إن شاء الله
ʔin šāʔa llāhu/ʔin ʃaː.ʔa‿lˤ.lˤaːh/
The English phrase 'if God wills it' is translated into Arabic as إن شاء الله (ʔin šāʔa llāhu).
إن شاء الله is used to express that a future event will happen only if it is intended by God. This phrase is used by Muslims and Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews to express hope or intention regarding a future event while acknowledging divine will.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the conditional particle إن (if), the verb شاء (willed/intended) and الله (God).
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase إن شاء الله, the verb شاء is in the past tense (perfective aspect), which is the standard grammatical construction for this conditional expression in Arabic.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is ʔin ʃaː.ʔa‿lˤ.lˤaːh. It has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- While it means 'if god wills it', إن شاء الله is often used in social contexts as a polite way to avoid giving a firm 'yes' or 'no' to a request.
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, mentioning a future plan without adding إن شاء الله can be seen as arrogant or as tempting fate.
- The word الله is theorized by some scholars to be a contraction of الٱِلٰه (al-ilāh), meaning 'the deity'.
Examples in context
- سأراك غداً إن شاء الله.Sa'araka ghadan in sha' Allah.I will see you tomorrow, if God wills it.
- سوف ننجح في الاختبار إن شاء الله.Sawfa nanjahu fi al-ikhtibar in sha' Allah.We will succeed in the exam, if God wills it.
- سأزورك في الأسبوع القادم إن شاء الله.Sa'azuruka fi al-usbu' al-qadim in sha' Allah.I will visit you next week, if God wills it.
Example conversation
Mariam and Ziyad are planning a meeting.
- مريم Maryamهل ستأتي إلى الحفلة يا زياد؟Hal sata'ti ila al-hafla ya Ziyad?Will you come to the party, Ziyad?
- زياد Ziadنعم، سأحضر إن شاء الله.Na'am, sa-ahduru in sha Allah.Yes, I will attend, if God wills it.
- مريم Maryamممتاز، سأراك هناك إذاً.Mumtaz, sa-araka hunaka idhan.Great, I will see you there then.
- زياد Ziadاتفقنا، إلى اللقاء.Ittafaqna, ila al-liqa'.Agreed, see you later.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry إن شاء الله, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries إن, الله, شاء, CC BY-SA 4.0.
