ءلا

Root entry · 18 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the particle 'illa' (إلا), which functions as an exception, a conditional particle, or a conjunction. It explores its various grammatical roles, meanings, and syntactic behaviors, including its use in negation, affirmation, and as a substitute for other particles like 'ghayr' (غير) and 'lakin' (لكن).

Derived headwords

إلاparticle

1.
exceptboth
Used to exclude a noun or phrase from a preceding statement, functioning as an exception.
2.
if notboth
Functions as a conditional particle, often meaning 'if not' or 'unless', and can cause the following verb to be in the jussive mood.
3.
butclassical
Used in a disjunctive sense, similar to 'but' or 'however', especially in interrupted or disconnected clauses.
4.
unlessboth
Indicates an exception or condition under which the main clause does not apply.
5.
except forboth
Used to denote something that is excluded from a general rule or category.

إلا تفعلوه تكن فتنة في الأرض وفساد كبير — If you do not do it, there will be in the land corruption and great mischief.

فشربوا منه إلا قليلا منهم — So they drank of it, except a few of them.

ما فعلوه إلا قليل منهم — They did not do it except a few of them.

لو كان فيهما آلهة إلا الله لفسدتا — If there were within them [heaven and earth] gods other than Allah, they both would have been ruined.

إلىparticle

1.
toboth
A preposition indicating direction, extent, or purpose.

إليك وعليك — towards you and upon you

علىparticle

1.
onboth
A preposition indicating position, superiority, or obligation.

إليك وعليك — towards you and upon you

وعليك — and upon you

لدىparticle

1.
atboth
A preposition indicating presence, possession, or proximity.

حتىparticle

1.
untilboth
A particle indicating a limit in time, extent, or degree.

أماparticle

1.
as forboth
A particle used to introduce a new topic or contrast, often translated as 'as for' or 'but'.

إذاparticle

1.
ifboth
A conditional particle introducing a clause that states a condition.

بلىparticle

1.
yesboth
A particle used to affirm a preceding negative statement.

بلى — Yes

غيرnoun

1.
other thanboth
Used to denote something different from or outside of a specified category, functioning similarly to 'except'.

غير الفرقدين — other than the two stars (al-Farqadain)

سوىnoun

1.
other thanboth
Similar to 'ghayr', used to indicate exclusion or difference.

سوى الله — other than Allah

لكنparticle

1.
butboth
A conjunction used to introduce a statement that contrasts with or contradicts a previous statement.

لماparticle

1.
whenboth
A particle used to indicate time, often translated as 'when' or 'since'.
2.
not yetboth
Used in negative constructions to indicate that something has not happened yet.

إن كل إلا كذب الرسل — Indeed, all except [those who believed] denied the messengers.

إن كل إلا كذب الرسل — Indeed, all when they denied the messengers.

الفرقدانname

1.
the two stars (al-Farqadain)classical
A proper noun referring to two stars in the constellation Ursa Minor.

إلا الفرقدان — except the two stars (al-Farqadain)

اليعافيرnoun

1.
wild bullsclassical
Plural of 'ya'fūr', referring to wild bulls or antelopes.

إلا اليعافير — except the wild bulls

العيسnoun

1.
camelsclassical
Plural of 'ays', referring to camels, especially those used for riding.

وإلا العيس — and except the camels

قوم يونسname

1.
the people of Jonahclassical
Refers to the community to whom the prophet Jonah was sent.

إلا قوم يونس — except the people of Jonah

الموتة الأولىnoun

1.
the first deathclassical
Refers to the initial death experienced by humans before resurrection.

إلا الموتة الأولى — except the first death

ما قد سلفother

1.
what has passedclassical
Refers to actions or situations that occurred in the past.

إلا ما قد سلف — except what has passed

Parallel reading

إلا تكون استثناء، وتكون حرف جزاء أصلها إن لا

Illa is an exception, and it is a particle of retribution, its origin being 'in la'.

وهما معا لا يمالان لأنهما من الأدوات والأدوات لا تمال

And both of them are not inclined [in pronunciation] because they are particles, and particles are not inclined.

لا يجوز في شيء منها الإمالة لأنها ليست بأسماء

Imala is not permissible in any of them because they are not nouns.

الألفات لا تكون فيها الإمالة

The alifs do not have imala in them.

فإذا اتصل به المضمر قلبته فقلت إليك وعليك

And when you attach a pronoun to it, you invert it, so you say 'ilayka' and 'alayka'.

وبعض العرب يتركه على حاله فيقول إلاك وعلاك

And some Arabs leave it as it is, so they say 'ilak' and 'alak'.

فإذا سميت بها لحقت بالأسماء فجعلت الألف فيها منقلبة عن الياء وعن الواو

And when you name [something] with them, it attaches to nouns, and the alif in them is made to be inverted from ya and from waw.

