In sha Allah: if Allah wills

You will hear Muslims say in sha Allah many times a day. "See you tomorrow, in sha Allah." "I will call you after work, in sha Allah." It is one of the first phrases most new Muslims pick up. In this lesson you will learn what it means, where it comes from, and how to use it honestly.

What it means

In means if. Sha means wills. Allah is the Arabic word for God, the One God. Put together, in sha Allah means if Allah wills.

When you say it about a plan, you are saying two things at once: I really intend to do this, and it will only happen if Allah wills it. That is not doubt or gloom. It is simply honest. You make the plan and do your part, and the outcome belongs to Allah.

Where it comes from

The Quran teaches this phrase directly. Allah says to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and through him to every believer:

And never say of anything, "Indeed, I will do that tomorrow," Except [when adding], "If Allah wills." And remember your Lord when you forget [it] and say, "Perhaps my Lord will guide me to what is nearer than this to right conduct."

Quran 18:23-24 (Saheeh International translation)

Scholars of Quran explanation (tafsir) say these verses are about something you have decided to do: you connect your words to Allah's will by saying in sha Allah. And if you forget to say it, you say it when you remember. You simply remember Allah and carry on.

Later in the same chapter, the Prophet Musa (Moses), peace be upon him, uses the phrase himself when he promises to be patient:

[Moses] said, "You will find me, if Allah wills, patient, and I will not disobey you in [any] order."

Quran 18:69 (Saheeh International translation)

The Prophet Muhammad spoke this way too. When he fasted the day of Ashura (the tenth day of the month of Muharram), he said that the next year, in sha Allah, he would fast the ninth day. He passed away before that year came (Sahih Muslim 1134). His plan was real, and he left the outcome with Allah.

Say it and mean it

Because in sha Allah is tied to a real intention, it should not become a polite way of saying no. Sometimes people answer an invitation with "in sha Allah" when they already know they will not go. The other person hears a yes, and later feels let down.

Islam asks you to be truthful in small things as well as big ones. The Prophet said:

Adhere to truthfulness, for truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise.

Sahih al-Bukhari 6094 and Sahih Muslim 2607 (agreed upon)

A small note: the Spanish word ojalá comes from an Arabic phrase once used in al-Andalus (Muslim Spain), law sha Allah, built on the same words. If you speak Spanish, you may have been saying a relative of this phrase all your life.

Next, you will learn Subhan Allah, a phrase for moments of wonder.