إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون
Innā lillāhi wa-innā ilayhi rājiʿūn
Topic
“We belong to God and to Him we shall return”: said on meeting loss, grief or the news of a death.
What it means
This phrase comes from the Quran (2:156), which describes those who are patient as the ones “who, when affliction strikes them, say: ‘We belong to God, and to Him we shall return.’” Muslims say it on hearing of a death, and on any loss, tragedy or sorrow. It affirms that life, health and possessions all belong to God, and that every person will return to Him. The saying is reported in Sahih Muslim, in the account of Umm Salama, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught it together with a prayer: “O God, reward me in my affliction and give me something better in its place.” People often say it at funerals and when they offer condolences.
Often misunderstood as
Observers sometimes see it as a statement of resignation, whereas it is a statement of trust in God and an expression of patience.
Term and Arabic as listed in Ismail al Faruqi, Toward Islamic English (International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1995), p. 57, listed as INNĀ LILLAHI WA INNĀ ILAYHI RĀJI‘ŪN.. The definition is restated here.