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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'.

From Returning to God

The English is machine-translated.

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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'.

From Returning to God

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'.

From Early Converts to Islam

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)'.

From Early Converts to Islam

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'.

From Early Converts to Islam

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'.

From Early Converts to Islam

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'.

From Resisting Temptation

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'.

From Luqman's Response to Injustice

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...'.

From Worship God Alone

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.

From Words That Nourish the Heart

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...'.

From The Declaration of Faith

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...'.

From Small Deeds, Great Reward

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...'.

From Required Remembrance

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...'.

From Praise and Petition in Prayer

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.

From Repelling the Devil

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.

From How Satan Exploits Weakness

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.

From How Satan Exploits Weakness

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.

From How Satan Exploits Weakness

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.

From Reflecting on God's Names

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.

From God's Majesty

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.

From God's Majesty

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.

From God's Majesty

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.

From Stages of the Seeker

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.

From Stages of the Seeker

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