ما شاء الله
māshā'allāh/maː ʃaː.ʔa aɫ.ɫaː(h)/word by word
ما شاء الله (māshā'allāh) (mashallah) is the Arabic way to say 'God has willed it'.
The phrase is used to express admiration, gratitude or to acknowledge something good. It is a common way to express appreciation, joy or praise for something beautiful or good that has occurred.
Meaning: God has willed it (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of mā (what/that which), shā'a (willed) and Allāh (God), literally meaning 'what God has willed'.
Which one should you use?
While ما شاء الله focuses on God's will regarding an event, the related expression تبارك الله (Tabarak Allah), which means 'Blessed is God', is often used to emphasize the blessing itself.
How do you pronounce it?
māshā'allāh (/maː ʃaː.ʔa aɫ.ɫaː(h)/). It has 3 syllables.
When do people say it?
When complimenting someone, it is customary to add Masha'Allah tabarak Allah to extend blessings. Additionally, it is common to respond to a compliment with Mashallah or Mashallah tabarak Allah when being personally thanked or praised.
Did you know?
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, mashallah is used as a verbal charm to protect a person or object from the 'evil eye'. Saying it during a compliment signals that the speaker has no envy, preventing accidental bad luck.
- In some contexts, mashallah can be used sarcastically to comment on something surprisingly bad or an absurd situation, acting as a ironic 'wonderful' or 'great'.
- While it is an Arabic phrase, mashallah is used by millions of non-Arabic speakers across the globe, including in Turkey, Indonesia and Bosnia, due to its role in Islamic prayer and tradition.
Examples in context
- ما شاء الله، هذا بيت جميل جداً.Ma sha' Allah, hadha bayt jamil jiddan.Mashallah, this is a very beautiful house.
- ما شاء الله، لقد نجح في الامتحان.Ma sha' Allah, laqad najaha fi al-imtihan.Mashallah, he passed the exam.
Example conversation
Ahmed and Maryam are discussing Maryam's new job promotion.
- أحمد Ahmedسمعت أنكِ حصلتِ على ترقية، ما شاء الله!sami'tu annaki hasalti 'ala tarqiya, masha'Allah!I heard that you got a promotion, mashallah!
- مريم Maryamشكراً لك يا أحمد.shukran laka ya Ahmed.Thank you, Ahmed.
- أحمد Ahmedأنتِ تستحقين ذلك فعلاً.anti tastahiqqina dhalika fi'lan.You truly deserve it.
- مريم Maryamهذا من لطفك، شكراً.hadha min lutfika, shukran.That is kind of you, thank you.
