Shahada

The shahada (Arabic: الشهادة‎ aš-šahādah ) (from the verb شهد šahida, "he witnessed"), means "to know and believe without suspicion, as if witnessed, testification"; it is the name of the Islamic creed. The shahada is the Muslim declaration of belief in the oneness of God (tawhid) and acceptance of Muhammad as God's prophet. The declaration in its shortest form reads:

لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله (lā ʾilāha ʾillā l-Lāh, Muḥammadur rasūlu l-Lāh) (in Arabic)

There is no god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God. (in English)

In Shia Islam, the creed is expanded with the addition of a phrase concerning Ali at the end:

وعليٌ وليُّ الله (wa ʿAliyyun waliyyu l-Lāh) .