Riccoldo caricatured Islamic salvation as a mere verbal profession permitting endless sin.

Evidence

In calling it “profuse” [larga], Riccoldo means to contrast Islam with the Christian way: “narrow is the way which leadeth unto life,” as the Gospel says; in contrast, the Saracens follow the broad way “that leadeth to destruction” (Matt. 7:13–14). He claims that Saracens believe that all they need to do to assure their place in heaven is to profess the Shahâda: “There is no God but God and Muhammad is his prophet.” Thus the Saracens can sin as much as they please, firm in the belief that if they profess the Shahâda they will get into heaven. — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 1250

Categorization

• QUESTION: Worth chasing: how did actual Islamic theology, e.g. on works vs. faith, answer the charge that the shahada alone assures salvation? Riccoldo reads an external, simplified version.
• DEFINE: Defines the shahada as the Muslim profession of faith ‘There is no God but God and Muhammad is his prophet.’