Islamic words for kids · Wow moments

What does MashaAllah mean?

“MashaAllah” means “what Allah has willed”. We say it when we see something lovely — a friend's drawing, a new baby, or our own blessings — remembering it came from Allah.

Ages 2–8AudioWord by word

Teacher review under way.

مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ

MashaAllah

“What Allah has willed”

Word by word

What each part of MashaAllah means

مَاmawhat
شَاءَsha'awilled — wanted to happen
اللَّهُAllahAllah

Read the boxes from right to left, just like the Arabic.

For little ones

What it means

“Allah made this happen — how lovely!”

Did you know? In Surah al-Kahf (18:39) a man is reminded that, when he entered his lovely garden, he should have said “MashaAllah, la quwwata illa billah” — what Allah wills; there is no power except with Allah.

The moments

When we say it

A friend shows you a lovely drawing
Meeting a new baby
Someone does something well
Seeing our own nice things

Du'as that use it: Du'a when you see something lovely

Teach it

How to teach MashaAllah in 3 steps

Step 1: Praise with it: “MashaAllah, what a tall tower!” — children copy how we praise.
Step 2: Play “MashaAllah spotting” at the park: who can spot something lovely first?
Step 3: Teach it as the kind thing to say about someone else's things, instead of feeling jealous.

PlayWhat do we say?Hear a little story and choose what we say — is it MashaAllah? A playful check after practising.Play free →More wordsAll Islamic wordsBismillah, InshaAllah, MashaAllah and more — with audio.See them all →

Questions parents ask

Is MashaAllah the same as InshaAllah?

No — they sound alike! MashaAllah is for good things that already happened. InshaAllah is for plans in the future.

Why say it about other people's things?

It turns “I wish I had that” into thanks to Allah, and many Muslims say it asking Allah to keep good things safe from envy.

Sources: Qur'an 18:39

Qur'an references are checked on quran.com and hadith on sunnah.com; a teacher review is under way. Families and madhhabs differ on some details — ask your teacher.

Parent tool