الشَّهِيدُ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Ash-Shaheed
The Witness
Ash-Shaheed is the Witness, the One from whom nothing is absent. Its verse is 3:98, a question to the People of the Book about denying Allah's revelations, with Allah as Witness over their deeds. It is mentioned 18 times in the Quran. At his Farewell Pilgrimage the Prophet ﷺ called on that Witness: O Allah, be witness.
Key verse
﴿قُلْ يَـٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لِمَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱللَّهُ شَهِيدٌ عَلَىٰ مَا تَعْمَلُونَ﴾Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “O People of the Book! Why do you deny the revelations of Allah, when Allah is a Witness to what you do?”
The scholar's text
The Witness, The One who nothing is absent from Him.
(قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لِمَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ شَهِيدٌ عَلَىٰ مَا تَعْمَلُونَ) آل عمران 3: 98
(Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “O People of the Book! Why do you deny the revelations of Allah, when Allah is a Witness to what you do?”) Al-Imran 3:98
It is mentioned 18 times in the Holy Quran
الشهيد، الذي لا يغيب عنه شيء.
(قُلْ يَـٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لِمَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱللَّهُ شَهِيدٌ عَلَىٰ مَا تَعْمَلُونَ) آل عمران 3: 98
ورد في القرآن الكريم 18 مرة.
A Witness to What You Do
3:98 is a rebuke. Allah reproaches the People of the Book, al-Sa'di explains, for denying the revelations He sent to His messengers as a mercy to guide His servants. And they did it as witnesses themselves, he adds, knowing that what they did was the gravest denial, deserving the gravest punishment. Against that knowing denial stands the verse's last clause: Allah is a Witness to what you do.
Arabic: والله شهيد على ما تعملون
آية آل عمران توبيخ: ﴿قُلْ يَـٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لِمَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱللَّهُ شَهِيدٌ عَلَىٰ مَا تَعْمَلُونَ﴾، قال السعدي: «يوبخ تعالى أهل الكتاب من اليهود والنصارى على كفرهم بآيات الله التي أنزلها الله على رسله، التي جعلها رحمة لعباده يهتدون بها إليه»، «وهم شاهدون بذلك عالمون بأن ما فعلوه أعظم الكفر الموجب لأعظم العقوبة».
Knowing, Seeing, Hearing
﴿وَلِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مَوَٰلِىَ مِمَّا تَرَكَ ٱلْوَٰلِدَانِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبُونَ ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ عَقَدَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُكُمْ فَـَٔاتُوهُمْ نَصِيبَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدًا﴾And We have appointed heirs to what has been left by parents and next of kin. As for those you have made a pledge to, give them their share. Surely Allah is a Witness over all things.
4:33, after the rules of inheritance and of allies, closes: surely Allah is a Witness over all things. Al-Sa'di's explanation gives the Name three parts. He looks over everything with His knowledge of all affairs, with His sight of His servants' movements, and with His hearing of all their voices. The definition above says the same in a few words: nothing is absent from Him.
Arabic: إن الله كان على كل شيء شهيدا
تختم آية النساء بعد أحكام الميراث والموالي: ﴿إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدًا﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: مطلعا على كل شيء بعلمه لجميع الأمور، وبصره لحركات عباده، وسمعه لجميع أصواتهم». وهو معنى التعريف: لا يغيب عنه شيء.
Allah Bears Witness to the Quran
﴿لَّـٰكِنِ ٱللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ إِلَيْكَ ۖ أَنزَلَهُۥ بِعِلْمِهِۦ ۖ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ يَشْهَدُونَ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَهِيدًا﴾Yet ˹if you are denied, O Prophet,˺ Allah bears witness to what He has sent down to you: He has sent it with His knowledge. The angels too bear witness. And Allah ˹alone˺ is sufficient as a Witness.
4:166 answers those who denied the Prophet ﷺ: Allah bears witness to what He has sent down to you, He sent it with His knowledge, the angels bear witness too, and Allah alone is sufficient as a Witness. Al-Sa'di asks what testimony could be greater than this. Allah gives His Messenger power, keeps helping him, answers his prayers, and leaves his enemies without help while He supports His friends.
Arabic: لكن الله يشهد بما أنزل إليك
تجيب آية النساء من كذب النبي ﷺ: ﴿لَّـٰكِنِ ٱللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ إِلَيْكَ ۖ أَنزَلَهُۥ بِعِلْمِهِۦ ۖ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ يَشْهَدُونَ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَهِيدًا﴾، قال السعدي: «والله تعالى يمكنه ويوالي نصره ويجيب دعواته، ويخذل أعداءه وينصر أولياءه»، «فهل توجد شهادة أعظم من هذه الشهادة وأكبر؟».
My Reward Is From Allah
﴿قُلْ مَا سَأَلْتُكُم مِّنْ أَجْرٍ فَهُوَ لَكُمْ ۖ إِنْ أَجْرِىَ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ﴾Say, “If I had ever asked you for a reward, you could keep it. My reward is only from Allah. And He is a Witness over all things.”
34:47 has the Prophet ﷺ say that he asks no reward for his message: my reward is only from Allah, and He is a Witness over all things. Al-Sa'di reads the Name both ways. His knowledge takes in what the Prophet calls to, so that had he been lying, Allah would have punished him; and He is a Witness over their deeds too, keeping them and repaying them. 22:17 sets the same Name over every religion: He will judge between them on Judgment Day by His just rule, and repay them by the deeds He kept, wrote and witnessed.
