لا إله إلا الله
la ilaha illa Allah
The English phrase "there is no God but allah" is translated into Arabic as لا إله إلا الله (la ilaha illa Allah).
This phrase, known as the Shahada, is used by Muslims to declare their faith and is a central component of the Islamic creed, stating that there is only one true deity.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase can be broken down as follows: لا (la) means "no" or "there is no". إله (ilaha) means "god" or "deity". And إلا (illa) is a particle meaning "except" or "but".
How do you pronounce it?
la ilaha illa Allah
Did you know?
- Before the rise of Islam, variations of the word الله were already in use by speakers of Arabic in the regions of Mecca and Taif.
Examples in context
- لا إله إلا الله هو أساس الإيمان.Lā ilāha illā Allāh huwa asāsu al-īmān.There is no god but Allah is the foundation of faith.
- أردد دائماً لا إله إلا الله.Uraddidu dā'iman lā ilāha illā Allāh.I always repeat there is no god but Allah.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing spirituality at a cafe.
- سارة Saraما هو أعظم ذكر في الإسلام؟Mā huwa a'zamu dhikrin fī al-Islām?What is the greatest remembrance in Islam?
- أحمد Ahmedهو قول لا إله إلا الله.Huwa qawlu lā ilāha illā Allāh.It is the saying, there is no god but Allah.
- سارة Saraأنت محق يا أحمد.Anta muhiqq ya Ahmad.You are right, Ahmed.
- أحمد Ahmedالحمد لله على كل شيء.Al-ḥamdu lillāhi 'alā kulli shay'.Praise be to God for everything.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries إلا, إله, الله, لا, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
