Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

dear brother

salaam alei kum

jazakallah for your e-mail.  i have a question in india when i was young we were taught 5 kalimas while the Pakistanis are taught there are 6 kalimas. ladies going in daral fuqan say there is only one kalima and others are dua. could you please let us know which is right. jazakallah sister

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Answer:

How many Kalimas

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

There is only one ‘kalima tayyiba’ in Islam, and that is: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah Alone, and I bear witness that Mohamed (saws) is Allah’s Messenger.”

The above is the ‘kalima’ or testification through which one enters the fold of Islam, and is the differentiator between belief and falsehood.

There are no five or six ‘kalimas’, but rather there is only one ‘kalima’ in Islam.

If you could possibly list the other five or six kalimas, only then we could clarify and confirm if they are indeed ‘duas’ taught to the believers by the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan