Discover the meaning of the term Al-shahd (شاهد) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 4 min readIn language: the present one. In the usage of these people: what was present in a man's heart and whose remembrance prevailed over him; if knowledge prevails, he is the witness of knowledge (shahid al-'ilm), and if the True (al-haqq) prevails, he is the witness of the True (shahid al-haqq).
In language: the present one. In the Sharia: the one who reports a decided case or a person's right against another from direct seeing and witnessing, not from conjecture and supposition. It alludes to the Prophet's saying (may Allah's prayer and peace be upon him): 'If you know as the sun, then testify, otherwise abstain.' By al-shahid may also be meant the beloved, on account of his presence with the lover in his conception and imagination. It may also be applied to what is present in the believer's heart and whose remembrance prevails over him: if knowledge prevails, he is the witness of knowledge (shahid al-'ilm); if ecstatic finding (wajd), the witness of finding (shahid al-wajd); if the True, the witness of the True (shahid al-haqq).
In language: the present one. Among the usulists: the known by which one argues before knowing that upon which one argues, whether that knowledge is by necessity or by inference. Its opposite is al-gha'ib (the absent): what is known by reflecting upon the state of what was previously known, whether by necessity or by inference. Among the Sufis: what is present in a man's heart and whose remembrance prevails over him. If knowledge prevails, he is the witness of knowledge (shahid al-'ilm). If being (al-wujud) prevails, he is the witness of ecstatic finding (shahid al-wajd). If the True prevails, he is the witness of the True (shahid al-haqq). The false witness (shahid al-zur): one who knowingly testifies to what he does not know, even if it accords with reality, as Ibn 'Arfa said. Al-shahid: the one who reports what he saw, for testimony (shahada) is a statement arising from knowledge obtained by seeing with the eye or with insight. (Basa'ir dhi al-Tamyiz, 3/350-356; Sharh Hudud Ibn 'Arfa, p. 578; al-Tawqif, p. 422; al-Ta'rifat, p. 109).
'Shahada al-shay'': he beheld it directly.
Among the people of the True: the effect that beholding produces in the heart of the beholder; it is, in reality, what the heart retains of the image of the beheld.
It is the one who reports a decided case or a person's right against another, from seeing and direct witnessing, not from conjecture and supposition.
﴿رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا بِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ وَٱتَّبَعْنَا ٱلرَّسُولَ فَٱكْتُبْنَا مَعَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ﴾
« Our Lord, we have believed in what You revealed and have followed the messenger Jesus, so register us among the witnesses [to truth]." »
Surah آل عمران : 53
﴿وَإِذْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِيثَـٰقَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ لَمَآ ءَاتَيْتُكُم مِّن كِتَـٰبٍۢ وَحِكْمَةٍۢ ثُمَّ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌۭ مُّصَدِّقٌۭ لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِۦ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُۥ ۚ قَالَ ءَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكُمْ إِصْرِى ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ أَقْرَرْنَا ۚ قَالَ فَٱشْهَدُوا۟ وَأَنَا۠ مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ﴾
« And [recall, O People of the Scripture], when Allah took the covenant of the prophets, [saying], "Whatever I give you of the Scripture and wisdom and then there comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you, you [must] believe in him and support him." [Allah] said, "Have you acknowledged and taken upon that My commitment?" They said, "We have acknowledged it." He said, "Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses." »
Surah آل عمران : 81
﴿وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا۟ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ تَرَىٰٓ أَعْيُنَهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ ٱلدَّمْعِ مِمَّا عَرَفُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ ۖ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا فَٱكْتُبْنَا مَعَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ﴾
« And when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of what they have recognized of the truth. They say, "Our Lord, we have believed, so register us among the witnesses. »
Surah المائدة : 83
﴿قَالُوا۟ نُرِيدُ أَن نَّأْكُلَ مِنْهَا وَتَطْمَئِنَّ قُلُوبُنَا وَنَعْلَمَ أَن قَدْ صَدَقْتَنَا وَنَكُونَ عَلَيْهَا مِنَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ﴾
« They said, "We wish to eat from it and let our hearts be reassured and know that you have been truthful to us and be among its witnesses." »
Surah المائدة : 113
﴿مَا كَانَ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ أَن يَعْمُرُوا۟ مَسَـٰجِدَ ٱللَّهِ شَـٰهِدِينَ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِم بِٱلْكُفْرِ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَـٰلُهُمْ وَفِى ٱلنَّارِ هُمْ خَـٰلِدُونَ﴾
« It is not for the polytheists to maintain the mosques of Allah [while] witnessing against themselves with disbelief. [For] those, their deeds have become worthless, and in the Fire they will abide eternally. »
Surah التوبة : 17
﴿أَفَمَن كَانَ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ وَيَتْلُوهُ شَاهِدٌۭ مِّنْهُ وَمِن قَبْلِهِۦ كِتَـٰبُ مُوسَىٰٓ إِمَامًۭا وَرَحْمَةً ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِۦ ۚ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلْأَحْزَابِ فَٱلنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهُۥ ۚ فَلَا تَكُ فِى مِرْيَةٍۢ مِّنْهُ ۚ إِنَّهُ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ﴾
« So is one who [stands] upon a clear evidence from his Lord [like the aforementioned]? And a witness from Him follows it, and before it was the Scripture of Moses to lead and as mercy. Those [believers in the former revelations] believe in the Qur'an. But whoever disbelieves in it from the [various] factions - the Fire is his promised destination. So be not in doubt about it. Indeed, it is the truth from your Lord, but most of the people do not believe. »
Surah هود : 17
This term appears in 16 verses of the Quran.