Meaning: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger

The Shaykh : Now, "I bear witness" means I affirm and acknowledge with my heart, just as one sees with one's eyes. This is why the word "I affirm" (aqur) was replaced with "I bear witness" (ashhad); it implies that this affirmation is certain, just as a person is certain of what he sees with his own eyes. And your saying: This is the correct pronunciation: "that there is no god but Allah." I hear many people say: "I bear witness that (anna) there is no god but Allah," using the heavy "anna" (with shaddah). This is incorrect according to the rules of Arabic grammar. Rather, we say "that (an) there is no god but Allah," where we lighten it and assimilate it into the lam, because the heavy "anna" does not enter a negated sentence, but it is the lightened form of the heavy one.
And your saying: "There is no god but Allah" will be the subject of discussion now.
"Ilah" (God) means "the one who is worshipped" (ma'luh). "Ilah" means "the one who is worshipped." It is a form of fa'il (active participle) used in the sense of maf'ul (passive participle). This usage is common in the Arabic language. For example, "ghiras" means "planted" (magrus), "bina'" means "built" (mabni), "farash" means "spread" (mafrush), and "ilah" means "the one who is worshipped" (ma'luh).
So what is the meaning of "the one who is worshipped"? The one who is worshipped is the one who is worshipped, as evidenced by the saying of Allah the Exalted: . And He the Mighty and Majestic said: . Therefore, "Ilah" means "the one who is worshipped." There is no one worshipped but Allah. Here is a point of difficulty: we see on earth things that are worshipped other than Allah. Idols are worshipped other than Allah. Idols are worshipped other than Allah. Trees are worshipped other than Allah. Humans are worshipped other than Allah. Angels are worshipped other than Allah. The sun is worshipped other than Allah. The moon is worshipped other than Allah. Cows are worshipped other than Allah. All of this is worshipped other than Allah. So how is it correct for me to say "There is no one worshipped but Allah"? The answer is that there is an omission in the speech that is necessary. What is this omission? Its estimation is "truth." There is no true one worshipped but Allah. Accordingly, the predicate of "la" (no) is omitted, and it is not what comes after "illa" (but), rather it is omitted and what comes after it is a substitute for it, meaning: There is no true one worshipped but Allah the Exalted and Majestic. As for what is worshipped other than Allah, it is false, as Allah the Exalted said: . He is a slave, a created being, and not one to be worshipped, peace and blessings be upon him. He is a Messenger and not a liar. For this reason, the scholars said: "A slave who is not worshipped, and a Messenger who does not lie," may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him. Then, here we placed the peace upon the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, before the peace upon ourselves. How is that? Because it is obligatory to place the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, before ourselves. For this reason, it is obligatory for every believer to sacrifice his own soul for the sake of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. His right over us is greater than our right over ourselves, and greater than the right of our parents over us. For this reason, the peace was placed upon him first.