فما سمع فيه الإمالة يثنى بالياء نحو بلى، تقول فيها بليان

And what imala is heard in it is dualized with ya, like 'bala', so you say 'baliyan' for it.

وما لم يسمع فيه الإمالة ثني بالواو نحو إلى وعلى، تقول في تثنيتهما اسمين إلوان وعلوان

And what imala is not heard in it is dualized with waw, like 'ila' and 'ala', so you say 'ilwan' and 'alwan' for their dualization as names.

فإنها تلي الأفعال المستقبلة فتجزمها

For it follows future verbs and makes them jussive.

من ذلك قوله عز وجل: إلا تفعلوه تكن فتنة في الأرض وفساد كبير

Among that is His saying, the Almighty: 'If you do not do it, there will be in the land corruption and great mischief.'

فجزم تفعلوه وتكن بإلا كما تفعل إن التي هي أم الجزاء وهي في بابها

So 'taf'aluhu' and 'takun' are made jussive by 'illa' just as 'in', which is the mother of retribution, does, and it is in its category.

وأما إلا فهي حرف استثناء يستثنى بها على خمسة أوجه

As for 'illa', it is a particle of exception used in five ways.

وصوابها أن يقول الاستثناء بإلا يكون بعد الإيجاب وبعد النفي متصلا ومنقطعا ومقدما ومؤخرا

And its correctness is that the exception with 'illa' occurs after affirmation and after negation, connected and disconnected, and preceding and succeeding.

وتكون هي وما بعدها نعتا أو بدلا

And it and what follows it can be an adjective or a substitute.

فإن وصفت بها جعلتها وما بعدها في موضع غير وأتبعت الاسم بعدها ما قبله في الإعراب

And if you describe with it, you make it and what follows it in the place of 'ghayr', and you follow the noun after it with what preceded it in the case ending.

فقلت جاءني القوم إلا زيد، كقوله تعالى: لو كان فيهما آلهة إلا الله لفسدتا

So you say, 'The people came to me except Zayd,' like His saying, the Almighty: 'If there were within them [heaven and earth] gods other than Allah, they both would have been ruined.'

كأنه قال: غير الفرقدين

As if he said: 'other than the two stars'.

وأصل إلا الاستثناء والصفة عارضة

And the origin of 'illa' is exception, and description is incidental.

وقد تكون إلا بمنزلة الواو في العطف

And 'illa' can be in the position of 'waw' in conjunction.

يريد: أرى لها دارا ورمادا

He means: 'I see for her a dwelling and ashes'.

أما إلا التي هي للإستثناء فإنها تكون بمعنى غير، وتكون بمعنى سوى، وتكون بمعنى لكن، وتكون بمعنى لما، وتكون بمعنى الاستثناء المحض

As for 'illa' which is for exception, it can mean 'ghayr', and it can mean 'siwa', and it can mean 'lakin', and it can mean 'lamma', and it can mean pure exception.

إذا استثنيت بإلا من كلام ليس في أوله جحد فانصب ما بعد إلا

If you make an exception with 'illa' from a statement that has no negation at its beginning, then make what is after 'illa' accusative.

وإذا استثنيت بها من كلام أوله جحد فارفع ما بعدها

And if you make an exception with it from a statement that has negation at its beginning, then make what is after it nominative.

وهذا أكثر كلام العرب وعليه العمل

And this is the most common usage of the Arabs, and it is acted upon.

فنصب لأنه لا جحد في أوله

So he made it accusative because there was no negation at its beginning.

فرفع لأن في أوله الجحد

So he made it nominative because there was negation at its beginning.

فإن الفراء قال: الكلام في هذا البيت في معنى جحد ولذلك رفع بإلا كأنه قال ما أحد إلا مفارقه أخوه إلا الفرقدان

So Al-Farra' said: The speech in this verse is in the meaning of negation, and therefore it is made nominative with 'illa', as if he said: No one is spared except that his brother parts from him, except the two stars.

فجعلها مترجما عن قوله ما أحد

So he made it a translation of his saying 'no one'.

جعله الخليل بدلا من معنى الكلام كأنه قال: ما أحد إلا يتغير من وقع الحوادث إلا الصارم الذكر

Al-Khalil made it a substitute for the meaning of the speech, as if he said: No one is spared from the impact of events except the sharp sword.

فإلا هاهنا بمعنى غير، كأنه قال غيري وغير الصارم الذكر

So 'illa' here means 'ghayr', as if he said 'other than me' and 'other than the sharp sword'.

قال الفراء: قال: إلا في هذا الموضع بمنزلة سوى كأنك قلت لو كان فيهما آلهة سوى الله لفسدنا

Al-Farra' said: He said: 'illa' in this position is like 'siwa', as if you said, 'If there were within them gods other than Allah, they both would have been ruined'.

