La ilaha illallah muhammadur rasulullah
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ
[Laa ee-laa-ha ill-Allah Mu-ham-ma-dur Ra-soo-lul-Lah]
Quick Summary:
The first part of this phrase, "la illah ila allah" translates to "there is no God except Allah." This statement combines both negation and affirmation, it begins with denying the existence of any other God or Deity (la illah). Next, it affirms (ila allah), except Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) which is implying that all worship is reserved for Him alone. The literal translation, "There is no God but God" but can be better understood, "There is no God but Allah." It is a statement which teaches mankind about monotheism, how there is only one creator and He has no partners or equals.
The second part of this phrase, "muhammadur rasulullah" translates to "Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." These two phrases put together make up part of the shahada which is the first pillar of Islam. The process of becoming a Muslim requires one to recite this testimony and understand its meaning.
Pronunciation video
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Terms Islamic
Arabic Text:
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In Arabic la ilaha illallah muhammadur rasool allah is written,
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ
As mentioned before this encompasses two concepts:
1. There is no deity but Allah. 2. Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) is his messenger.
The Shahada is a declaration, it adds the phrase ashadualla which means “I bear witness”. In Arabic the complete Shahda is written as:
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ
The transliteration:
Ashhadu alla ilaha illallah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadarrasulullah
Transliteration:
The transliteration of Arabic words helps convert them into their English counterparts, which assists with pronunciation. We may provide several common transliterations for this word.
1. La ilaha illallah muhammadur rasulullah*
2. La illah ila allah muhammadur rasul allah
3. La illah ila allah muhammad-ur rasool allah
4. La ilaha illa allah muhammad rasoolu allah
5. La ilaha illa Allah Muhammadun Rasul Allah
6. La ilaha illallah wa muhammadur rasulullah**
*This is the most common and accurate transliteration of this phrase.
**You may see the addition of wa (وَ) which just means and "There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah AND Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." Although, it does not change the meaning, the more consistent and heard approach is without the Wa.
Further Details
What is it to be a Muslim?
The answer is not as complicated as you may think.
To be a Muslim you must sincerely believe in the absolute oneness or uniqueness of God, this is an Islamic concept known as Tawhid. A true believer sees Allah as the only entity worthy of worship, there’s no other, no partnership, nor idols that is deserving of praise.
Allah is the ultimate creator, there’s no close second. It is only through his will that things happen.
The other condition of being a Muslim is the belief in his messenger, Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam).
That’s all there’s to it.
At the heart, this is what Islam is about.
For a Muslim believer, the guiding principle is the Shahada or declaration of faith. It’s embodied in the recitation of, la ilaha illallah muhammadur rasulullah.
This is why the Shahada is also known as the first pillar or tenet of Islam. It’s the basis for which the foundation of Islam is built. Built on-top of this foundation is zakat (charity), daily prayers, fasting during month of Ramadan, pilgrimage to hajj, and other practices. But the whole building is compromised if you don’t believe in the basic tenet.
In Surah Imran, ayat 19 Allah says,
“Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam.”
The exact translation of the saying is, “I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.”
Example Sentences
Example #1:
Earthquake in NJ felt from NY to PA… All I’m saying is La illaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah…
Example #2:
And my belief is la illaha illallah. And we will fight.
Example #3:
May Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) make our last words be la-illaha-illallah
Example #4:
Dhikr of “La Ilaha Illa Allah” is the key to get aware of oneself, hidden secrets of life, the universe and the Almighty Allah.
Example #5:
This world of wealth, these bonds we hold and ties we carry are all illusions—idols veiled; there’s but one God, none but He.
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