Here's what the article says about the unnamed Duke scholar:
Based on the images and analysis present in the WND report, he said that the script present on Obama’s ring appears to be Arabic and that it does, indeed, include the first portion of the shahada.
The WND report was based on low-resolution, heavily-shaded, off-angle images. The high-resolution, head-on image that has been repeatedly posted in this thread clearly shows a symmetrical squiggle pattern that bears little to no resemblance to the arabic script that WND claims to have found in the low-res photos. I don't care if the picture happens to have been posted by a left-wing "urban legends" site, and I haven't even read the "urban legends" analysis of the photo - I can look at it myself and draw my own conclusion.
The ring appears to be handcrafted from multiple bands of wire. It was probably made in Pakistan or Indonesia. He likely purchased while there, at a time in his life that made it special to him, and so he still wears it. Maybe someone special gave it to him. Who knows?
Is this the ring that Obama had ‘in the shop’ being repaired, or was that his other wedding ring? Is the photo before or after any such repairs ?
Those are the important questions.