What is the difference between inshallah and mashallah?
Inshallah (إن شاء الله) means 'if Allah wills' and is said about the future. Mashallah (ما شاء الله) means 'what Allah has willed' and is said about something good that has already happened, to acknowledge that it is from Allah and to seek protection from the evil eye.
Detail
Use inshallah for plans: 'I will visit you tomorrow, inshallah.' It comes from Surah al-Kahf 18:23 where Allah tells us not to say we will do something without adding 'if Allah wills'.
Use mashallah for admiration: 'Your baby is beautiful, mashallah.' It comes from Surah al-Kahf 18:39. Many people add tabarakallah (blessed is Allah) as well.
Common mistake: saying mashallah about a future plan. If the event has not happened yet, say inshallah.
Neither phrase is a spell. They are acknowledgements: one places the future in Allah's hands, the other returns the credit for a blessing to Allah.
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