The six kalimas

Step 1

Kalima Tayyibah — the word of purity

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللهِ

How to say it

La ilaha illallahu Muhammadur rasulullah

What it means

There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.

Step 2

Kalima Shahadah — the word of testimony

أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

How to say it

Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lahu, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluh.

What it means

I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, without partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.

Step 3

Kalima Tamjeed — the word of glorification

سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَلَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَاللهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيمِ

How to say it

Subhanallahi walhamdu lillahi wa la ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billahil ‘aliyyil ‘azeem.

What it means

Glory be to Allah, praise be to Allah, there is no god but Allah, and Allah is the greatest. There is no power and no strength except with Allah, the Most High, the Most Great.

Step 4

Kalima Tawheed — the word of oneness

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ وَهُوَ حَيٌّ لَا يَمُوتُ أَبَدًا ، بِيَدِهِ الْخَيْرُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

How to say it

La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah. Lahul mulku wa lahul hamd, yuhyi wa yumitu wa huwa hayyun la yamutu abada. Bi yadihil khayr, wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer.

What it means

There is no god but Allah alone, without partner. His is the kingdom and His is the praise. He gives life and causes death, and He is living and never dies. In His hand is all good, and He has power over everything.

Step 5

Kalima Istighfar — the word of seeking forgiveness

أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ رَبِّي مِنْ كُلِّ ذَنْبٍ أَذْنَبْتُهُ عَمَدًا أَوْ خَطَأً سِرًّا أَوْ عَلَانِيَةً وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنَ الذَّنْبِ الَّذِي أَعْلَمُ وَمِنَ الذَّنْبِ الَّذِي لَا أَعْلَمُ ، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ وَسَتَّارُ الْعُيُوبِ وَغَفَّارُ الذُّنُوبِ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيمِ

How to say it

Astaghfirullaha Rabbi min kulli dhambin adhnabtuhu ‘amadan aw khata’an, sirran aw ‘alaniyah, wa atubu ilayhi minadh-dhambil ladhi a‘lamu wa minadh-dhambil ladhi la a‘lam. Innaka anta ‘allamul ghuyub, wa sattarul ‘uyub, wa ghaffarudh-dhunub, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billahil ‘aliyyil ‘azeem.

What it means

I seek forgiveness from Allah, my Lord, for every sin I committed knowingly or unknowingly, secretly or openly, and I turn to Him from the sin I know of and the sin I do not know of. You are the Knower of the unseen, the Concealer of faults, the Forgiver of sins, and there is no power except with Allah, the Most High, the Most Great.

Step 6

Kalima Radd-e-Kufr — the word of rejecting disbelief

اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ أَنْ أُشْرِكَ بِكَ شَيْئًا وَأَنَا أَعْلَمُ بِهِ وَأَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا لَا أَعْلَمُ بِهِ ، تُبْتُ عَنْهُ وَتَبَرَّأْتُ مِنَ الْكُفْرِ وَالشِّرْكِ وَالْكِذْبِ وَالْغِيبَةِ وَالْبِدْعَةِ وَالنَّمِيمَةِ وَالْفَوَاحِشِ وَالْبُهْتَانِ وَالْمَعَاصِي كُلِّهَا ، وَأَسْلَمْتُ وَأَقُولُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللهِ

How to say it

Allahumma inni a‘udhu bika min an ushrika bika shay’an wa ana a‘lamu bih, wa astaghfiruka lima la a‘lamu bih. Tubtu ‘anhu wa tabarra’tu minal kufri wash-shirki wal kidhbi wal ghibati wal bid‘ati wan-namimati wal fawahishi wal buhtani wal ma‘asi kulliha. Wa aslamtu wa aqulu la ilaha illallahu Muhammadur rasulullah.

What it means

O Allah, I seek Your protection from knowingly associating anything with You, and I seek Your forgiveness for what I do not know of. I repent from it and free myself from disbelief, idolatry, lying, backbiting, innovation, tale-bearing, indecency, slander and every act of disobedience. I submit, and I say: there is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.