What is the ruling on using certain phrases such as "May Allah forbid it," "May Allah not decree it," "the deceased so-and-so," and "may Allah forgive him"?
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The questioner : O Shaykh, may Allah reward you. What is the ruling on using common phrases such as: "May Allah forbid it", "May Allah not decree it", "the deceased so-and-so", and "may Allah forgive him"?
The Shaykh : Yes, as for "May Allah forbid it", I dislike it, because it implies pressuring or compelling Allah the Mighty and Majestic, and there is no one who can compel Allah.
As for "May Allah not decree it", there is nothing wrong with it, because the meaning of "May Allah not decree it" is: I ask Allah not to decree this.
Likewise, "may Allah forgive him" and "the deceased" are also permissible, because they are not statements of fact but rather supplications. There is no difference between saying "May Allah forgive so-and-so" or "so-and-so, may Allah forgive him" if you intend to make a supplication. This is because the phrase "May Allah forgive" is a past-tense verb that indicates the forgiveness has already occurred. However, since you intend to ask Allah to forgive him, it becomes permissible. Similarly, "may Allah forgive him" is a passive participle that indicates the forgiveness has taken place, but since you intend to ask Allah to forgive him, it becomes permissible. Some of the common people think that if you say "the deceased so-and-so," it means this is a statement of fact and that Allah has already shown mercy to him. This is a mistake. I say: "the deceased" means the one for whom I ask Allah to show mercy, and the same applies to "may Allah forgive him."
The questioner : So, it depends on the speaker's intention?
The Shaykh : Yes, just as if you say "May Allah forgive so-and-so," if your intention is to inform that Allah has already forgiven him, then this is forbidden and not permissible. Do not testify on behalf of Allah.
The Shaykh : Yes, as for "May Allah forbid it", I dislike it, because it implies pressuring or compelling Allah the Mighty and Majestic, and there is no one who can compel Allah.
As for "May Allah not decree it", there is nothing wrong with it, because the meaning of "May Allah not decree it" is: I ask Allah not to decree this.
Likewise, "may Allah forgive him" and "the deceased" are also permissible, because they are not statements of fact but rather supplications. There is no difference between saying "May Allah forgive so-and-so" or "so-and-so, may Allah forgive him" if you intend to make a supplication. This is because the phrase "May Allah forgive" is a past-tense verb that indicates the forgiveness has already occurred. However, since you intend to ask Allah to forgive him, it becomes permissible. Similarly, "may Allah forgive him" is a passive participle that indicates the forgiveness has taken place, but since you intend to ask Allah to forgive him, it becomes permissible. Some of the common people think that if you say "the deceased so-and-so," it means this is a statement of fact and that Allah has already shown mercy to him. This is a mistake. I say: "the deceased" means the one for whom I ask Allah to show mercy, and the same applies to "may Allah forgive him."
The questioner : So, it depends on the speaker's intention?
The Shaykh : Yes, just as if you say "May Allah forgive so-and-so," if your intention is to inform that Allah has already forgiven him, then this is forbidden and not permissible. Do not testify on behalf of Allah.