“Insha’Allah” means “God willing” in Arabic and is used by devout Muslims when making plans to ask for God’s blessing and acknowledge submission to God’s will. It is also mentioned in the Qur’an and a similar sentiment appears in the Bible. “Masha’Allah” means “God willed it.” Visitors to the Middle East may hear “insha’Allah” used as a euphemism for “we’ll see.”
The phrase insha’Allah means “God wills” or “if God wills” in Arabic. Devout Muslims say “insha’Allah” whenever they make a statement about a plan to do something, in a way of asking God to bless the activity. The phrase also acknowledges submission to God, with the speaker placing himself in God’s hands and accepting the fact that God sometimes works in inscrutable ways.
In the Qur’an, Muslims are told that they should never say they will do a particular thing in the future without adding “insha’Allah” to the statement. Some Christians are surprised to learn that a similar sentiment also appears in the Bible, in the epistle of James, which says people should remember that they never know what tomorrow will bring, so God’s will should always be recognized when making plans .
In a classic parable about why Muslims should say “insha’Allah” before doing something, a Muslim meets a friend on his way to the market and says he intends to buy something there, but does not add “insha’Allah” because he is sure that the action will be done. When he reaches the market and goes to complete the transaction, he discovers that his purse has been stolen, making him unable to make the purchase, and her wife scolds him, saying she should have said “insha’Allah” .
As a general rule, “insha’Allah” is said when making a statement about a plan, such as “Tomorrow I will buy a car, insha’Allah”. If the phrase is omitted accidentally, some believe that it can be added later, as soon as the omission has been made, but “insha’Allah” cannot be said in retrospect, for obviously God’s will has already been done.
A related phrase is masha’Allah, which means “God willed it.” Both phrases exemplify the idea that devout Muslims submit to God’s will as part of their religious faith. A Muslim who follows the pillars of Islam and behaves righteously also hopes to get God’s blessings by saying “insha’Allah” but also accepts that God may have other plans as a result of a commitment to do something.
Visitors to the Middle East often hear “insha’Allah” used as a euphemism for “we’ll see,” which can be a source of frustration for some people. It can be helpful to remember that most people are too polite to say that something simply won’t happen, so adding “insha’Allah” to a statement can convey the idea that something is, in some sense, worthy of God, whether it’s captivating a well-timed train or closing a deal to sell a house.
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