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Ayah of Shahadat
Verse's Information
NameAyah of Shahadat
SuraAl 'Imran (3)
Verse18
Juz'3
Page52
Content Information
Cause of
Revelation		Yes
Place of
Revelation		Medina
TopicMonotheism
AboutThe testimony of God, the angels, and the possessors of knowledge to the Oneness of Allah


Qur'an 3:18, known as the Ayah of Shahadat or Ayah of Shahid-Allah[1], articulates the testimony of God, the angels, and those possessing knowledge regarding the Oneness of God.[2] According to commentators, God's testimony is practical in nature; by creating an organized and unified cosmos, He provides objective evidence of Monotheism. Conversely, the testimony of angels and scholars is primarily verbal, although it is substantiated in practice by their exclusive worship of God.[3] The phrase "qa'iman bi-l-qist" indicates that God testifies to His own oneness[4] while simultaneously maintaining justice throughout the universe.[5] The reiteration of "la ilaha illa hu" at the conclusion of the verse serves as an invitation for the listener to join in this witness and affirm the unity of God.[6]

In the book Mafatih al-jinan, Shaykh Abbas Qummi cites a tradition from Imam al-Sadiq (a) regarding the merit of this verse, stating that it is recommended to recite Qur'an 3:18 and Qur'an 3:19 following every obligatory prayer.[7] Another narration attributed to Anas b. Malik reports that the Messenger of Allah (s) advised reciting this verse before going to sleep, concluding it with the phrase: "wa ana 'ala dhalika min al-shahidin" (and I am among the witnesses to that).[8] Furthermore, Zubayr b. al-Awwam narrated that on the eve of Arafa, the Prophet (s) would recite this verse continuously until dawn.[9]

Some traditions interpret the phrase "ulu l-'ilm" (possessors of knowledge) in the Ayah of Shahadat as a specific reference to the Shia Imams (a).[10] However, Tafsir-i nimuna posits that the term encompasses all scholars, with the Imams (a) representing the most perfect and distinct examples of this category.[11] The juxtaposition of scholars with angels in this verse further highlights their elevated status and superiority over others.[12]

Wahidi records that the Ayah of Shahadat was revealed following a meeting between the Prophet (s) and two scholars of the People of the Book from Syria. Recognizing signs of his prophethood in their own scriptures, they questioned him to verify his identity, asking about the greatest testimony in the Quran. In response, this verse was revealed; upon hearing it, the two scholars affirmed the Prophet's (s) truthfulness and became Muslim.[13]

Notes

  1. ↑ Markaz-i Farhang wa Maʿārif-i Qurʾān, Dāʾirat al-maʿārif-i Qurʾān-i karīm, 1383 Sh, vol. 1, p. 389.
  2. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1380 Sh, vol. 2, pp. 466-467.
  3. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1380 Sh, vol. 2, p. 466.
  4. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1972, vol. 3, p. 115.
  5. ↑ Ṭabarsī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1350 Sh, vol. 3, p. 266.
  6. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1380 Sh, vol. 2, p. 469.
  7. ↑ Qummī, Mafātīḥ al-jinān, 1388 Sh, p. 918.
  8. ↑ Abū l-Futūḥ Rāzī, Rawḍ al-jinān, 1372 Sh, vol. 4, p. 220.
  9. ↑ Ṭabarsī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1408 AH, vol. 2, p. 717.
  10. ↑ ʿAyyāshī, Tafsīr, 1380 AH, vol. 1, p. 166; Baḥrānī, al-Burhān, Qom, vol. 1, p. 604.
  11. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1380 Sh, vol. 2, p. 468.
  12. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1380 Sh, vol. 2, p. 468.
  13. ↑ Wāḥidī, Asbāb al-nuzūl, 1419 AH, p. 101.

References

  • Qurʾān-i karīm, translated by Muhammad Mahdi Fuladvand, Tehran, Daftar-i Mutala'at-i Tarikh wa Ma'arif-i Islami, 1379 Sh.
  • Abū l-Futūḥ Rāzī, Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī, Rawḍ al-jinān wa rūḥ al-jinān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Mashhad, Astan Quds Razavi, 1372 Sh.
  • Baḥrānī, Hāshim b. Sulaymān, al-Burhān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Qom, Muʾassasat al-Biʿtha, n.d.
  • Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn, al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Beirut, Muʾassasat al-Aʿlamī li-l-Maṭbūʿāt, 1972.
  • Ṭabarsī, Faḍl b. Ḥasan, Tafsīr majmaʿ al-bayān, translated by Muhammad Muftah, Tehran, Mu'assisa-yi Intisharat-i Farahani, 1st ed., 1350 Sh.
  • Ṭabarsī, Faḍl b. Ḥasan, Majmaʿ al-bayān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Beirut, Dār al-Maʿrifa, 2nd ed., 1408 AH.
  • ʿAyyāshī, Muḥammad b. Masʿūd, Tafsīr ʿAyyāshī, Tehran, al-Maktabat al-ʿIlmiyya al-Islamiyya, 1380 AH.
  • Qummī, Shaykh ʿAbbās, Mafātīḥ al-jinān, translated by Husayn Ansarian, Qom, Dār al-ʿIrfān, 2nd ed., 1388 Sh.
  • Markaz-i Farhang wa Maʿārif-i Qurʾān, Dāʾirat al-maʿārif-i Qurʾān-i karīm, Qom, Bustan-i Kitab, 2nd ed., 1383 Sh.
  • Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir, Tafsīr-i nimūna, Tehran, Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 1380 Sh.
  • Wāḥidī, ʿAlī b. Aḥmad, Asbāb nuzūl al-Qurʾān, Beirut, Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyya, 1419 AH.
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