‘Insha’Allah‘ is a word I heard growing up from the Muslims I interacted with who were either friends of my family, school or college mates and later colleagues.
It’s a lovely word that means ‘if God so wills it’. And yet, it’s not a word that has any fatalistic tones to it. Rather, it’s an affirmation of faith in a God who always work for our good.
Incidentally, that’s the kind of God I believe in. An all-loving God who works in ways we may not always fathom, but who knows what we need. But let me qualify that.
It’s easy to blame the world’s problems on God. A recent post by Danny Brown, one of the most inspiring bloggers I know, quotes a ‘Christian’ who talked about the refugee crisis being one of the unfathomable acts of God! Really? We take and take from the Earth. We plunder and loot her resources. We attack other nations for flimsy reasons. We torture, rape and kill those whose notions of faith and God are different from our own. And yet, we conveniently blame it on God.
No. That just doesn’t sit right with me.
The God I believe in wants us to get off our butt and do something brave with our lives. He challenges us to move out of our comfort zones. He pushes us to reach out to others in kindness.
And when we have done all we can, then we have the right to say, ‘Insha’Allah’.
Let me share this poem from Danusha Lameris
I don’t know when it slipped into my speech
that soft word meaning, “if God wills it.”
Insha’Allah I will see you next summer.
The baby will come in spring, insha’Allah.
Insha’Allah this year we will have enough rain.So many plans I’ve laid have unraveled
easily as braids beneath my mother’s quick fingers.Every language must have a word for this.
A word our grandmothers uttered
under their breath as they pinned the whites, soaked in lemon, hung them to dry in the sun, or peeled potatoes, dropping the discarded skins into a bowl.Our sons will return next month, insha’Allah. Insha’Allah this war will end, soon. Insha’Allah the rice will be enough to last through winter.
How lightly we learn to hold hope,
as if it were an animal that could turn around
and bite your hand. And still we carry it
the way a mother would, carefully,
from one day to the next.
Let us act positively and hope actively!
I’m linking in to Write Tribe’s #MondayMusings today.
Pic credit : Deviant Art
I cannot believe someone blamed it on God.. perhaps a way of setting their conscience free?
I think you’re right, Anks!
A powerful post. I just returned from a mourning ceremony being held for my childhood friend. It was Jewish, and it is interesting that the Mourner’s Kaddish, our prayer, is completely a praise of G-d and a prayer for peace. The mourning customs require the community to support the mourners, and allow everyone to express grief but also move forward.
My condolences on your friend’s passing.
I’ve read the English translation of the Mourner’s Kaddish, Alana. It must be so much more meaningful in Hebrew.
I guess faith is all about moving forward.
I think we as humans like to take the easy way out and put the blame on anyone except ourselves…Look at the wars we wage in the name of religion and then say God wants us to do this…
In fact, why only this..Look at the small things in life which go wrong and the instinct is to say ‘Why God why?’…
I think it needs a lot of courage to accept that it is our wrong doing and very few have that!
“And when we have done all we can, then we have the right to say, ‘Insha’Allah’.”
So many people want the benefits without assuming the responsibilities, the blessings without the offerings. The scales don’t work that way.
Love how you said it, LuAnn. Yes, life doesn’t work that way, although some of us wish it did!
“And when we have done all we can, then we have the right to say, ‘Insha’Allah’.” I so like and agree with this powerful thought. But more often than not, without acting responsibly, we blame it on God!
I guess it’s the easiest thing to do, Shilpa! Anything else, is hard work!
A very thought provoking post Corinne … it’s easy to blame somebody, anybody, God is convenient, when people don’t take any responsibility for their own actions. And then the other side of it, when governments go to war, it’s always “with God on their side” Poor God , gets it every way.
Fil
Fil’s Place – Old songs and Memories
Oh yes! How we lie to ourselves in the name of God! Thank you for your thoughts, Fil.
Nice post.
I don’t normally participate in any religious discussions. I believe that it’s a bit personal thing and we humans don’t qualify to judge the others… Imagine, we can’t know what someone thinks or believes unless he/she reacts.
What I believe in is HUMANITY. Being a human, it’s your responsibility to be a human. You’re supposed to be the savior for those who are not humans. If someone believes in GOD, he/she must be good for humans as well as everyone, I guess.
It’s a bit painful how global politics frames the concepts, and people start making their assumptions about the certain religion… but you have to do the right thing. Stay calm, be good, help others, don’t hurt anyone. Just try to be human… Because the world really needs humans.
Thank you for your most meaningful comment, Hasaan. I agree with you completely.
Meaningful post Corinne. I do agree that we cannot blame our sufferings on GOD alone.
Thanks, Mahathi.
Good post! I also wonder how people can blame God for the terrible things man causes. When things go wrong, many times we are suffering the consequences of our own bad decisions or passions in our personal lives, but acknowledging that requires introspection. Some folks can’t do that. I pray I will always be willing.
I love how you turned this inward, Dorothy. I pray the same thing for myself.
I love the way you have articulated the follies of man…God sees all!
That’s why this word ‘Insha’Allah’ is so significant.
