Saying Insha Allah
Total Hadiths 6
Authentic Hadiths on the Blessings of Saying Insha Allah
Uttering the phrase Insha Allah (if Allah wills) is a profound recognition of divine decree and a core practice in a Muslim's speech. According to the provided prophetic traditions, appending this exception to an oath protects the speaker from breaking their promise; if they decide to change their mind later or find themselves unable to fulfill it, they are not considered sinful or guilty of perjury. The hadiths further emphasize the critical nature of this phrase through the historic story of Prophet Solomon. When he vowed to beget sons to fight for the sake of Allah but forgot to declare the divine exception, his plans remained unfulfilled. Islamic scholars highlight from these accounts that remembering to leave our ultimate success to the hands of the Almighty ensures our efforts are blessed, while omitting it can lead to disappointment in our worldly pursuits.
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ حُجَيْرٍ، عَنْ طَاوُسٍ، سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ لأَطُوفَنَّ اللَّيْلَةَ عَلَى تِسْعِينَ امْرَأَةً، كُلٌّ تَلِدُ غُلاَمًا يُقَاتِلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ. فَقَالَ لَهُ صَاحِبُهُ ـ قَالَ سُفْيَانُ يَعْنِي الْمَلَكَ ـ قُلْ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ. فَنَسِيَ، فَطَافَ بِهِنَّ، فَلَمْ تَأْتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْهُنَّ بِوَلَدٍ، إِلاَّ وَاحِدَةٌ بِشِقِّ غُلاَمٍ. فَقَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ يَرْوِيهِ قَالَ " لَوْ قَالَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ، لَمْ يَحْنَثْ وَكَانَ دَرَكًا فِي حَاجَتِهِ ". وَقَالَ مَرَّةً قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لَوِ اسْتَثْنَى ". وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ مِثْلَ حَدِيثِ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ.
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
(The Prophet) Solomon said, "Tonight I will sleep with (my) ninety wives, each of whom will get a male child who will fight for Allah's Cause." On that, his companion (Sufyan said that his companion was an angel) said to him, "Say, "If Allah will (Allah willing)." But Solomon forgot (to say it). He slept with all his wives, but none of the women gave birth to a child, except one who gave birth to a half boy.Abu Huraira added: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If Solomon had said, "If Allah will" (Allah willing), he would not have been unsuccessful in his action, and would have attained what he had desired." Once Abu Huraira added: Allah apostle said, "If he had accepted."
[1] If he had accepted the possibility that Allāh might not fulfil his desire. Such acceptance is expressed by saying, "If Allāh will" ( In sha' Allāh ).Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 6720In-book reference : Book 84, Hadith 13USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 79, Hadith 711
حَدَّثَنَا الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَظِيمِ الْعَنْبَرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَنْبَأَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ طَاوُسٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " مَنْ حَلَفَ فَقَالَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ فَلَهُ ثُنْيَاهُ " .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Whoever swears an oath and says In sha' Allah, he will have made an exception."(2)
[1] Meaning, saying In shā' Allāh (If Allāh wills).[2] Meaning that making the exception will benefit him, in that he will not be guilty of having violated the oath were he not able to fulfill it. See explanation by Sindi.Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 2104In-book reference : Book 11, Hadith 15English translation : Vol. 3, Book 11, Hadith 2104
حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ يُونُسَ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَجْلَحُ الْكِنْدِيُّ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ الأَصَمِّ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " إِذَا حَلَفَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلاَ يَقُلْ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ وَشِئْتَ . وَلَكِنْ لِيَقُلْ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ شِئْتَ " .
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'When anyone of you swears an oath, let him not say: 'What Allah wills and what you will.' Rather let him say: 'What Allah wills and then what you will.'
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 2117In-book reference : Book 11, Hadith 28English translation : Vol. 3, Book 11, Hadith 2117
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " مَنْ حَلَفَ وَاسْتَثْنَى إِنْ شَاءَ رَجَعَ وَإِنْ شَاءَ تَرَكَ غَيْرُ حَانِثٍ " .
Ibn 'Umar Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Whoever swears an oath and says In sha' Allah, if he wishes he may go ahead and if he wishes he may not, without having broken his oath."
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 2105In-book reference : Book 11, Hadith 16English translation : Vol. 3, Book 11, Hadith 2105
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الزُّهْرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، رِوَايَةً قَالَ " مَنْ حَلَفَ وَاسْتَثْنَى فَلَمْ يَحْنَثْ " .
Ibn 'Umar Narrated from:
Whoever swears an oath and says In sha' Allah, will never break his oath.
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 2106In-book reference : Book 11, Hadith 17English translation : Vol. 3, Book 11, Hadith 2106
حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ، عَنْ رِبْعِيِّ بْنِ حِرَاشٍ، عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ بْنِ الْيَمَانِ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ رَأَى فِي النَّوْمِ أَنَّهُ لَقِيَ رَجُلاً مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ فَقَالَ نِعْمَ الْقَوْمُ أَنْتُمْ لَوْلاَ أَنَّكُمْ تُشْرِكُونَ تَقُولُونَ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ وَشَاءَ مُحَمَّدٌ . وَذَكَرَ ذَلِكَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَقَالَ " أَمَا وَاللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُ لأَعْرِفُهَا لَكُمْ قُولُوا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ شَاءَ مُحَمَّدٌ " . حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ أَبِي الشَّوَارِبِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ، عَنْ رِبْعِيِّ بْنِ حِرَاشٍ، عَنِ الطُّفَيْلِ بْنِ سَخْبَرَةَ، أَخِي عَائِشَةَ لأُمِّهَا عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ بِنَحْوِهِ .
Hudhaifah bin Al-Yaman Narrated from:
A Muslim man saw in a dream that he met a man from among the People of the Book, who said: "What good people you would be if only you were not committing Shirk. For you say: 'What Allah wills and Muhammad wills."' He mentioned that to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he said: "By Allah, I am aware of that. Say: 'What Allah wills then what Muhammad wills."' Another chain from Tufail bin Sakhbarah, the brother of 'Aishah by her mother, from the Prophet (ﷺ), with similar wording.
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 2118In-book reference : Book 11, Hadith 29English translation : Vol. 3, Book 11, Hadith 2118
