La Ilaha Illa Anta
Definition
La ilaha illa anta, subhanaka, inni kuntu mina al-zalimin — 'There is no god but You, glory be to You, indeed I was among the wrongdoers' — is the supplication Yunus made from the belly of the whale, and the Prophet ﷺ stated that no believer who calls upon Allah with these words in any distress except that Allah responds to them. Ibn Kathir analyzes each component: the declaration of tawhid (La ilaha illa anta) establishes who is being addressed; the tasbiha (subhanaka) acknowledges divine perfection and distance from any imperfection in the situation; and the admission of wrongdoing (inni kuntu mina al-zalimin) provides the sincerity and self-accusation that makes the prayer genuine rather than mere words. The three together are the complete template of sincere supplication.
As understood in the classical tradition of Ibn Kathir and the scholars of his school.
How the scholars use La Ilaha Illa Anta.
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"The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Whoever attends a gathering in which he engages in much clamor, let him say before leaving, 'Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, ash-hadu an la ilaha illa anta, astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk' (Glory be to You, O Allah, and with Your Praise, I bear witness that there is no deity except You, I seek Your forgiveness and repent to You), except that he is forgiven for what occurred during that gathering.""
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 15: Friendship and Brotherhood
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"If he rose from his gathering, he would say: "Subhanak Allahumma wa bihamdika, ash-hadu an la ilaha illa anta, astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk" [Glory be to You, O Allah, and with Your Praise. I testify that there is no deity but You. I seek Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance], then say: Gabriel taught me these phrases."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 20: The Book of the Prophetic Character
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