لا إله إلا الله
la ilaha illa Allah
In Arabic, the phrase "allah is the only God" is expressed as لا إله إلا الله (la ilaha illa Allah).
This phrase is known as the Shahada, the first of the Five Pillars of Islam. It serves as the fundamental Islamic declaration of faith stating that there is no deity except God.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase لا إله إلا الله literally translates to "there is no god except Allah". The word إله (ilaha) means "god" or "deity" in a general sense, while the word إلا (illa) means "except" or "but".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, ربنا لوحدو هو الله means "Our Lord alone is Allah".
How do you pronounce it?
la ilaha illa Allah
Did you know?
- Before Islam, the word إله was already appearing in mixed Arabic and Aramaic texts used by the Nabataeans.
- The name الله is thought by some to be a contraction of الْإِلٰه (al-ilāh), which means 'the deity'.
Examples in context
- معتقدنا الذي ندين به هو أنّ الله هو الإله الوحيد وحده الذي نعبده.Our belief, which we adhere to, is that Allah is the only God we worship.
- أنا أقول لا إله إلا الله.anā aqūlu lā ilāha illā llāh.I say there is no god but Allah.
Example conversation
Yusuf and Layla are discussing the core principles of faith.
- ليلى Laylaما هو أساس الإيمان؟mā huwa asās al-īmān?What is the foundation of faith?
- يوسف Youssefأساس الإيمان هو لا إله إلا الله.asās al-īmān huwa lā ilāha illā llāh.The foundation of faith is there is no god but Allah.
- ليلى Laylaنعم، لا إله إلا الله.na'am, lā ilāha illā llāh.Yes, there is no god but Allah.
- يوسف Youssefبارك الله فيكِ يا ليلى.bāraka llāhu fīki yā Laylā.May Allah bless you, Layla.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries إلا, إله, الله, لا, CC BY-SA 4.0.
