Islamic phrase · meaning and usage
Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji'un meaning
Also written Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un, Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajioon, Innalillahi wainna ilaihi rojiun, Inna lillah
إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rāji‘ūn
“We belong to Allah, and to Him we will return”
The sound button uses your device’s built-in Arabic voice. It is a computer voice, so use it as a rough guide and learn the exact sounds from a teacher or a reciter.
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un (إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ) means “we belong to Allah, and to Him we will return”. Muslims say it on hearing of a death and at any loss or setback, following Qur’an 2:156. The sunnah adds a short dua after it.
What Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji'un means
The words make two statements. First, everything we have, and we ourselves, belong to Allah, so what He takes was His. Second, we will all return to Him, so the separation is not forever. Saying it is called istirjā‘.
It is not only for death. The verse speaks of any muṣībah (calamity): losing money, falling ill, even small things like a broken item.
Word by word
| Arabic | Say | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| إِنَّا | innā | indeed we |
| لِلَّهِ | lillāhi | belong to Allah |
| وَإِنَّا | wa innā | and indeed we |
| إِلَيْهِ | ilayhi | to Him |
| رَاجِعُونَ | rāji‘ūn | will return |
When to say it
- On hearing that someone has died.
- At any loss, illness, accident or bad news.
- Followed by the dua Allāhumma’jurnī fī muṣībatī wa akhlif lī khayran minhā.
How to reply
There is no set reply. To comfort the family, the sunnah words of condolence are:
اللَّهُمَّ أْجُرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي وَأَخْلِفْ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا
Allāhumma’jurnī fī muṣībatī wa akhlif lī khayran minhā
O Allah, reward me in my affliction and replace it for me with something better. (Said after istirja‘.)
Sahih Muslim 918
إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَا أَخَذَ وَلَهُ مَا أَعْطَى وَكُلٌّ عِنْدَهُ بِأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى فَلْتَصْبِرْ وَلْتَحْتَسِبْ
inna lillāhi mā akhadha wa lahu mā a‘ṭā, wa kullun ‘indahu bi-ajalin musammā, fal-taṣbir wal-taḥtasib
To Allah belongs what He took and what He gave, and everything with Him has a set term, so be patient and hope for reward. (Words of condolence.)
Sahih al-Bukhari 1284; Sahih Muslim 923
Where it comes from
In the Qur’an
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ ﴿١٥٥﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَٰبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌۭ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ ﴿١٥٦﴾ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَٰتٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌۭ ۖ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُهْتَدُونَ ﴿١٥٧﴾
And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return." Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.
In the hadith
Umm Salamah heard the Prophet ﷺ say that no Muslim is struck by a calamity and says what Allah commanded, “innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rāji‘ūn”, then the dua above, except that Allah replaces it with something better. When Abu Salamah died she said it, and Allah gave her the Prophet ﷺ as a husband.
Sahih Muslim 918
The Prophet ﷺ sent these words to his grieving daughter: “To Allah belongs what He took…”
Sahih al-Bukhari 1284
Common mistakes
- Saying it only for deaths. The verse covers every calamity, large or small.
- Writing “RIP” instead. Many Muslims prefer the istirja‘ and a dua for the deceased, such as Allāhummaghfir lahu warḥamhu (“O Allah, forgive him and have mercy on him”).
- Mispronouncing “raji’un”. The ‘ is the letter ‘ayn (ع): rāji‘ūn, not “rajeeoon”.
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Frequently asked questions
What does inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un mean?
It means “we belong to Allah, and to Him we will return” (Qur’an 2:156). It is said at a death or any loss.
When do you say inna lillahi?
On hearing of a death and at any calamity, small or large. Follow it with the dua in Sahih Muslim 918.
What do you say to someone whose relative died?
Say the istirja‘, then the Prophet’s words: inna lillāhi mā akhadha wa lahu mā a‘ṭā… (Bukhari 1284), and make dua for the deceased.
Is it okay to say it when I lose something small?
Yes. The verse speaks of any calamity, and scholars include small losses and setbacks.
How do you write it in Arabic?
إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ, the words of Qur’an 2:156.
Related phrases
How this page works and sources
Qur’an text and its English meaning are taken from the same Uthmani text and translation the Niyat app uses, and each ayah links to its place in our Qur’an reader. Hadith are cited by collection and number (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abi Dawud, Jami at-Tirmidhi, Sunan an-Nasa’i, Sunan Ibn Majah); where a narration has a weak chain we say so. Hadith wording is summarised in plain English. Where the schools of law differ, the page says so in one line. The sound button uses your browser’s own Arabic voice; nothing is sent anywhere.
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