The short answer: the six Kalimas are short statements of faith that many Muslim families, especially in South Asia and the UK, teach children early on. Teach them one at a time, starting with the first, which most children can learn in a few days. Say each Kalima together out loud, explain its meaning in simple words, and only move on when the last one is secure. Most children learn all six over a few months with a few minutes a day.
What are the six Kalimas?
The word Kalima means "word" or "statement". The six Kalimas bring together key statements of faith, praise and seeking forgiveness. Their words come from the Quran and the Hadith; grouping them as "six Kalimas" is a teaching tradition used in many madrasas and homes, not a separate pillar of Islam. The first Kalima, the declaration of faith, is the heart of them all.
1. First Kalima: Tayyib (Purity)
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ
La ilaha illallah, Muhammadur Rasulullah.
*Meaning:* There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
For children: we worship only Allah, and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was sent by Allah to teach us.
2. Second Kalima: Shahadah (Testimony)
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَّا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهٗ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهٗ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهٗ وَرَسُوْلُهٗ
Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lahu, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh.
*Meaning:* I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.
For children: "I bear witness" means "I know it is true and I say it out loud".
3. Third Kalima: Tamjeed (Glorifying Allah)
Subhanallahi wal-hamdu lillahi wa la ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billahil 'aliyyil 'azeem.
*Meaning:* Glory be to Allah, all praise is for 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.
For children: many of these words are ones they already hear every day, like SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah and Allahu Akbar.
4. Fourth Kalima: Tawheed (Oneness of Allah)
La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu, yuhyi wa yumitu, wa huwa hayyun la yamutu abadan abada, dhul-jalali wal-ikram, biyadihil khair, wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir.
*Meaning:* There is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner. To Him belongs the kingdom and to Him belongs all praise. He gives life and causes death, and He is Ever-Living and will never die. He is the Owner of majesty and honour. In His hand is all good, and He has power over everything.
5. Fifth Kalima: Astaghfar (Seeking Forgiveness)
Astaghfirullaha rabbi min kulli dhambin adhnabtuhu 'amadan aw khata'an, sirran aw 'alaniyatan, wa atubu ilayhi minadh-dhambil-ladhi a'lamu wa minadh-dhambil-ladhi la a'lamu, innaka anta 'allamul-ghuyubi wa sattarul-'uyubi wa ghaffarudh-dhunubi, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billahil 'aliyyil 'azeem.
*Meaning:* I seek forgiveness from Allah, my Lord, for every sin I have done, on purpose or by mistake, in secret or in the open. I turn to Him in repentance for the sins I know and the sins I do not know. You are the Knower of the unseen, the Concealer of faults and the Forgiver of sins. There is no power and no strength except with Allah, the Most High, the Most Great.
For children: it is a way of saying sorry to Allah, and a reminder that Allah loves to forgive.
6. Sixth Kalima: Radd-e-Kufr (Rejecting Disbelief)
Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min an ushrika bika shay'an wa ana a'lamu bihi, wa astaghfiruka lima la a'lamu bihi, 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.
*Meaning:* O Allah, I seek Your protection from knowingly associating anything with You, and I ask Your forgiveness for what I do not know. I repent from it and I free myself from disbelief, from associating partners with You, from lying, backbiting, wrong innovation, telling tales, indecent acts, slander and every kind of sin. I submit to You and I say: there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
An easy order and pace
- Kalimas 1 and 2: short and familiar. Many children learn each in a few days.
- Kalima 3: made of phrases children already know, so it usually comes quickly too.
- Kalimas 4, 5 and 6: longer. Break each into two or three parts and learn one part a week.
Never move on until the current Kalima can be said smoothly without help. Revise all the earlier ones once a week so they are not forgotten.
How to teach them at home
- Say it together first. Read one line, your child repeats it, then say it together. Children learn these by ear long before they read them.
- Explain the meaning in one sentence. A child who knows what the words mean remembers them far better.
- Use a fixed time. After Fajr, before school or at bedtime: the same moment every day turns it into a habit.
- Keep it short. Five minutes is enough. Stop while your child is still enjoying it.
- Celebrate each one. A small reward or a phone call to a grandparent to recite it builds pride and motivation.
Pronunciation matters, especially for letters like ح, ع and ق that have no English sound. A teacher who listens and gently corrects each word is the most reliable way to make sure your child says them correctly from the start.
Where the Kalimas fit in Islamic learning
The Kalimas sit naturally alongside learning to read the Quran, short surahs, daily duas with their meanings and learning salah step by step. Together they give a child the basic words of faith they will use for life.
How our classes help
At Online Quran Lessons, the Kalimas, everyday duas and the basics of salah are part of our Islamic Studies course for kids, taught live and one-to-one alongside Quran reading. Classes are usually 30 minutes with the same teacher each week, and you can choose a male or female teacher at the same fee.
Try it free
The first 3 classes are free and no card is needed. Sit in, see how the teacher works with your child, and decide once you have seen it.