Explanation of the author's statement: From 'Ubadah ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

The Shaykh :"And from 'Ubadah ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

If anyone testifies that None has the right to be worshipped but Allah Alone Who has no partners, and that Muhammad is His Slave and His Apostle, and that Jesus is Allah's Slave and His Apostle and His Word which He bestowed on Mary and a Spirit created by Him, and that Paradise is true, and Hell is true, Allah will admit him into Paradise with the deeds which he had done

من شهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأن محمدا عبده ورسوله وأن عيسى عبد الله ورسوله وكلمته ألقاها إلى مريم وروح منه والجنة حق والنار حق أدخله الله الجنة على ما كان من العمل

Sahih al-Bukhari 3435

Both of them narrated it."
His statement (peace and blessings be upon him) Testimony is not valid except based on knowledge, due to the saying of the Exalted: Therefore, prior knowledge is necessary. Yes, this prior knowledge may be acquired or it may be innate. Every person, as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, is born on the fitrah (the innate natural disposition), so his knowledge that there is no deity but Allah is innate. However, acquired knowledge may be added to it, so it becomes both innate and acquired. How can it be acquired? By reflecting on the verses of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), reflecting on the verses of Allah and contemplating them increases this innate knowledge until it becomes a witnessed matter for him. Therefore, one cannot say, "I testify..." What is this deity? How can one testify that there is no deity but Allah when he does not know what "there is no deity but Allah" means? So knowledge is necessary, then testimony. Is there knowledge without testimony? Yes, there is knowledge without testimony, as was the case with Quraysh. They testified that Allah exists, that He is the Creator and the Provider, and they knew this and spoke of it, but they did not say that He is the only one to be worshipped. Yes.
And his statement: His statement: No, first, "that there is no deity but Allah." The "that" here is the light form of the heavy form; it is the light form of the heavy form. For this reason, some people make a mistake and say, "I testify that (ann) there is no deity but Allah." This is not permissible linguistically; it is not permissible to say "I testify that (ann) there is no deity but Allah," because the heavy "that" (ann) cannot have its noun omitted, but the light "that" (an) can have its noun omitted, and it becomes the pronoun of the matter. So, based on this, we correct the phrasing of some people. You may find even a mu'adhdhin (the one who calls to prayer) saying, "I testify that (ann) there is no deity but Allah," thinking it is like "I testify that (ann) Muhammad..." The correct form is "I testify that (an) there is no deity but Allah." So it is the light form of the heavy form, its noun is the pronoun of the matter, and the phrase "there is no deity but Allah" is its predicate.

The questioner : Now, it is not permissible for the common people... in meaning.

The Shaykh : ... How? It must be in the Arabic language, yes.
The student: ...

The Shaykh : ... If "that" (an) comes... but it is known that it is omitted, and the reason, may Allah know best, is that "there is no deity but Allah" is an independent sentence, and it should not be mixed with anything. And his statement "there is no deity but Allah": "no deity" means "worshipped" (ma'lud) and does not mean "gods" (alaah). "Deity" here means "worshipped" and not "gods." Now, it has a parallel in the Arabic language... like
The student: A carpet.

The Shaykh : A carpet, meaning spread out. A plantation, meaning planted. Yes. Now, a building, meaning built. So, "deity" means "worshipped," and the meaning of "worshipped" is "worshipped with love and reverence." The hearts worship Him, love Him, and revere Him for what He did of His praiseworthy attributes (Glorified and Exalted is He) and His beautiful actions. So He is loved and revered. Thus, "deity" means "worshipped." Now, if it means "worshipped" and we say "there is no deity but Allah"... is there a worshipped one other than Allah? Is that so? For this reason, Quraysh said regarding the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)