Word Meaning
ला-इलाहा-इल्ला-हू
lā-ilāha-illā-hū
Meaning
There is no deity except He; proclamation of absolute Divine oneness.
Detailed Meaning
An Arabic theological formula meaning 'there is no god but He', encapsulating the supreme declaration of divine unity. In Sufi and classical Urdu poetry, it represents the station of mystical gnosis where the duality of the self and the other dissolves. In this couplet, it is presented as a spiritual wine served by the cupbearer that wipes away the illusion of 'I and thou'.
Etymology
Arabic: composed of 'lā' (no), 'ilāha' (deity), 'illā' (except), and 'hū/huwa' (He/Allah).
Usage
In classical ghazal, it is frequently invoked as a metaphor for mystic wine that dissolves the ego and brings liberation from duality.
Examples
The mystic drowned in the ecstasy of 'la-ilaha-illa-hu'.
The wine of 'la-ilaha-illa-hu' banishes all worldly sorrow.