Is it permissible to say "La ilaha illa ghayruhu" (There is no god except other than Him) using the exclusive "illa," or is the word "ghayruhu" (other than Him) alone sufficient, as it inherently implies exclusion?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The word "غير" (ghayr) in Arabic carries two meanings, and here it is used for exception. Therefore, it is incorrect to say: "لا إله إلا غيره" (there is no god except other than Him), because this implies affirming divinity for other than Allah and negating it from Him, which is a grave act of disbelief (kufr). The correct statement for the speaker is: "لا إله إلا الله" (there is no god except Allah), or "لا إله غيره" (there is no god other than Him).
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/132867
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 132867
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy