A Linguistic Study of the Declaration of Faith (Kalimat Tauhid) Syntactic Analysis, Phonetic Aspects, and Theological Implications

Abstract

This article aims to examine the syntactic meaning of the Tauhid sentence from a syntactic perspective, focusing on the analysis of sentence structure and the implications of its embedded meanings. Additionally, it provides a deeper understanding of the grammatical construction of the Tauhid sentence within the context of Arabic linguistics, thereby revealing the essence and syntactic significance within Islamic discourse. The research method used in this study is the descriptive- analytical method, which involves describing and analyzing the sentence structure in detail based on relevant syntactic theories. The findings of the analysis in this article indicate that the Tauhid sentence consists of two main parts, namely the negation sentence Lā ilāha and the exception illā Allāh. The dhammah vowel on the word Allāh results from the i'rab process, related to its position as a badal from the implied word Ma‘būdun bi-ḥaqqin. This analysis also shows that the Tauhid sentence falls into the category of Lā nāfiyah lil-jinsi, which functions as a negation of all types of deities. From a phonetic perspective, the structure of the tauhid phrase is designed in such a way that it requires minimal lip movement, facilitating its pronunciation even at the end of life, thus serving as a divine mercy for those who wish to utter it as their final words.