Insha Allah

Inshāʾ Allāh, meaning "if God wills," is a phrase Muslims use in their daily speech when referring to something they intend to do in the future, or to express hope for the acceptance of a prayer.

The Qur'an and the infallible figures have recommended that Muslims say "Insha' Allah" when referring to actions they intend to perform in the future. For this reason, the phrase has entered the everyday speech of religious people and is used as a sign of reliance on God in their daily lives.

In verses 23 and 24 of Qur'an 18, God instructs the Prophet (s) never to say that he will certainly do something the next day unless he adds, "if God wills." In a narration transmitted from Imam al-Sadiq (a), regarding the occasion of the revelation of these verses, it is stated that a group of Jews came to the Prophet (s) to question him, and the Prophet (s), without saying ‘Insha' Allah,’ told them to return the next day for an answer. After this, Gabriel did not bring revelation to him for forty days, and finally, after this period, these verses were revealed to him.

In another narration mentioned under the same verses, regarding the importance of saying "Insha' Allah," it is stated that whenever someone forgets to say it, he should utter the phrase whenever he remembers. Likewise, in a narration transmitted by al-Kulayni, Imam al-Ṣadiq (a) instructed that a letter be written, and after the writing was completed, when he saw that it did not contain the phrase "Insha' Allah," he said, "How did you expect this letter to be complete without ‘Insha' Allah’?" He then ordered that the phrase be added to it.

According to Nasir Makarim Shirazi, a Shia jurist and exegete, in Tafsir-i nimuna, saying the phrase ‘Insha' Allah’ when expressing decisions about the future is a form of courtesy before God and reflects the doctrine of divine unity in actions. This means that although human beings have choice and freedom of will, nevertheless, the realization of every matter and every action is regarded as dependent upon God's will and decree.”

Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i, author of Tafsir al-Mizan, also maintains that when a person says "Insha' Allah" regarding an action they intend to perform, what is meant is that the action will occur only if it accords with God's generative will.

• A sign of the completeness of a person's faith is that they say "Inshaallah" in every matter. Muttaqi Hindi, Kanz al-‘Ummal, 1401 AH, vol. 3, p. 55.
• A calligraphic rendering of part of verse 99 of Qur'an 12, containing the phrase "Insha' Allah," written in thuluth script by the Syrian calligrapher Muhammad Badawi al-Dirani in 1353 AH/ 1934 CE.