La ilaha illallah
There is no god but God — the central Sufi zikr of divine unity and the heart of Islamic remembrance.
Original
Transliteration
Lā ilāha illā Allāh
Translation
There is no god but God — nothing is real but the Real.
Quick answer
La ilaha illallah means 'there is no god but God.' It is the central Sufi zikr — a phrase of divine unity repeated to empty the heart of all false attachment and remember the one Reality.
- Tradition
- Sufi Zikr
- Language
- Arabic
- Repetitions
- 33, 100, or 1,000 times — often counted on a tasbih of 99 or 33 beads.
- Best time
- Before dawn (the hour of tahajjud) and after evening prayer are traditionally the most potent.
- Best for
- Purification of the heart, Group zikr circles, Letting go of attachment
Line by line
Lā ilāha
There is no deity, no ultimate reality, nothing worthy of worship —
illā Allāh
except God alone, the one boundless Reality.
Meaning
Literal
A declaration that there is no deity except God — the first half of the Islamic testimony of faith, and the most repeated phrase in Sufi zikr.
Spiritual interpretation
Sufis hear this phrase as an inner emptying. 'Lā ilāha' negates every false object of the heart's worship — fear, image, craving, self — and 'illā Allāh' affirms what remains when all illusion falls away. Repeated with the breath, it becomes a purification of attachment rather than a statement of belief.
What this mantra is used for
How to chant
Traditionally chanted seated in a circle or alone with the eyes closed. Many Sufi orders coordinate the phrase with breath and a gentle turn of the head: 'Lā ilāha' released outward, 'illā Allāh' drawn inward toward the heart. Begin slowly and let the rhythm settle.
When to chant
Before dawn (the hour of tahajjud) and after evening prayer are traditionally the most potent.
Traditional count: 33, 100, or 1,000 times — often counted on a tasbih of 99 or 33 beads.
Origin & context
The first half of the Islamic shahada, drawn from the Qur'an (e.g. 37:35, 47:19). Adopted as the foundational zikr of nearly every Sufi order, from the Qadiriyya to the Naqshbandiyya and Mevleviyya.
Related mantras
Allah Hu
God — He, the Absolute. The breath-zikr in which the name of God dissolves into pure presence.
Ya Hayy Ya Qayyum
O Ever-Living, O Self-Sustaining — the Sufi zikr of vitality, healing, and renewal.
Hasbi Rabbi Jallallah
My Lord is enough for me — a Sufi zikr of trust, surrender, and release from worry.
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Frequently asked questions
What does La ilaha illallah mean?+
It means 'there is no god but God.' Sufis read it as both a statement of divine unity and an inner practice of releasing every false attachment of the heart.
Is this a mantra or a prayer?+
In Islam it is called zikr — remembrance. It functions much as a mantra does: a sacred phrase repeated rhythmically to still and purify the mind.
How many times is it repeated?+
Commonly 33, 100, or 1,000 repetitions, counted on a tasbih (prayer beads).
Can non-Muslims chant it?+
Many Sufi teachers welcome sincere seekers of any background to sit in zikr. Approach it with reverence and, where possible, with guidance.