Masha'Allah
Encyclopedia
is an Arabic
phrase that expresses appreciation, joy, praise or thankfulness for an event or person that was just mentioned. Towards this, it is used as an expression of respect, while at the same time serving as a reminder that all accomplishments are so achieved by the will of God. The literal English translation is "God has willed it", the present perfect of God's will accentuating the essential Islamic doctrine of belief in destiny (Qadar
). It is generally said upon hearing good news. Another reason people use this phrase is to protect themselves from jealousy
, catching the evil eye, or jinxing.
Example:
The phrase is also used frequently by non-Muslims in the Arab World.
The phrase has also found its way into the colloquial language of many non-Arabic peoples, such as Persians
, Turks
(who say "maşallah"), Kurds
, Armenians
, Bosniaks
, Albanians
and Muslims and Urdu-speakers of South Asia
(who say "Masha'allah"), and some of the peoples of the Balkans who once lived under Turkish rule, including some who are not of the Islamic faith. A living example of this phenomenon is witnessed in the vernacular form of Cypriot Greek
whereby speakers invoke Masha'Allah in a similar fashion to their Turkish counterparts.
The triliteral
of is š
-y-ʾ "to will", a doubly weak root.
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
phrase that expresses appreciation, joy, praise or thankfulness for an event or person that was just mentioned. Towards this, it is used as an expression of respect, while at the same time serving as a reminder that all accomplishments are so achieved by the will of God. The literal English translation is "God has willed it", the present perfect of God's will accentuating the essential Islamic doctrine of belief in destiny (Qadar
Predestination in Islam
Qadar is divine destiny in Islam. More precisely, Qadar relates to the Knowledge and Omniscience of God about all events. Linguistically, Qadar means "measure", and when used in relation to God, means His exact knowledge of all events...
). It is generally said upon hearing good news. Another reason people use this phrase is to protect themselves from jealousy
Jealousy
Jealousy is a second emotion and typically refers to the negative thoughts and feelings of insecurity, fear, and anxiety over an anticipated loss of something that the person values, particularly in reference to a human connection. Jealousy often consists of a combination of presenting emotions...
, catching the evil eye, or jinxing.
Example:
Person A: I have just become a new father!
Person B: Masha'Allah!
The phrase is also used frequently by non-Muslims in the Arab World.
The phrase has also found its way into the colloquial language of many non-Arabic peoples, such as Persians
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, Turks
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
(who say "maşallah"), Kurds
Kurdish language
Kurdish is a dialect continuum spoken by the Kurds in western Asia. It is part of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian group of Indo-European languages....
, Armenians
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
, Bosniaks
Bosnian language
Bosnian is a South Slavic language, spoken by Bosniaks. As a standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect, it is one of the three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
, Albanians
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
and Muslims and Urdu-speakers of South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
(who say "Masha'allah"), and some of the peoples of the Balkans who once lived under Turkish rule, including some who are not of the Islamic faith. A living example of this phenomenon is witnessed in the vernacular form of Cypriot Greek
Cypriot Greek
The Cypriot dialect of Modern Greek, known as Kypriaka , Cypriot Greek is spoken by 750,000 people in Cyprus and diaspora Greek Cypriots.Cypriot Greek is distinct enough that it can be classified as a distinct dialect of the Standard Greek....
whereby speakers invoke Masha'Allah in a similar fashion to their Turkish counterparts.
The triliteral
Triliteral
The roots of verbs and most nouns in the Semitic languages are characterized as a sequence of consonants or "radicals"...
of is š
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
-y-ʾ "to will", a doubly weak root.