How Can I Keep Up the Burdensome Habit of Saying Ma Sha’ Allah All Day?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
I say Ma sha’ Allah too much and it’s a burden for me. I heard we should say Ma sha’ Allah whenever we see something we like. The problem here is that I like a lot of things. I look in the mirror, and I think, oh, I like my hair, I like my skin tone in this lighting, I like my eyelashes, etc. So many things to say Ma sha’ Allah for and it’s a burden to say one by one. I also think white skin is pretty, and whenever I go to the mall, I see many people who have white skin. It’s very heavy for me to say Ma sha’ Allah to everyone I see with white skin.
And what if we like things that aren’t necessarily good? Must we say Ma sha’ Allah to it too? I’m confused about when to say it and trying to avoid the evil eye.
Answer
Thank you for your question.
Ma Sha’ Allah
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “There is no bounty that Almighty Allah bestows upon his slaves from family, wealth, or children, and then one says, ‘Ma Sha’ Allah La Quwwata Illa BiLlah (Whatever Allah wills, happens, and there is no strength except through Allah),’ except that he will be saved from calamities other than death.” [Bayhaqi]
And he (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to say the above to explain this Quranic verse, “If only you had said, upon entering your property, ‘This is what Allah has willed! There is no power except with Allah!’ Even though you see me inferior to you in wealth and offspring, (…).” [Quran, 18:39]
Malik bin Anas often repeated “Ma sha’ Allah” often, and a man reprimanded him for saying it too much. Then that man saw a dream where it was said to him that “You are telling Malik bin Anas that he repeats Ma sha’ Allah too much; if Malik bin Anas wanted to pierce a mustard seed with those words, he could have.” [Ibn Batta, al-Ibana al-Kubra]
Say it when you are willing and able, and don’t say it to the point that it burdens you. You can also remember it in your heart.
Please see the links below about the evil eye as well:
- Saying Ma Sha’ Allah
- How Do I Protect Myself From The Evil Eye?
- Should I Worry About the Evil Eye?
- Should I Hide Blessings to Avoid the Evil Eye?
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
