The Prophet Muhammad said that accepting Islam destroys all sins which came before. The Prophet Muhammad once said: “No one meets Allah with the testimony that there is none worthy of worship but Allah and I am the Messenger of Allah, and he has no doubt about that statement, except that he will enter Paradise” (Hadith Muslim). Information on the origins of the symbol is difficult to confirm, but most sources agree that these ancient celestial symbols were used by the peoples of Central Asia and Siberia in their worship of the sun, moon, and sky gods. It is an acknowledgment of the role Muhammad plays as a human being sent to guide and show us the best way to live and worship. Accepting Muhammad as a prophet means that one accepts all previous prophets who shared the message of monotheism, including Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. It is also understood that if one accepts this belief, one must try to live according to its commandments and guidance. At the time of death, it is recommended that a Muslim try to recite or at least hear these words as their last.

During the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Islamic armies and caravans flew simple solid-colored flags (generally black, green, or white) for identification purposes. Muslims believe that Muhammad is the last prophet; Allah’s message has been fully revealed and preserved in the Quran, so there is no need for any additional prophets to share His message. One also affirms acceptance of the book that was revealed to him, the Quran. The word shahaadah literally means “to bear witness,” so by professing faith verbally, one is bearing witness to the truth of Islam’s message and its most fundamental teachings. It is what identifies or distinguishes a Muslim at the most fundamental level. After all, the symbol is featured on the flags of several Muslim countries and is even part of the official emblem for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The text of the shahaadah in Arabic is also featured on the internationally-recognized flags of Saudi Arabia and Somaliland (white text on a green background). In later generations, the Muslim leaders continued to use a simple black, white, or green flag with no markings, writing, or symbolism.

The use of the crescent moon and star as symbols actually pre-dates Islam by several thousand years. In any event, the crescent moon was featured on the city’s flag even before the birth of Christ. That’s through Jesus Christ. Christians believe Jesus died, orthodox Muslim theology teaches he ascended to Heaven without being put on the cross and God transformed another person, Simon of Cyrene, to appear exactly like Jesus who was crucified instead of Jesus (cf. The Fatimid Ismaili jurist Al-Qadi al-Nu’man holds that the virgin birth of Jesus is meant to be interpreted symbolically. Legend holds that the founder of the Ottoman Empire, Osman, had a dream in which the crescent moon stretched from one end of the earth to the other. It is said that when one declares faith in Islam, it is like starting life fresh and new, with a clean record. Everything in the life of a Muslim rests upon a foundation of faith, and the shahaadah sums up the essence of the entire faith in one sentence. Thank you for forgiving me and giving me eternal life. Other sources indicate that it dates back to a battle in which the Romans defeated the Goths on the first day of a lunar month.

The shahaadah is recited publicly several times a day during the call to prayer (adhan). Whom did King Nebuchadnezzar first call upon for help with his troubling dream of a tree? Gedun Drupa and his successor Gedun Gyatso were officially abbots during their lifetimes — the title of Dalai Lama was not adopted until the 1570s. The Mongolian king Altan Khan conferred the title, meaning “Ocean of Wisdom,” on the third successor, Sonam Gyatso. The ceremonies were open to a deeper understanding, however, that was not made explicit by any theology or by any set of creeds but by the religious action itself, which contained the meaning and conveyed it to the participants without the interposition of words. Shahaadah comes from an Arabic word meaning “observe, witness, testify.” For example, a witness in court is a “shahid.” In this context, reciting the shahaadah is a way to give testimony to, bear witness to, or declare one’s faith.