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Inshallah

In sha' Allah[a][b], usually called the Istit̲h̲nāʾ,[1] is an Arabic-language expression meaning 'if God wills' or 'God willing'.[2] It is mentioned in the Quran[3] which requires its use when mentioning future events.[4][5] It signifies that nothing, neither action nor thought, happens without God's permission.[6]

In an Islamic context, it expresses the belief that nothing happens unless God wills it, and that his will supersedes all human will;[7] however, more generally the phrase is commonly used by Muslims, Arab Christians and Arabic speakers of other religions to refer to events that one hopes will happen in the future, having the same meaning as the English word "hopefully".[7][8]

The phrase can take on an ironic context, implying that something will never happen and is left to God's hands, or can be used as a gentle way of declining invitations.[9]


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  1. ^ Encyclopaedia of Islam New edition Three Brill Luzac & Co. 1971 p. 1196
  2. ^ Clift, Rebecca; Helani, Fadi (June 2010). "In Sha'Allah: Religious invocations in Arabic topic transition". Language in Society. 39 (3): 357–382. doi:10.1017/S0047404510000199. S2CID 146788629.
  3. ^ 37:102
  4. ^ 18:23-24
  5. ^ Abdur Rashid Siddiqui (10 December 2015). Qur'anic Keywords: A Reference Guide. Kube Publishing Ltd. ISBN 9780860376767.
  6. ^ Encyclopaedia of Islam New edition Three Brill Luzac & Co. 1971 p. 1196
  7. ^ a b John L. Esposito, ed. (2014). "In Sha Allah". The Oxford Dictionary of Islam. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780195125580.001.0001. ISBN 9780195125580.
  8. ^ Anthony Shadid (11 January 2010). "Allah – The Word". The New York Times.
  9. ^ Ismail, Aymann (30 September 2020). "The One-Word Mystery of the Presidential Debate That Roused Muslims (and Right-Wing Bloggers)". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 30 September 2020.

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