إن شاء الله
In shāʾ Allāh
Topic
“If God wills”: said whenever one speaks of the future, in acknowledgement that outcomes rest with God.
What it means
In shāʾ Allāh means “if God wills”. Muslims say it whenever they speak of something they intend to do, and they say it as an acknowledgement that no plan comes to pass unless God allows it. The Quran teaches it directly: “Never say of anything, ‘I will do that tomorrow,’ without adding, ‘if God wills’” (18:23–24). Examples of the phrase appear in the Quran in the speech of prophets, as when Ishmael tells his father that he will find him patient “if God wills” (37:102). People use the phrase when making promises, arranging meetings and stating hopes. It reminds the speaker that his own effort is real but depends on God’s decree.
Often misunderstood as
It is often taken as a polite way of saying “maybe” or “probably not”, while the phrase expresses the speaker’s intention together with trust in God.
Term and Arabic as listed in Ismail al Faruqi, Toward Islamic English (International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1995), p. 58, listed as IN SHĀ’A ALLAH.. The definition is restated here.