assigned him: he is Allah’s servant and Messenger.
Source and editorial notes
Fiqh al-ʿIbādāt, 13th edition, 1441 AH, question 13, pp.32–33
فقه العبادات
Fiqhul ʿIbaadaat
Full original question and entire answer transcribed and collated from Ibn Uthaymeen Foundation 13th edition 1441 AH, printed pp.[32, 33]; source-completion replaces the historical excerpt, preserving F03.