Is it offensive to say inshallah?

[Loulou599]

I think it's a really beautiful sound and is more wistful than saying touch wood or god willing, but would it be offensive (if you're not muslim)?

if a Muslim said 'god willing' to me I would presume he or she was talking about their God (if you will) rather than they were 'pretending' to be Christian BUT that would only be true if we were talking English.

I think if you speak Arabic its fair enough but could be a bit weird if you're not Muslim, or speaking to a Muslim and don't speak any other Arabic.

I heard an interesting thing once. I can't verify if it's true or not.

The word 'alcohol' means 'from the spirit' in Arabic. It was believed that the process for making alcohol was quite complicated and came to existence due to being dictated by an evil spirit.
This is also why spirits (as in alcoholic drinks) are called spirits.

Er when I say verify I mean if the story behind the word is true, not the actual story about the evil spirit etc

@Wolfen I don't know if it's true but I love this kind of weird interesting trivia thanks. It certainly seems to have come from Spain just after the Arabic colonial period. Certainly words and phrases do travel between languages from natural cultural exchange.

I don't like anyone bringing god or religious phrases into conversations etc. There's much better, inclusive (for want of a better word) ways to wish someone well.

That’s not correct it’s from the word meaning cover, khamr is the same route word that gives khimar the headscarf that covers the head and upper body

I wouldn’t find it offensive at all, but I would find it odd.

TBH, I would assume you’re one of those people who have lots of Arab friends and so try to act all cool and “look at me” by throwing in Arabic words here and there. Which is not a good thing…

Not a good thing because it comes across as desperate, rather than worldly.

Think Lindsey Lohan using the word “yalla” in that video where she tried to take a boy from his family because she thought they had kidnapped him.

That’s not correct it’s from the word meaning cover, khamr is the same route word that gives khimar the headscarf that covers the head and upper body

That doesn't sound like it has anything to do with alcohol?

I had a short hunt around and found this -

One theory is that the word alcohol is derived from al-ghawl. This is the most straightforward way to link alcohol and spirits, as the word means spirit. It's referenced in The Qur'an--verse 37:47 mentions al-ghawl to refer to a demon or spirit that produces intoxication. The other theory links it to ancient eyeliner.

Anyway, the point was that we use lots of words from Arabic and other origins. I don't think there's any issue.
A Greek Cypriot orthodox Christian friend used to say Insha'Allah all the time, especially around Muslims.

I hope these people who object to using foreign words never grab some coffee in a bistro or put a pergola over their patio or feel angst when watching anime or...

Insh’allah!

You might be referring to the Arabic word for alcohol but not the quranic term which is khamr; and it is that way as it’s a substance that covers the senses

please don’t explain my religion to me, thank you!
https://www.getquranic.com/what-the-quran-says-about-alcohol/

and further more this is quran 37:47

’It will neither harm ˹them˺, nor will they be intoxicated by it’

definitely not ‘refer[ing] to a demon or spirit that produces intoxication’- that verse is talking about the wine that the believers will drink paradise that won’t cause intoxication. Aka the opposite of what you said

https://quran.com/en/as-saffat/37-47

the word al ghawl does not appear there at all. It’s also complete nonsense

https://africacheck.org/fact-checks/meta-programme-fact-checks/no-alcohol-doesnt-come-arabic-word-body-eating-spirit

@Mvslimah honestly, I don't even care. It was just an interesting story I heard once.
As for explaining your religion to you? What a ridiculous statement.
I was actually only interested in the Arabic language roots of the word 'alcohol', not a discussion about alcohol in Islam.

But the roots you cited are incorrect and then you told me I was incorrect and the source you cited was also wrong, so I’ve corrected you.

@Mvslimah which is fine. I even said in my first post that I hadn't verified it just because I wanted to avoid this kind of arguing.
I didn't mean you were incorrect but only that explaining the word Khamr didn't sound like it had anything to do with the word 'alcohol' as in the actual root of the word.
And I never mind people enlightening me but it would nice if it wasn't done as if it was an attack.

It’s not arguing, it’s correcting and it’s not an attack, facts aren’t attacks.

khamr doesn’t have anything to do with the etymology of the English work alcohol but it’s the Arabic, and that al-khul thing isn’t correct and the link you posted misrepresents the Quran, so I corrected that. It’s not an attack against you as a person, im sure you’re lovely.

So we're still not any clearer on my initial little language story around the word 'alcohol' except that it's not derived from al ghawl.
There are other theories as I was actually interested enough to look but there's nothing definitive that I could find. There's also always folklore and 'old wives tales' in cultures so who knows?

I thought it was interesting Wolfen, as a Muslim.

It’s ironic that the word originates from Arabic when it’s so verboten for Muslims 🤣

It feels like any Spanish word beginning with Al is derived from Arabic.

No issue with foreign words here, but I do have an issue with using religious/faith words in a secular setting.

So you'd never say "Bless" or talk about "the writing on the wall" or describe a shareholder meeting by saying it was like walking into a lion's den, or talk about someone's fall from grace? Do you get upset when someone switching on the light says "Let there be light" or heartily agrees with an "Amen to that" or describes an ordeal as a "baptism of fire"? You never use the expressions Good Samaritan or talk about the kiss of death? Would you berate an elderly person for unthinkingly using the term "Christian name"?

It must be exhausting having to constantly censor your own speech for religious words, and strip it of the full colour and beauty of the language.

I don't use any of those phrases naturally, there are millions of other/better words which don't have religious meanings/roots (or might even cause confusion to some people).
There is an amazing world of beauty, creativity and expression in language, and it's unrealistic to say that prefering not to use religious terms (especially in the wrong context) would somehow strip that.

As an atheist I'll say God Forbid quite often, because it captures a particular sentiment in a concise way.

Ditto in my (white English agnostic) family we'll very occasionally say Inshallah when it captures a very specific "well, we hope so but there's a lot that could go wrong" vibe that there's no English equivalent for, and may not even correspond to how it's actually used in Arabic. I don't think I'd use it outside the family though because my particular usage wouldn't necessarily translate.

Words are tools, sometimes English doesn't have the right one and you need to borrow a bradawl from next door.

If you are willing to sacrifice (sorry... religious word, clearly you never use it) so much of our beautiful language, so be it. Seems like some sort of zealotry (sorry, Biblical word) to me.

We must have had very different upbringings if you don't use any of those words or phrases naturally, but in that case obviously it's no loss to you to pursue laïcité in your vocabulary (or secularism to use the inadequate English translation).

If you have an upbringing steeped in the Church of England it's a bit trickier.