The word Shahadah is a noun stemming from the verb shahida meaning to observe, witness, or testify; when used in legal terms, shahadah is a testimony to the occurrence of events. A single honest recitation of the Shahadah in Arabic is all that is required for a person to become a Muslim. This declaration, or statement of faith, is called the Kalima, literally "word". Recitation of theShahadah, the "oath" or "testimony", is the most important of the Five Pillars of Islam for Muslims. Muslims believe that the shahadah is without value unless it is earnest. Islamic scholars have therefore developed, based on the data of the Quran and hadith, essential criteria for an expression of the shahadah to be earnest. These criteria are generally divided into seven or eight or nine individual criteria. The Lectures included in this CD detail the criteria of the Shahadah.