MOST COMMON ARABIC PHRASES YOU SHOULD KNOW
In my household growing up my parents instilled Arabic terms we used combined with our native English tongue. The 4 most popular terms being Alhamdulilah, Inashallah, Bismillah, and don't forget Mashallah. The clash of languages would slip out of my mouth so naturally, I remember having to always explain there definitions to most people I came in contact with. These memories launched the idea to write this blog. I wanted to make a clear understanding to my readers what exactly these phrases mean.
I will begin with Alhamdulillah, meaning all praise and thanks belong to Allah (God) alone because He is the originator of everything. To praise or thank something is indirectly praising and thanking Allah (God) because He is its true creator. Usually translated as Praise be to God.
Next i will explain the phrase Inshallah, my personal favorite . If you are a parent you can employ Inshallah to either defer or subtly crush the wants of your children.
Example : SON: "MOM can I have a toy?"
MOM: "Inshallah one day."
Translation: " there is noway you are getting a toy."
With all jokes aside there is a spiritual basis to Inshallah's widespread use, and it stems from this verse in the Quran:
And say not of anything , "surely I shall do it tomorrow"... Save that wills. And remember thy lord when thous dost forget and say , "It may be that my lord will guide me nearer than this to rectitude." (18:23-24)
The meaning behind this verse is simply if God wills it.
We Muslims, use Bismillah almost all the time, before eating, drinking, beginning any work, sitting, standing ect. The list can go on and on, what might look like a simple phrase in English " In the name of Allah (God)." actually has so much more depth to its interpretation. We should understand that Arabic is much richer than English in conveying the meaning.
Last but certainly not least is Mashallah, meaning Allah (God) has willed. Muslims use this term as a protection from harm that may come directly or indirectly from someones words or thoughts. Mashallah is also used to express appreciation, joy, praise, or thankfulness for an event or person that was mentioned. Mashalallah is a reminder that all good things come from God and are blessings from Him. Hopefully you find these little definitions bring some clarity the next time you encounter someone mentioning these common phrases.