Thanks for shaking us out of slumber.
Thanks a lot, Balroop.
Great piece Corinne! I had never heard that before but is beautiful. Blaming God for our problems is so wrong when it is man who should take all of the blame for the messes we get into to!
Glad you liked it, Rena! I agree.
You are very true, Corinne, Every thing happens with God’s blessing. We must be grateful to Him for all His mercies.
Thanks for your comment, Mrs Menon.
Hi Corinne! The title of this post caught my eye because my husband and I will be traveling to Egypt in December and this is one of the phrases that it is recommended we learn and use because it is so popular there. Thank you for putting it in such a beautiful context. I think you and I believe in the same sort of Ultimate Reality and knowing that, how can we not see everything thing unfolding in a good and perfect way. I agree that sometimes it looks messy or is difficult to understand, but when you believe in Ultimate Goodness, how can it be any other way. Insha’Allah…. let’s all do as you say to act positively and hope actively! ~Kathy
P.S. LOVE the poem too!
Very good post, God gave man the freedom of choice…obviously, most haven’t made the best ones!
Humans are always looking for a way out, to explain why they don’t want to take action.
All works of holy people like the Bible say we should reach out and help others. With our free
will we tend to make lots of mistakes. Great post, Beth
Thank you for sharing that phrase with us, I had never heard it before.
I am absolutely in love with your last line…’Let us act positively and hope actively!’
🙂
Whats happening on earth is to be blamed on people on this planet. if we still survive with depleting natural resources and human values is because of the power above. Insha’Allah, we the inhabitants of the planet will show some good sense to set right the destruction we have caused.
I agree. I too believe in a loving God, but also in human free will. We can’t go blame our own actions on God.
“Let’s act positively and hope actively.” I love that statement and plan to move forward this week taking it to heart. I agree, we do the best we can with our best intentions and then, “Insha”Allah.”
What a lovely and inspiring post, Corrine. I agree that we can’t sit on our hands and blame God for all that goes wrong here. The evil arises from fear in my opinion. I wish I had more power and knew what to do instead of watching helplessly. There’s always hope. I hang on to hope.
I believe as you do. God only helps those who help themselves. Inspiring post! ♥
That’s the way it works! Or at least I think so.
Ah, but how do you know if God wills it if you don’t know God’s will? Someone who would say that “refugee crisis being one of the unfathomable acts of God” obviously doesn’t know God at all! If one never reads their Bible, they will never know God’s will – it is all throughout His Word – His love letters to us. To know Him is to know He loves us unconditionally. His promises might have conditions, i.e., “If you do this, then that happens” – but His love? Totally unconditional. I have spent the last several years learning just how much He loves me. Nothing will ever again be able to take me off that stand or convince me He doesn’t! Another good posts, my friend!!
Some words are an inherent part of my childhood – this is one of them. It was one of the most common words that was repeated many times through the day as people went about their routines. And it’s true, isn’t it? You’re right though, nothing does happen till we make it happen. Even God can help only when we take that first step ourselves.
Yes, Hyderbadis and Lucknowis will appreciate that word so much, Tulika. I guess it became a part of our mindset too. Here’s hoping we can all work to make a difference, Insha’Allah.
I know you do with your children and other people’s children too.
Meaningful post and a beautiful poem. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Hi Corinne,
Thanks for referencing my post, miss, especially with such a beautiful complementary piece – it’s sincerely appreciated, and started some great thoughts in the comments.
To the person that instigated my own post, I think he was more or less using the “God works in mysterious ways” argument to push back on my questioning of whether he was more offended by my cursing at the world than he was by a dead child lying on a beach hundreds of miles away from home. Perhaps he was saying blame can’t be apportioned, but if it’s caused by religious wars, then it can be excused?
I don’t know – seemed a bit of a copout to me. But then I’m not a religious person, so probably not the best person to ask. 🙂
All that being said, religious or not, I think all of humanity can benefit by living the closing words of your post:
Let us act positively and hope actively!
Here’s to that, and to you.
“If God wills it . . .” That says it all, Corinne!
Blessings!
lovely post and I fully agree with you when you say that God helps those who help themselves…..and to blame God for our actions is the most pathetic thing to do :/
Very thought-provoking and inspiring post, Corinne! I agree how we tend to shift the blame to God when we do not wish to own up our mistakes. Loved the poem by Danusha Lameris.
Corinne, loved this post. By the way, I am fond of saying inshallah. I have always loved that word:)
Why am I not surprised, Lata? 🙂
Words of these kinds often lose meaning because of religious coloration but posts like yours remind us their true meaning. God willing the europe crisis will find its correct solution…
I was curious to know about this particular post, on seeing the title. I tried reading through the hand device, but couldn’t due to some tech glitch.
Today as I read your post, I had one single thought in my mind. Somewhere, we all, irrespective of the religion do believe, that God is the Almighty and only his will prevails.
thought provoking post.
Great piece of writing and courageous too, given the prejudices rampant today. I hope people understand that God or the Supreme Deity that they worship would never want divisions and injustices in His name….