KSA in Four Words: 1. "Inshallah"

"Inshallah" - If God wills it; God willing. 

Few words capture the Saudi mentality, or from what I can tell the Muslim mentality, more that Inshallah.  Its interjected into seemingly innocuous future tense sentences constantly no matter what language the speaker is using.  "See you tomorrow, Inshallah." "The cable guy will be there at 8, Inshallah." "I'll be studying this weekend, Inshallah."  And others, in the context of God's will, that aren't so innocuous.  "My flight will arrive on the 23rd, Inshallah."  "We're planning to get married, Inshallah."  It presupposes a more than subtle sense of fatalism-- that God's will is continuously being exercised according to a plan that has already been laid for us.  It also inspires the usual philosophical questions regarding fate vs. free will.  If everything I do is according to God's plan, why do anything at all?  Are any of my choices really my own?  Let alone the questions regarding the benevolence of God and our inability to see the wisdom in his will being carried out on Earth, e.g. Why is there so much suffering? 

When I've posed these questions to the faithful I've gotten some answers that were satisfying, and some of the usual mantra.  One Muslim from the east coast of the U.S. told me regarding the free will debate within Islam, that while the decision of whether to have the steak or the fish is fairly inconsequential and probably doesn't keep the Almighty up at night, the question of your life's path does involve free will despite the fact that Muslims do believe very strongly in fate.  The way he explained it was that it is more like you have a path, a potential even, and through hard work your potential, in line with God's plan, can be realized.  He also said that the Devil exercises his will and tempts you to leave your path, and that we as humans are given the faculty to stray.  This was an idea that jibed with me.  I like the thought that in the question of free will vs. fate, like so many of the great questions of A vs. B, there is room for both answers to be true.  That in fact "both" is the only correct answer.  Inshallah presupposes that it is the things outside of our own actions, beyond our control that are in the hands of God, but the faith dictates that we do have efficacy-- that we are in the driver's seat so to speak, but that God built the car and paved the road, and it’s up to us to steer. 

Whether you subscribe to monotheism, to a First or Great Mover, whether he or she has a name or can be pictured upon a throne in heaven, or whether you're more likely to assign that which lies outside our control to the will of the "Universe", Krishna, the Great Spirit, or the collective singularity of Will, or whether you don't believe in any higher power whatsoever, it’s hard to argue that some things we have some say in and some we don’t.  It's also hard to argue that it’s on me whether I get up tomorrow and go to work, commit an act of violence or robbery, or give all my money to charity and devote myself to a life of asceticism, or at the very least it's hard to argue that we feel that way.  Likewise, it’s hard to argue that we all have the potential for good-- to accomplish great things be them large or small.  I like the idea that we have efficacy.  I like the idea that we have responsibility, and I like the idea that faith and/or fate don't have to supersede those ideas.  After all, we are all travelers on the road of life.  We all make decisions everyday that affect the next -- that affect others' paths as well as our own.  And with the right attitude, my hope is that we can all realize our potentials and make this world a better place. Inshallah.

Sidenote:  I've noticed that while subscribing things to the will of God can relieve some people I've met of certain responsibilities-- "You're internet will be working soon, Inshallah"—it’s not something they are so willing to accept inversely.  "I'll have your rent next month, Inshallah" hasn’t been too well received.