إِلَّا except in Arabic
إِلَّا is how you say “except” in Arabic.
Arabic
English
The audio uses AI voices.
Example sentence
ونكتة الْمَسْأَلَة أَنَّهُ لَا يرى ربه إِلَّا محسنا، وَلَا يرى نَفسه إِلَّا مسيئا
And the essence of the matter is that he sees his Lord as nothing but good, and himself as nothing but wrong.
إِلَّا as nothing but
illa = 'except, but'; after a negation it means 'nothing but, only'.
The English is machine-translated.

Practise this word in the app
One tap gives you the meaning, a grammar note and audio.
Add the words you don’t know. Practise them with spaced repetition.
Free. No ads. No subscription.
An account is needed in the app.
More example sentences
ونكتة الْمَسْأَلَة أَنَّهُ لَا يرى ربه إِلَّا محسنا، وَلَا يرى نَفسه إِلَّا مسيئا
And the essence of the matter is that he sees his Lord as nothing but good, and himself as nothing but wrong.
إِلَّا as nothing but
illa = 'except, but'; after a negation it means 'nothing but, only'.
قال ما جئت إلا لذلك
He said: I have come only for that.
إِلَّا only
illa = 'except, but'; after the negation it means 'only, nothing but'.
فقال أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأنك رسوله
Then he said: I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, and that you are His messenger.
إِلَّا but
illa = 'except, but' — 'except (God)'.
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,
إِلَّا except
illa = 'except, but'.
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,
إِلَّا none but
illa = 'except, but' — after the negation, 'none but'.
لِأَنَّهَا لَا تَدْعُو إِلا إِلَى مَا تَشْتَهِي
Because it only calls to what it desires.
إِلَّا except
illa = 'except, but'; after the negation, 'except, only'.
فَقَالَ لَهُ القامر أشْرب مَا فِي النَّهر وَإِلَّا فافتد مِنْهُ
So the winner said to him, 'Drink what is in the river, or ransom yourself from it.'
وَإِلَّا or
'wa-' = 'and'; 'illa' = 'otherwise' — together 'or else'.
صفاء الْعِبَادَات لَا ينَال إِلَّا بصفاء التَّوْحِيد
The purity of worship is attained only through the purity of monotheism.
إِلَّا only
'except, only' — the second half of the 'la ... illa' frame. After a negation it carves out the single exception, so 'is not attained except by...' equals 'is attained only by...'.
هكذا تشهدُ لغةُ العرب؛ فلا يُحكى بالقولِ إلا كلامٌ تام
Thus, the language of the Arabs testifies; only complete speech is spoken.
إِلَّا except
'illa' equals 'except', completing the 'la ... illa' frame — after the negation it isolates the sole thing that IS spoken.
كَقَوْل الْمُؤَذّن الله أكبر الله أكبر أشهد أَن لَا إِلَه إِلَّا الله أشهد أَن مُحَمَّدًا رَسُول الله
As the caller to prayer says: (Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, I testify that there is no deity but Allah, I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah).
إِلَّا but
'except' — carving the one exception out of the blanket denial: 'no god at all EXCEPT...'.
الله أكبر الله أكبر أشهد أَن لَا إِلَه إِلَّا الله أشهد أَن مُحَمَّدًا رَسُول الله
(Allah is the Greatest; Allah is the Greatest. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.)
إِلَّا but
'except' — carving the one exception out of the blanket denial: 'no god at all EXCEPT...'.
فيظن من يظن أن السنة عندهم لا تكون إلا لما يجوز تركه؛
Some might assume that according to them, a sunna is only what can be omitted.
إِلَّا only
'except, only' — completing 'la...illa': 'is only...'.
فيظن من يظن أن السنة عندهم لا تكون إلا لما يجوز تركه؛
Thus, some may think that according to them, a recommended practice only applies to what can be omitted;
إِلَّا only
'except, only' — completing 'la...illa': 'is only...'.
فلم يبق لِلِّصِّ إلا البيت الثالث، فهو الذي يَشُنُّ عليه الغارة
So the thief is left with only the third house, which he launches an attack on.
إِلَّا except
A particle of exception carving one item out of the negation — 'nothing remained except the third house'. After a negative it singles out and affirms the one remaining case.
وهذا لا يتمكن الشيطان منه إلا بما عنده من سلاحه،
And the devil cannot overpower him except with what he possesses of his weaponry.
إِلَّا except
The exception particle after a negation — 'cannot … except by'. It carves out the one route the devil does have.
وإلا فالدولة لعدوه عليه، ولا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله العليّ العظيم
Otherwise, the upper hand belongs to his enemy over him, and there is no power or strength except with Allah, the Most High, the Great.
وَإِلَّا and otherwise
'And' plus 'illa' in the 'if not' sense — 'and if it is not so', a compressed condition. It flips to the opposite case: should he lack that faith-supply.
وإلا فالدولة لعدوه عليه، ولا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله العليّ العظيم
Otherwise, the upper hand belongs to his enemy over him, and there is no power or strength except with Allah, the Most High, the Great.
إِلَّا except
The exception particle — 'except by God', the one source affirmed after the double denial. It carves out the sole origin of all power.
فيستنفد حبه من قلب العَبْد قُوَّة الْحبّ كلهَا بحب مَا عرفه من صِفَات جماله ونعوت كَمَاله فَيُصْبِح فؤاد عَبده فَارغًا إِلَّا من محبته،
So His love consumes all the strength of love in the heart of the servant due to the love of what he knows of His beauty and the descriptions of His perfection. Thus, the servant's heart becomes empty except for His love.
إِلَّا except
The exception particle — 'empty except…', carving out the one thing that remains. It readies the sole exception.
لَا تتحرك ذرّة فَمَا فَوْقهَا إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ
Not a particle moves nor anything greater except by His permission.
إِلَّا except
The exception particle after the negation — 'except by His leave'. It carves out the one condition under which anything moves.
وَلَا تسْقط ورقة إِلَّا بِعِلْمِهِ
Nor does a leaf fall except by His knowledge.
إِلَّا except
The exception particle — 'except by His knowledge'. It carves out the one condition.
وَلَا يشفع زهد عِنده إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ
No one intercedes with Him except by His permission.
إِلَّا except
The exception particle — 'except by His leave'. It carves out the sole condition.
ملأوا مراكب الْقُلُوب مَتَاعا لَا تنْفق إِلَّا على الْملك
They filled the vessels of hearts with goods that can only be spent on the King.
إِلَّا except
The exception particle after the negation — 'except on'. It carves out the sole recipient.
فَمَا طلع الْفجْر الا وَهِي بالمينا
The dawn had not broken before they were at the port.
إِلَّا except
The exception particle, here completing 'ma… illa' — 'except that', i.e. 'no sooner… than'. It marks the swiftness.