Preface:
Having worked with many nationalities I have noticed that almost all expatriates after a certain time fall in the habit of using the word “Inshulla” that’s right. Mr. Satu who is a Japanese boss of mine is accustomed to saying: zay saidu it will be ready on Wednesday.. “Inshulla” followed by his manly Japanese laugh! What they are unaware of though, is that there are many forms of it out there. This post is an attempt to clear the confusion and give an insight to the many meanings of it.
1- Inshulla = It will be done.
Also Known As Classical Inshulla; derived from Quran this Inshulla literally means With God’s will and it indicates that you as a human being would do everything in your own power to see that it gets done. Few serious men throughout the region still use it, but nothing serious though.
I will do the homework and it will be ready tomorrow morning Inshulla.
it will be done unless an invasion of a foreign superpower, which is kinda popular nowadays, or an earthquake the homework will be there on your desk first thing in the morning.
2- Inshulla= if I ever remember and have nothing better to do with my life.
Most famous and the undisputed winner among all; the fad cannot be traced back, but it is gaining momentum thanks to the way Muslims insist on presenting themselves. Many foreigners have fallen victims to this horrifying version of Inshulla.
Inshulla your car will be ready on Monday Mr. Joe
Come Monday and Joe is asking Abdullah: where is my car?
Inshulla a week from now Mr. Joe.
A week later, Abdullah where is my car ?
Habeebi…! didn’t you get the message I left you? The part we need is not coming until next month Inshulla.
Joe breaks down as he is now falling a prey to the Mechanic’s Inshulla and the part vendor’s too.
3- Inshulla, Inshulla= yeah whatever.
We see this heavily and mostly used between kids and their parents. The funny thing about it, is that parents know exactly what their kids mean when they say it (cause they’ve used it at a point in their lives) but they pretend that it is the (first inshulla) being said to them.
Young lady , you are not to talk to your mother in this tone ever again, do you hear me ?
Inshulla.. Inshulla.
4- Eeeh Inshulla = over my dead body chief.
the word eeh= yeah, depends on the fact that the other person has been a victim to the second inshulla. In a nutshell you become little Abdullah “the mechanic” promising to inflict people souls and bend their wellbeing by projecting them to anxiety.
5- Khair Inshulla = I am just being polite before I jump across the table and knock the living daylights out of you .
Usually it is used in government offices dealing with the public. A nagging person will be hearing this on and on as an answer to every single inquiry just like when your pc acts up and whatever you do would be responded with “illegal function.”
6- Lakin Inshulla= Physically and given the parameters of physics and reason within this universe, there is no way in hell that whatever I am talking about would happen except through a divine intervention.
I have not studied for the test. In fact, am not sure what test would be covering.. but Inshulla it will be okay.
In my life the outcome of such sentences indicating wishful thinking is never spoken of, but every now and then you would get someone becoming what is known as 4-months-religious-person because he or she actually passed the test.
Arabian Princess
2005/12/18 - 05:57 ص
I had an experience with an expat going all crazy because the word Inshallah (the second one). He was asking this guy to provide him something, and the guy said tommorow inshallah, the expat screamed: not inshallah, do it!!
Raed
2005/12/18 - 01:40 م
well Hassan I hope that you keep coming back for some more interesting posts.. Arab world without Inshulla, what are you crazy ? 😛
AP
I heard more or less the same thing.. I do not blame them though