different between bismillah vs inshallah

English

Interjection

bismillah

1. Alternative letter-case form of Bismillah.

Related terms

• basmala

English

Alternative forms

• insha'Allah
• in sha Allah

Etymology

From Arabic ???? ????? ??????? (?in š??a ll?h).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /??n???.l?/

Interjection

inshallah

1. (chiefly Islam) Expressing the speaker’s wish for a given future event to occur and/or their emphasis on its contingency upon the divine will.

   Synonyms: God willing, Deo volente

2. (slang, sarcastic, military) Expressing a skeptical affirmative, to indicate the unlikeliness of events, as if they need a divine intervention to come about.

   Synonym: yeah, right

   • 29 September 2020, Joe Biden, US presidential debate:

     Donald Trump: And you'll get it to see it [i.e. his taxes].
     Joe Biden: When? Inshallah?

Usage notes

• In sarcastic contexts, it suggests that the speaker has no interest in making the future event occur (thus, it will only occur if God steps in and wills it). Unlike the Arabic usage, this seems to be more attested in English than the literal meaning.
• In Arab countries, inshallah is often added to any sentence in the future tense. It is to show that the future event is not assured and if God's will steps in, it will not happen. I wish the event happens, but I don't have it all in my hands and unpredictable can happen. I wish it happens, but if it's not God's will, it will not happen.

Translations

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic ?? ??? ????? (?in š?? all?h).

Interjection

inshallah

1. inshallah
   • 2015, Tarek Omar, Johan Forsby, Sønner af mænd, Politikens Forlag (?ISBN)

     Vi har set videoerne og læst på lektien. Det går, inshallah.

     We have seen the videos and done our homework. It will be fine, God willing.

   • 2016, Joakim Zander, Broderen, Gyldendal A/S (?ISBN)

     ... at jeg må væk, inshallah.

     ... that I have to get away, God willing.

   • 2013, Khaled Hosseini (tr. by Marianne Linneberg Rasmussen), Og bjergene gav genlyd, Rosinante & Co (?ISBN)

     „Snart, inshallah,“ sagde Nabi ...

     "Soon, God willing," Nabi said