The Element of Doctrine
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate
I testify that there is no god but Allah and I testify that Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger
Just as these lofty words are the very fundament of Islam, so, flying over the universe, are they its most luminous and lofty banner. With the pre‑eternal covenant, belief, our oath and pledge, was written on this sacred proclamation. Yes, Islam, the water of life, flows forth from the life-giving spring of these words. This proclamation is a pre-eternal decree given to the hands of humankind, which, destined for eternity, is awarded the good news of everlasting happiness. It is a lucent chart proclaiming the Pre-Eternal Monarch with its luminous image taken by the camera of the dominical subtle faculty called the heart, which is seated in its window facing the unseen worlds. It is the heart’s eloquent interpreter. Yes, it is the eloquent orator deputed to declaim before the universe the conscience’s mysterious, expressive address. It is an eternal banner in the hands of the tongue, the lucid herald of belief, which proclaims the Pre-Eternal Sovereign to the universe.
Indication The two phrases of the profession of faith attest truly to each other and illuminate each other. Yes, Divinity (ulûhiyet) is a proof of prophethood from cause to effect (bürhan‑ı limmî), while with his self and his tongue, Muhammad (Upon whom be blessings and peace) is a proof of the All‑Glorious Maker from effect to cause (bürhan‑ı innî).
Note The principal beliefs of the Islamic religion and their truths are proved and explicated in all their details in the books on Islam, and are there to be seen. Since to point out what may be seen obscures the obvious or infers the stupidity of the one addressed and his ignorance, I am going to expound only three or four elements of those beliefs, and for the other truths refer readers to the books of the authoritative scholars. For they have left no need for me.
Premise
It is known by the heedful and attentive that, in short, the Qur’an has four [main] aims: proof of the Single Maker, prophethood, the resurrection of the body, and justice.