What is the ruling on saying, “May Allah forgive so-and-so, if Allah wills”?
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The questioner : What is the ruling on saying, “May Allah forgive you, so-and-so, if Allah wills”?
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong with it; there is nothing wrong with saying, “May Allah forgive so-and-so, if Allah wills.” This is because this phrase expresses hope and is not a statement of fact. It is not permissible to make a statement of fact in this form, because it is a report about a hidden matter that only Allah knows. Therefore, it is not permissible to report that Allah has forgiven so-and-so, or that He has shown mercy to so-and-so, or the like, because this is only known through revelation, and there is no revelation after the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). However, this phrase is intended to express hope, meaning, “I hope, if Allah wills, that Allah will forgive so-and-so.” This is its meaning in the speech of everyone who uses it.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong with it; there is nothing wrong with saying, “May Allah forgive so-and-so, if Allah wills.” This is because this phrase expresses hope and is not a statement of fact. It is not permissible to make a statement of fact in this form, because it is a report about a hidden matter that only Allah knows. Therefore, it is not permissible to report that Allah has forgiven so-and-so, or that He has shown mercy to so-and-so, or the like, because this is only known through revelation, and there is no revelation after the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). However, this phrase is intended to express hope, meaning, “I hope, if Allah wills, that Allah will forgive so-and-so.” This is its meaning in the speech of everyone who uses it.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.