In the second rakʿah of all obligatory and recommended prayers, and in the third rakʿah of maghrib prayers, and in the fourth rakʿah of ẓuhr, ʿaṣr and ʿishāʾ prayers, one must sit [in a kneeling type of position] after the second sajdah; and while his body is still, he must say tashahhud, i.e.: أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ، اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ashhadu an lā ilāha illal lāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, wa ashhadu anna muḥammadan ʿabduhu wa rasūluh, allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā muḥammadin wa āli muḥammad I testify that there is no god but Allah, He alone, for whom there is no partner.
And I testify that Muḥammad is His servant and His messenger. O Allah! Bless Muḥammad and the progeny of Muḥammad. And it is sufficient for one to say: أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ ashhadu an lā ilāha illal lāh, wa ashhadu anna muḥammadan ṣallal lāhu ʿalayhi wa ālihi ʿabduhu wa rasūluh I testify that there is no god but Allah.
And I testify that Muḥammad – may Allah shower His blessings upon him and his progeny – is His servant and His messenger. Tashahhud is also necessary in the witr prayer.[1]