إِلَّا except in Arabic

وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْأُمَّةَ لَوْ اجْتَمَعَتْ عَلَى أَنْ يَنْفَعُوك بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَنْفَعُوك إلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ لَك،

Know that if the nation gathered to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah has decreed for you.

إِلَّا except

This particle marks the one exception to the negation, 'except'. It narrows 'they would not benefit you [at all]' down to 'only with what...', the single allowance that follows.

From Patience and Trust in God

وَإِنْ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَضُرُّوك بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَضُرُّوك إلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْك؛

And if they gathered to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah has decreed against you.

إِلَّا except

The exceptive 'except', narrowing the blanket denial to the single case that follows: only by what is already written.

From Patience and Trust in God

فإن استطاع أن لا يغضب فهو الكامل، وإلا فليمسك لسانه ويده

If he can avoid getting angry, he is complete; otherwise, let him restrain his tongue and his hand.

وَإِلَّا and if not

The joined 'and' plus a particle 'otherwise/if not', pivoting to the alternative: but if he cannot. It sets up the fallback instruction that follows.

From Restraining Anger

ولا تكن كالبهيمة التي لا همَّ لها إلا مرعاها،

and do not be like the beast whose only concern is its pasture,

إِلَّا except

An exception particle meaning 'except', carving out the one thing the beast does care about from the total denial before it. The negation-plus-exception frame restricts the beast's concern to exactly the one thing named next.

From Think Before You Act

وَقَوْلُهُمْ احْذَرْ شَرَّ مَنْ أَحْسَنْتَ إِلَيْهِ، مَذْكُورٌ فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى وَمَا نَقَمُوا إِلَّا أَنْ أَغْنَاهُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ

And their saying: 'Beware of the evil of the one you did good to' is mentioned in His saying: 'And they resented it only because Allah and His Messenger had enriched them from His bounty.'

إِلَّا except

This is the exception particle 'except, only', which after a negation produces 'nothing but'. It carves out the single real reason from the blanket denial just made. It is the pivot of the 'they resented nothing except that...' structure.

From When Scripture Answers Proverbs

رُبَّ صَائِمٍ لَيْسَ لَهُ مِنْ صَوْمِهِ إِلَّا الْجُوعُ وَالْعَطَشُ، وَرُبَّ قَائِمٍ لَيْسَ لَهُ مِنْ قِيَامِهِ إِلَّا السَّهَرُ

'Perhaps a fasting person gains nothing from his fast except hunger and thirst, and perhaps one who prays gains nothing from his prayer except sleeplessness.'

إِلَّا except

An exception particle, 'except / save', carving out the one thing left after the denial. It links the 'nothing' to its sole remainder, sleeplessness.

From Empty Fasting, Empty Prayer

والقناطير المقنطرة وما اجتمعت إلا بأوزار،

And the heaped-up treasures that are accumulated only through burdens,

إِلَّا except

This is the 'except' that completes the earlier negation, and the two together mean 'only / nothing but'. It does not exclude something already listed here; it closes the restrictive frame, so what follows is the sole circumstance under which the wealth was amassed.

From Preferring the Hereafter

وأنزل ضرورَتك بالله ، ولا تستغن إلا بالله

And place your needs with God, and do not seek independence except through God,

إِلَّا except

This is the exception word illa 'except', carving out one case from the prohibition: do not seek independence except in one way. It introduces what survives the negation, setting up 'except by God'.

From True Devotion

وَلِهَذَا كَانَت الْعِبَادَة لَا تصلح إِلَّا لله

And for this reason, worship is suitable for none but Allah.

إِلَّا except

This is the exception word 'except', which after a negation produces the meaning 'only for...'. It carves out the single permitted case, narrowing fit worship down to one recipient named next.

From Worship and Repentance

مَا سَأَلْتُهُ إِلَّا لِيَشْبِعَنِي،

I asked him only so that he would satisfy me.

إِلَّا except

This 'except' is the second half of the exclusive frame opened by the earlier negator; together they mean 'only / for no reason but'. It introduces the one thing that is being affirmed against the negation. This paired construction is the standard Arabic way of expressing 'only'.

From Generosity to the Poor

إِلَّا أَنَّ أَرْبَابُ اليَقَظَةِ يَتَفَاوَتُونَ فِي بَقَاءِ الأَثَرِ،

However, those who are alert differ in how long the impression persists.

إِلَّا except that

Here this word is a restricting particle meaning 'except that / however', carving an exception out of the sweeping prior claim. It signals a qualification is coming.

From Guarding the Heart from Heedlessness

فَمَا تَرَكْتُ لَهُمْ بِنَاءً إِلَّا هَدَمْتُهُ وَلَا إِنَاءً إِلَّا أَكْفَأْتُهُ

So I left them no building that I did not demolish, nor any vessel that I did not overturn.

إِلَّا except

This is the exception-particle 'except', whose job is to cut a carve-out from the negative just stated. After 'I left no building', it flips the next clause into the one thing that did happen to each: it was demolished. It links the sweeping denial to its lone exception.

From A Spy in the Enemy Camp

فَمَا تَرَكْتُ لَهُمْ بِنَاءً إِلَّا هَدَمْتُهُ وَلَا إِنَاءً إِلَّا أَكْفَأْتُهُ

So I left them no building that I did not demolish, nor any vessel that I did not overturn.

إِلَّا except

This is the exception-particle 'except' in the parallel clause, carving a one-thing-out from the new denial. After 'nor any vessel', it flips the next clause into what did happen to each: it was overturned. It links this denial to its lone exception.

From A Spy in the Enemy Camp