Living in the land of "Inshallah"

When Dennis was visiting us last spring, he told me I simply have to write about the oft-used phrase, "Inshallah" - so here we go!

It's true, this little phrase does rule our lives. It is involved in every aspect of existence here. For it is uttered by the faithful with any reference to the future...

It means, "If God wills."

It really is a good thing theologically. It puts us back in our place and sees what Proverbs often calls us on - "Men may make their plans, but God has the last word."

Muslims know this. In a land where so many things are out of people's control, Moroccans have learned long ago - Islam or no Islam - that the future is not up to them. Example? Most people don't own cars. They rely on someone to pick them up as a hitchhiker. You can imagine how that affects the entire country. People really don't know when they'll get somewhere. It really is out of their control.

Even having food for the next day is not always a given. It truly is if God wills it that it will happen. In the west where we buy groceries for a month at a time, we tend to forget what it means to rely on God for anything at all - from our food the next day all the way to our 10-year goals.

Moroccans simply cannot talk without acknowledging their reliance on God.

A standard conversation might go -

"You really need to come by our house sometime!"
"OK - Inshallah, I will"
"How about tomorrow afternoon, Inshallah?"
"Yes - that would be fine. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon, Ishallah."

I'm not exaggerating.

(Note - Plans really could change - much more so than in the west. A relative that traveled days might come to visit unannounced, there might be a taxi strike, a child might get sick and an all-day trip to the nearest city will have to happen instead.)

I've been immersed in this way of speaking for so long (it is all over the Muslim world), that I feel heretical for uttering plans without saying "Inshallah." My own dear mother, another person who has lived in the Muslim world many years always says, "God willing, I will ..."

The phrase is also abused. People say it to weasel their way out of things. Example:

"You really should come to my house."
"OK, Inshallah, I will."
"You really must come now!"
"I'm sorry, but I just can't"
"You must come for tea!"
"I can't today, but I will come, Inshallah."
"OK - goodbye."

"Inshallah" is the only way to end such a conversation. Otherwise you will indeed be a guest of the inviter before you know what happened!

Guilty as charged.

This phrase is also used when people don't want to be pinned down do something. I ordered a bookshelf four months ago. I have literally been told over 30 times that the man will deliver it 'inshallah' tomorrow. This has gone on so long that I have ordered another from someone else. I guess it wasn't God's will for me to have that bookshelf. Or perhaps - well, I bet you know what I'm thinking. God's will doesn't have anything to do with this.

When our car was run into last year because of the icy parking lot, the mechanic told us (translation) - "If God wills it, the car will look as good as new." Thankfully, God seems to have willed that one!

Gerald and his colleagues joke about working for the "Inshallah school of management." Things get done, even in a high-powered university, only when "God wills it."

Sigh - somehow I don't think that's quite how God wants us to see His will. We do have something to do with our future and the quality of our work – and we certainly can’t blame God when we fail.

But we miss something too in the west by leaving God out of our plans.

As usual, I have to shake my head and ask - Can't we find a balance?