Arabic: إن أجري إلا على الله وهو على كل شيء شهيد
تقول آية سبأ على لسان النبي ﷺ: ﴿إِنْ أَجْرِىَ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: محيط علمه بما أدعو إليه، فلو كنت كاذبا، لأخذني بعقوبته، وشهيد أيضا على أعمالكم، سيحفظها عليكم، ثم يجازيكم بها». وفي الحج بعد ذكر الملل كلها: «أن الله سيجمعهم جميعهم ليوم القيامة، ويفصل بينهم بحكمه العدل، ويجازيهم بأعمالهم التي حفظها وكتبها وشهدها».
O Allah, Be Witness
On the Day of Sacrifice in his Farewell Pilgrimage, after naming the sanctity of blood and property, the Prophet ﷺ asked the crowd: “Haven't I conveyed Allah's message to you? They said, "Yes." He said, "O Allah! Be witness.” Then he passed the duty on: “So it is incumbent upon those who are present to convey it (this information) to those who are absent” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1741, narrated by Abu Bakra). He had delivered the message, the people said yes, and he called on the Witness who needs no one else's word.
Arabic: اللهم اشهد
في يوم النحر من حجة الوداع، بعد أن ذكر حرمة الدماء والأموال، قال النبي ﷺ: «أَلاَ هَلْ بَلَّغْتُ، قَالُوا نَعَمْ، قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ اشْهَدْ» (صحيح البخاري 1741، عن أبي بكرة)، ثم أمر الشاهد أن يبلغ الغائب. فقد بلغ الرسالة، وأقر الناس بذلك، فاستشهد الشهيد الذي لا يحتاج إلى خبر أحد.
From the Sunnah
The Prophet (ﷺ) delivered to us a sermon on the Day of Nahr. He said, "Do you know what is the day today?" We said, "Allah and His Apostle know better." He remained silent till we thought that he might give that day another name. He said, "Isn't it the Day of Nahr?" We said, "It is." He further asked, "Which month is this?" We said, "Allah and His Apostle know better." He remained silent till we thought that he might give it another name. He then said, "Isn't it the month of Dhul-Hijja?" We replied: "Yes! It is." He further asked, "What town is this?" We replied, "Allah and His Apostle know it better." He remained silent till we thought that he might give it another name. He then said, "Isn't it the forbidden (Sacred) town (of Mecca)?" We said, "Yes. It is." He said, "No doubt, your blood and your properties are sacred to one another like the sanctity of this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this town of yours, till the day you meet your Lord. No doubt! Haven't I conveyed Allah's message to you? They said, "Yes." He said, "O Allah! Be witness.
خَطَبَنَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَوْمَ النَّحْرِ، قَالَ أَتَدْرُونَ أَىُّ يَوْمٍ هَذَا . قُلْنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ . فَسَكَتَ حَتَّى ظَنَنَّا أَنَّهُ سَيُسَمِّيهِ بِغَيْرِ اسْمِهِ . قَالَ أَلَيْسَ يَوْمَ النَّحْرِ . قُلْنَا بَلَى . قَالَ أَىُّ شَهْرٍ هَذَا . قُلْنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ . فَسَكَتَ حَتَّى ظَنَنَّا أَنَّهُ سَيُسَمِّيهِ بِغَيْرِ اسْمِهِ . فَقَالَ أَلَيْسَ ذُو الْحَجَّةِ . قُلْنَا بَلَى . قَالَ أَىُّ بَلَدٍ هَذَا . قُلْنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ . فَسَكَتَ حَتَّى ظَنَنَّا أَنَّهُ سَيُسَمِّيهِ بِغَيْرِ اسْمِهِ . قَالَ أَلَيْسَتْ بِالْبَلْدَةِ الْحَرَامِ . قُلْنَا بَلَى . قَالَ فَإِنَّ دِمَاءَكُمْ وَأَمْوَالَكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ حَرَامٌ، كَحُرْمَةِ يَوْمِكُمْ هَذَا، فِي شَهْرِكُمْ هَذَا، فِي بَلَدِكُمْ هَذَا، إِلَى يَوْمِ تَلْقَوْنَ رَبَّكُمْ . أَلاَ هَلْ بَلَّغْتُ . قَالُوا نَعَمْ . قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ اشْهَدْ،
A du'a with this Name
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ رَضِيتُ بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولاً وَبِالإِسْلاَمِ دِينًا
I testify that there is no god but Allah alone. Who has no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger, (and that) I am satisfied with Allah as my Lord, with Muhammad as Messenger. and with Islam as din (code of life)
Sahih Muslim 386: the words to say on hearing the muezzin, as Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas reported; the Prophet ﷺ said the sins of whoever says them are forgiven
Related Names
Questions about Ash-Shaheed
What does Ash-Shaheed mean?
Ash-Shaheed means the Witness: nothing is ever absent from Him.
How many times is Ash-Shaheed in the Quran?
Ash-Shaheed is mentioned 18 times in the Quran. Its verse here is 3:98, addressed to the People of the Book.
What does it mean that Allah is a Witness over all things?
Allah looks over everything, al-Sa'di says on 4:33: by His knowledge of all affairs, His sight of every movement and His hearing of every voice.
What did the Prophet ﷺ ask Allah to witness?
The Prophet ﷺ asked Allah to witness that he had conveyed the message: at the Farewell Pilgrimage, once the crowd confirmed it, he said O Allah, be witness (Sahih al-Bukhari 1741).