Arabic vocabulary
واللهby Allah in Arabic
والله is how you say “by Allah” in Arabic. Hear it pronounced and see it used in real example sentences from classical texts below.
Root ا ل ه (ʾ-l-h)oath expression (particle وَ "by" + the proper name اللّٰه)Pronounced wallāhi
Meaning of by Allah in Arabic
- by Allah! (I swear by God) — An oath formula used to affirm or emphasize the truth of a statement; extremely common in everyday and classical speech alike.
والله is one of the most common oath expressions in Arabic, used in both classical and everyday speech to swear to or emphasize the truth of what one is saying, roughly like English "I swear to God." It sits alongside other invocations of the same root, such as اللّٰهُمَّ, used when addressing or calling on God directly.
Words from the same root
- إِلٰهa god; any object of worship or adoration
- اللّٰهGod; the proper name of the one true deity, held by the lexicographers to derive from ilāh
- اَللّٰهُمَّ"O Allah!" — a vocative form used in supplication and emphatic address
- أَلَهَhe served, worshipped, or adored (a deity)
- تَأَلَّهَhe devoted himself to religious worship or acts of devotion
- إِلٰهِىّdivine; of or relating to God
- الإِلٰهِيَّةtheology; the study of God's being and attributes
Common questions
- How do you say "by Allah" in Arabic?
- والله (wallāhi) — the oath particle وَ "by" attached to اللّٰه, the proper name of God.
- What is والله literally built from?
- It combines the oath prefix و- with اللّٰه, which Arabic lexicographers trace back to إِلٰه (ilāh), "a god" or "an object of worship," from the root ا ل ه meaning to serve or worship.
Definitions synthesised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).
Example sentences
وهذا أمر لم يحضره إلا أنا وصفوان فوالله لأعلم ما أتاك به إلا الله،
And this is a matter witnessed only by me and Safwan, and by Allah, I know that it was none but Allah who brought it to you,
فَوَاللَّهِ — and by Allah. fa- = 'and so'; the wa- here is the oath-word 'by'; with the name — 'and by God!', an oath.
From: Early Converts to Islam →قال أبو بكر رضي الله عنه فوالله إنا لنلقى مثل هذا،
Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: 'By Allah, we experience the same.'
فَوَاللهِ — By Allah. This stacks 'so' + the oath-particle 'by' + 'God': 'so by God!'. The 'wa-' here is not 'and' but the particle of swearing an oath, and it forces the divine name into the genitive. Abu Bakr swears to confirm his words.
From: Devotion and Daily Life →
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