(Voice of the Persecuted) You’re invited to join us on Monday, April 17, 2023, in a prayer conference call for the persecuted church hosted by Persecution Watch.
WHAT IS SHAHADA?
The first and foundational pillar of Islam is called the shahada, or the confession of faith. This simple creed says, “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Prophet (or messenger) of Allah.” Someone is considered a Muslim if they sincerely believe and recite this simple phrase in Arabic.
Shia Muslims, who comprise around 10-13% of all Muslims, add another clause that says, “And Ali is the friend (or holy man) of Allah.” Ali, a cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, is revered and recognized by Shia as Muhammad’s first successor after his death in 632 AD.
WHY IS SHAHADA SIGNIFICANT?
On one hand, becoming a Muslim is that simple. On the other hand, the shahada is packed with meaning and significance. The complete shahada is not found in any one verse in the Quran.
It is a combination of statements found in many verses of the Muslim holy book which focus on Allah’s oneness and on Muhammad as Allah’s messenger. It reinforces that Muslims should only worship Allah, and it is Muhammad’s example Muslims should follow. The oneness of Allah, known as tawhid, is supreme in Islamic belief.
Everything else follows from this central and critical understanding. The Quran says in chapter 4 verse 48 that worshiping anyone or anything else other than the one true God is idolatry. It is the unforgivable sin.
WHAT DOES SHAHADA LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE?
The shahada provides a simple yet effective means of faith cohesion among the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims. No matter where in the world Muslims come from, no matter their language or culture, they are Muslims if they genuinely believe and confess this statement of faith.
Sadly, sometimes the shahada is a matter of life and death. It distinguishes believers from unbelievers, so groups like Boko Haram will force individuals to prove their allegiance – and preserve their very lives – by reciting it.
In Islam, the written word developed as an art form. While it is considered sacrilegious to picture the human form, words are central in Islamic art. The text of the shahada can be found in beautiful calligraphy on everything from buildings to black velvet wall hangings.
The inner and outer walls of mosques are often decorated with gorgeous renditions of the confession of faith, oftentimes in stunning shades of blue. It adorns jewelry, printed materials, and even state flags (the flag of Saudi Arabia carries the complete confession of faith in white calligraphy against a green background).
The shahada is central to the Muslim call to prayer. It rings out over millions of loudspeakers from mosques around the world five times a day. Some of the faithful even wear programmed watches and know when it’s time to pray when a man’s voice sings out the shahada as an alarm.
Some Muslims wake up and retire to bed with the shahada on their lips. Fathers whisper it into the right ear of their newborn babies, and most everyone hopes these are the last words they either utter or hear as they near death.
Together let us watch and pray along with the Prayercast Team.
PRAYER POINTS
- Pray for Muslims to think critically about these words of testimony.
- Pray for revelations of Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life.
- Pray for the Truth to set them free.
The Lord’s servant,
Nadia Dybvik, Persecution Watch Prayer Conference Call Leader
Prayer Conference Call Details
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
From any location on your phone
USA Time Zone:
9:00 PM Eastern
8:00 PM Central
7:00 PM Mountain
6:00 PM Pacific
Call in number: (667) 770-1476
Access Code: 281207#
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What is Persecution Watch?
moved by the Holy Spirit to pray, we too must continue to serve those suffering persecution by lifting them up to the Lord through prayer.
On occasion, persecuted brothers and sisters have been invited on the conference call to share the trials they are facing. The team serves to encourage them by washing their feet in Spirit led prayer. Time is often reserved for those on the call to ask questions. We believe this helps to gain a better understanding of the situation that persecuted Christians endure in their specific nations. Q&A also helps us to focus our prayers based on their current needs.
Persecution Watch also hosts callers who want to pray united from other nations. If your heart is perplexed by the sufferings of our persecuted brothers and sisters, you no longer need to pray alone.
We welcome all who desire to pray for the persecuted church and consider it a joy to pray together with you. If you are new to the call and cannot find your voice, listen in and pray silently or on mute. We are grateful and thank the Lord for bringing us all together to pray in agreement for our persecuted family in Christ. We can all be prayer warriors on this call!
God bless and protect you in your faithfulness to serve.
Lois Kanalos, Founder, Voice of the Persecuted, Nadia Dybvik, Persecution Watch Prayer Call Leader and the Persecution Watch Prayer Team
NOTE: Please fill out the form in the sign-up link below to be included in our distribution list to receive urgent prayer requests, prayer points, notification of special prayer events and special guest speakers.
Note to Voice of the Persecuted (VOP) readers: The Persecution Watch prayer team is also the prayer team of Voice of the Persecuted. SIGN UP today.
VOICE OF THE PERSECUTED 