Insha’Allah. What Happens, Happens.

Insh’allah. What happens, happens. The rest is how we react. Do we use the exterior forces of our environment as an excuse, or do we take what has happened, and use it to propel ourselves forward?

“Insha’Allah. What happens, happens. The rest is how you react.” It is a simple statement, but what does it mean? Insha’Allah, or Insh’allah, is an Arabic phrase that translates to “If Allah(G-d) Wills It”, and is often used prior to beginning a task. “I will pass this exam, Insh’allah.” It takes the future out of human hands, and places it within the grasp of Allah, Fate, Hashem, and/or Chance. It is the ultimate statement of human limitations. Humans may attempt any action that they please, but the result is often out of our hands. You may fire a gun at someone, but whether your aim is true is determined, largely, by things outside of your control. Will the target be moving, what are the weather conditions, are there imperfections in the bullet, will the gun misfire? These things are outside control of the shooter, though he might act to limit them. Careful planning and preparation can place limitations on the ability of variables to interfere with an action, but we can never truly eliminate them from our lives.

What does this mean for us, for our lives? Can we live in a world where we do not have absolute control? We can, we do, and we thrive. Insh’allah is not an excuse to do nothing, it is not an excuse to float along listlessly through life. Insh’allah is the path to releasing worry, it is the path to acceptance of human limitations. Insh’allah leaves us free to bring ourselves as near to perfection as we may, without putting ourselves down when we fail to reach the event horizon. It is an understanding that, as much as we would enjoy it, we cannot control our entire world. There will always be other things that interrupt our plans, whether they be people or the environment itself.

Insh’allah. What happens, happens. The rest is how we react. Do we let ourselves be controlled by the external forces that thwart our plans, or do we mold them into tools for our desires?

There is a Taoist story regarding this very issue of external forces at play in our lives:

A farmer has tended his crops for many years. One day, his horse runs away. On hearing this, his neighbors approach and give condolences of “Such terrible luck”. The farmer responds, “Maybe.”

The next day, his horse returns with three wild horses. His neighbors come again and say, “Such good luck!” The farmer responds, “Maybe.”

The next day the farmer’s son attempts to ride one of the wild horses and is thrown off, breaking his leg. The farmer’s neighbors again approach, “Such terrible luck,” they say. The farmer responds, “Maybe.”

The next day, military officials come to conscript the young men of the village. When they see that the farmer’s son’s leg is broken they pass him by. The neighbors approach and say, “Such good luck.” “Maybe,” the farmer replies.

Many things were out of the farmer’s control, yet he remained calm and did not allow them to dominate him. Throughout the story, he neither gave in to these external forces, nor did he waste effort in attempting to control them. The farmer accepted the happenings for what they were: external forces that can be either negative or positive. The forces are, in truth, neutral. It is our task, our goal, to learn to respond to them in a way that is beneficial to ourselves and others.

Insh’allah. What happens, happens. The rest is how we react. Do we use the exterior forces as an excuse, or do we take what has happened, and use it to propel ourselves forward?