How the phrase ‘what God has willed has happened’ helped me shift feelings of jealousy towards admiration and respect
I don’t feel envy very often and that isn’t because I don’t know anyone who is worthy of it. The people in my life are nothing short of brilliant. My friends and family are talented writers whose books and magazines I display proudly on my shelves. They are erudite psychologists, driven designers, artists and poets whose work moves me deeply. It is easy to celebrate their most recent successes, to which I say, “Mashallah.”
Being raised Muslim, mashallah is an Arabic phrase that I use often, if not daily. Most commonly spelt as mashallah or mashaAllah, the most accurate way of representing the phrase in transliteration is ma sha Allah, which means, “What God has willed has happened.” In many cultures it is believed that saying mashallah protects a person against the evil-eye. Another way of looking at it is that it shifts the focus from potential envy to admiration, gratitude and respect.