وقال غيره من النحويين معناه ما فيهما آلهة إلا الله، ولو كان فيهما سوي الله لفسدتا

And others of the grammarians said: its meaning is 'There are no gods in them except Allah', and 'If there were in them other than Allah, they both would have been ruined'.

وأما قوله تعالى: لئلا يكون للناس عليكم حجة إلا الذين ظلموا منهم فلا تخشوهم

As for His saying, the Almighty: 'Lest there be for people against you an argument except those among them who wronged, so do not fear them.'

قال معناه إلا الذين ظلموا فإنه لا حجة لهم فلا تخشوهم

He said: its meaning is 'except those who wronged, for they have no argument, so do not fear them'.

المعنى لئلا يكون للناس عليكم حجة إلا من ظلم باحتجاجه فيما قد وضح له

The meaning is: 'Lest there be for people against you an argument except for him who wronged by his argumentation in what has become clear to him'.

المعنى ما لك علي حجة البتة ولكنك تظلمني

The meaning is: 'You have no argument against me at all, but you wrong me'.

فقد سميت حجة إلا أنها حجة مبطل، فليست بحجة موجبة حقا

So it has been named an argument, except that it is a void argument, so it is not an argument that establishes a right.

أراد سوى ما قد سلف

He meant: 'other than what has passed'.

فمعناه فهلا كانت قرية أي أهل قرية آمنوا، والمعنى معنى النفي أي فما كانت قرية آمنوا عند نزول العذاب بهم فنفعها إيمانها

So its meaning is: 'Why was there not a town, meaning the people of a town, who believed, and their belief benefited them?' And the meaning is the meaning of negation, meaning: 'There was no town that believed when the punishment descended upon them, and their belief benefited them'.

استثناء ليس من الأول كأنه قال: لكن قوم يونس لما آمنوا انقطعوا من سائر الأمم الذين لم ينفعهم إيمانهم عند نزول العذاب بهم

An exception not from the first, as if he said: 'But the people of Jonah, when they believed, were separated from the rest of the nations whose belief did not benefit them when the punishment descended upon them'.

فنصب أواري على الانقطاع من الأول

So he made 'awari' accusative due to being disconnected from the first.

وأجازوا الرفع في مثل هذا، وإن كان المستثنى ليس من الأول وكان أوله منفيا يجعلونه كالبدل

And they allowed the nominative in such a case, and if the excepted thing is not from the first and its beginning is negative, they make it like a substitute.

ليست اليعافير والعيس من الأنيس فرفعها، ووجه الكلام فيها النصب

The wild bulls and the camels are not among the people, so he made them nominative, and the proper way for the speech in them is accusative.

إذا كان معنى قوله إلا لكن نصب

If the meaning of his saying 'illa' is 'lakin', then it is accusative.

نصب إلا قوم يونس لأنهم منقطعون مما قبل إذ لم يكونوا من جنسه ولا من شكله

He made 'illa Qawm Yunus' accusative because they are disconnected from what preceded, as they were not of its kind or form.

وهي في قراءة عبد الله إن كلهم لما كذب الرسل

And in the recitation of Abdullah, it is: 'Indeed, all of them, when they denied the messengers'.

وتقول: أسألك بالله إلا أعطيتني ولما أعطيتني بمعنى واحد

And you say: 'I ask you by Allah, except that you give me,' and 'when you give me' have the same meaning.

وهو قولك أتاني إخوتك إلا أن يكون زيدا وزيد

And it is your saying: 'Your brothers came to me, except that it be Zayd, and Zayd'.

فمن نصب أراد إلا أن يكون الأمر زيدا

So whoever made it accusative intended 'except that the matter be Zayd'.

ومن رفع به جعل كان هاهنا تامة مكتفية عن الخبر باسمها، كما تقول كان الأمر، كانت القصة

And whoever made it nominative made 'kana' here complete, sufficient without a predicate by its noun, as you say 'the matter was', 'the story was'.

فقال: الأول حط، والثاني زيادة، والثالث حط، والرابع زيادة

So he said: The first is reduction, the second is addition, the third is reduction, and the fourth is addition.

إلا أن تجعل بعض إلا إذا جزت الأول بمعنى الأول فيكون ذلك الاستثناء زيادة لا غير

Unless you make some of the 'illa's, if you pass the first, mean the first, so that exception is an addition and nothing else.

وأما قول أبي عبيدة في إلا الأولى إنها تكون بمعنى الواو فهو خطأ عند الحذاق

As for the saying of Abu Ubaidah about the first 'illa' that it means 'waw', it is an error according to the experts.

أن النبي، صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال أما إن «1» كل بناء وبال على صاحبه إلا ما لا إلا ما لا

That the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Indeed, every building is a burden on its owner, except what is necessary, except what is necessary'.

أي إلا ما لا بد منه للإنسان من الكن الذي تقوم به الحياة

Meaning: 'except what is indispensable for a person from the shelter that sustains life'.