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Home > Miscellaneous Articles > If Allah Wills

If Allah Wills

Mystics don't usually make plans, instead they make intentions. An intention is to have a goal, you are looking at want to you wish to achieve. When you plan you map out a sequence of events. In Islam there is a saying ‘inshallah’ – if Allah wills. This is frequently used by Muslims to cover any contingency, including bad driving, as when driving a bus full of passengers through a treacherous mountain pass.
Nasrudin had saved up to buy a new shirt. He went to a tailor's shop, full of excitement. The tailor measured him and said: "Come back in a week and, inshallah, your shirt will be ready."

Nasrudin contained himself for a week and then went back to the shop.

"There has been a delay. But - inshallah - your shirt will be ready tomorrow."

The following day Nasrudin returned.

"I am sorry," said the tailor, "but it is not quite finished. Try tomorrow, and - inshallah - it will be ready."

"How long will it take," asked the exasperated Nasrudin, "if you leave Allah out of it?"
However, when correctly used the term implies a particular attitude: that is, that there are circumstances that are beyond the control of human beings. It is a sort of humility.
One morning Nasrudin announced to his wife that he was going to the market to get a chicken and some firewood and they would have a meal when he returned.

“You should say ‘inshallah’ said his wife”.

“What's Allah got to do with it?” said Nasrudin.

As Nasrudin rode down the road on his donkey, he was met by some men.

“Where are you going”, he was asked.

“To the market”.

They forced him off his donkey and whilst one of the men rode the donkey, they took Nasrudin to a house where they forced him to chop wood all day, constantly beating him. After night fell and when he was absolutely beaten, they tied him to his donkey and set them on their way back. The donkey eventually returned to his house, late at night and woke his wife up.

“Who is that?” she shouted out.

“It is I” gasped Nasrudin. “Inshallah”

 

© 2012 Philip Braham Writings