Saying, 'Insha'Allah' (If Allah Wills) when Determining to do something in the Future

Saying, 'Insha'Allah' (If Allah Wills)

when Determining to do something in the Future

"AND NEVER SAY OF ANYTHING, 'I
SHALL DO SUCH AND SUCH THING
TOMORROW.? EXCEPT (WITH THE
SAYING): 'IF ALLAH WILLS!'? AND
REMEMBER YOUR LORD WHEN YOU
FORGET…" [SOORAH AL-KAHF (18):
23]

When Allah's Messenger (sallalahu
alaihe wa-sallam) declared Allah's
Oneness and proclaimed to be the
Messenger of Allah (sallalahu alaihe
wa-sallam) and revelation of Divine
Message.

The disbeliveers of Makkah
sent some men to Jewish rabbis in al-Medina and said: "Ask them (the
rabbis) about Muhammad (sallalahu
alaihe wa-sallam), and describe him
to them, and tell them what he is
saying.

They are the people of the first
Book, and they have more knowledge of the Prophets than we do.' So they set out for al-Medina, they asked the Jewish rabbis about the Messenger of Allah (sallalahu alaihe wa-sallam).

They described him to them and told them some of his teachings.
The rabbis said: 'Ask him about three things which we will tell you to ask, if he answers them then he is a Prophet who has been sent (by
Allah); if he does not, then he is
saying things that are not true, in
which case how you will deal with
him will be up to you. Ask him about
some young men in ancient times,
what was their story? For there is a
strange and wondrous tale. Ask him
about a man who traveled a great
deal and reached the east and the
west of the earth. What was his
story? And ask him about he Ruh
(soul or spirit) what is it?

If he tells you about these things,
then he is a Prophet, so follow him,
but if he does not tell you, then he is
a man who is making things up, so
deal with him as you see fit.' So, the
men came back to Makkah and said:
'O people! We have come to you with a decisive solution which will put an end to the problem between you and Muhammad (sallalahu alaihe wa-sallam). The Jewish rabbis told us to ask him about some matters,' and they told them what they were.

Then they came to the Messenger of Allah
(sallalahu alaihe wa-sallam) and said:
'O Muhammad (sallalahu alaihe wa-
sallam) tell us,' and they asked him
about the things they had been told
to ask.
The Messenger of Allah (sallalahu
alaihe wa-sallam) said: "I will tell
you tomorrow about what you have
asked me." But he (sallalahu alaihe
wa-sallam) did not say, 'If Allah
Wills.'
Allah Messenger (sallalahu alaihe wa-
sallam) never spoke anything except
with revelation. So, he waited for the
revelation from Allah but fifteen days
passed away without any revelation
concerning those matter which the
disbelievers asked, neither did Jibreel
(alaihis-salaam) come to him. The
people of Makkah started to doubt
him and said: 'Muhammad (sallalahu
alaihe wa-sallam) promised to tell us
the next day and now fifteen days
have gone by and he has not told us
anything in response to the questions
we asked.'

The Messenger of Allah (sallalahu
alaihe wa-sallam) felt sad because of
the delay in revelation and was
grieved by what the people of
Makkah were saying about him.
Then Jibreel (alaihis-salaam) came
with the revelation of Soorah al-Kahf,
which contained answers to the
questions and also the above
mentioned verse explaining the
correct etiquette when determining to
do something in the future.
Determining to do something in the
future should always be attributed to
the Will of Allah, Who is the Knower
of the Unseen and Who Alone Knows
what was and what is yet to happen
and what is not to be.
It is reported in Saheeh al-Bukharee
from Abu Hurayrah (radhiyallahu
anhu), who said: "The Messenger of
Allah (sallalahu alaihe wa-sallam)
said: "Sulaiman Ibn Dawood
(alaihimus-salaam) said: 'Tonight I
will go around to all my seventy
wives (according to some reports it is
ninety or one hundred wives) so that
each one of them will give birth to a
son who will fight for the sake of
Allah.' It was said to him, (according
to one narration, an Angel said to
him), say, 'If Allah Wills.' But he did
not say it. He went around to the
women but none of them gave birth
except for one, who gave birth to a
half-formed child." The Messenger of
Allah (sallalahu alaihe wa-sallam)
said: "By the One, in Whose Hands is
my soul, had he said, 'If Allah wills,'
he would not have broken his oath,
and that would have helped him to
attain what he wanted." [Saheeh
Muslim (vol. 3, no. 1275)]
So, if one determines to do
something in the future or even takes
an oath, he should say, 'If Allah
Wills' or 'Insha'Allah.' If one forgets
to say,

Insha'Allah then he should say when
he remembers it even if it is a year
later, as Ibn Abbas (radhiallahu
anhu) explained.