(‏ إنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ): We usually say Inna lillahi wa Inna ilayhi raji’un at the death of a person.

What does Inna lillahi wa ilayhi raji’un mean?

It means “Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Allah we shall return.” 

Do you know that we can say Inna lillahi wa Inna ilayhi raji’un at any hardship? Nabi sallalahu alaihe wa sallam used to say this whenever he suffered any hardship.

Reciting this phrase encourages Muslims to reflect on the impermanence of worldly possessions and the importance of spiritual preparation. It prompts believers to prioritize their relationship with Allah and to lead a life that aligns with Islamic teachings. It is a call to self-evaluation and self-improvement.It serves as a reminder of the transient nature of life on Earth and the ultimate return to Allah.

inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un (‏ إنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ ‏) is also called istirja.

• Inna lillahiwa Inna ilayhi raji’un is not just said at the death of a person. Nabi sallalahu alaihe wa sallam used to say this whenever he suffered any hardship.

Who, when faced with a disaster, say, “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will ˹all˺ return.”(2:156)

We can say “Inna lillahi wa Inna ilayhi raji’un” even when our sandal breaks

Bayhaqi is shaubul iman says , also mentioned in Mishkat:

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِذَا انْقَطَعَ شِسْعُ أَحَدِكُمْ فَلْيَسْتَرْجِعْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنَ المصائب» . رَوَاهُ الْبَيْهَقِيّ فِي شعب الْإِيمَان

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “When the thong of someone’s sandal breaks he should say, ‘We belong to God and to Him do we return,’ for it is one of the calamities.”

• Saying Inna lillahi wa Inna ilayhi raji’un as Condolence at death of a Muslim

It is mustahab (desirable) to condole with the family of the dead in words like these; “May Allah forgive and have mercy on the dead! May He overlook his lapses! May he cause you all to endure the severe tragedy patiently and may He reward you all against this grief and affliction.”

• Istirja is also said whenever we suffer hardship.

Is Inna lillahi wa Inna ilayhi raji’un a dua from Quran ?

yes, It comes in Quran (2:156)

istirja/ “innalillahi wainnailaihi rajiun in arabic/Instirja

(‏ إنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ ‏)

Istirja/”inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un Pronounciation

“Innā lillāhi waʾinna ʾilayhi rājiʿūn“

istirja/ “inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun” meaning

Inna lillahi wa Inna ilayhi raji’un means : “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will all return.“

Inna:	Meaning Truly, Indeed, surely, verily ‘we’
Lillahi:	We belong to Allah
Wa Inna:	Wa means ‘and’; Inna means ‘indeed
Ilayhi:	means ‘towards Him’
RajiOon:	means ‘Return’

other English transliteration of “Inna lillahi wa Inna ilayhi raji’un”

• Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un (most commonly used).
• innalillahiwainnailaihirojiuninna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon (also used)
• inna lillahi wa inallah rajioon
• inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji un
• inna lillahi wa inallah-e-raji’oon
• ina lilah waina allah rajiun
• inalillahi wainailaihi rajiun

Is inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un a dua?

Yes we can call it a dua as it reminds us we return to Allah on the day of judgment and everything around us belongs to Him.

Also read : La hawla wala Quwwata

Sending “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un” message at death of a person

Hearing about the death of a person, You can send this beautifully written Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un message:

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. To Allah we belong and to him shall we return. So Sorry to hear about your loss. We will continue praying for you and your family from our heart that Allah give you sabr. May Allah grant the deceased the highest level in Jannah.

or you can say : Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. “May Allah forgive and have mercy on the dead! May He overlook his lapses! May he cause you all to endure the severe tragedy patiently and may He reward you all against this grief and affliction.”

what to say after inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un?

O Allah, forgive him and have mercy on him and give him strength and pardon him. Be generous to him and cause his entrance to be wide and wash him with water and snow and hail. Cleanse him of his transgressions as white cloth is cleansed of stains. Give him an abode better than his home, and a family better than his family, and a wife better than his wife. Take him into Paradise and protect him from the punishment of the grave [and from the punishment of Hell-fire].

إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ له وَارْحَمْهُ وَعَافِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ، وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ، وَوَسِّعْ مُدْخَلَهُ، وَاغْسِلْهُ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ، وَنَقِّهِ مِنْ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا نَقَّيْتَ الثَّوْبَ الْأَبْيَضَ مِنْ الدَّنَسِ، وَأَبْدِلْهُ دَارًا خَيْرًا مِنْ دَارِهِ، وَأَهْلًا خَيْرًا مِنْ أَهْلِهِ، وَأَدْخِلْهُ الْجَنة، وَقِهِ فِتْنَةَ الْقَبْرِ وَعَذَابَ النَّارِ واجمعنا مع من سبقونا من احبابنا بالفردوس الاعلى من الجنة بغير حساب ولا 

When do we say Istirja,” inna Lillahi wa inna Ilayhi Rajioon ” ?

Hadith on saying istirja in face of any difficulty

Sayyiduna Husayn ibn Ali radi allahu anhu narrated that the Prophet sallalahu alaihe wa sallam said,a Muslim man or woman suffers a hardship and recalls it, even after a long period of time and says:(We belong to Allah and to Him is our return). Allah, Blessed and Exalted, renews a reward whenever it is said like the reward for it on the day he was afflicted (mishkat 1759)

وَعَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ وَلَا مُسْلِمَةٍ يُصَابُ بِمُصِيبَةٍ فَيَذْكُرُهَا وَإِنْ طَالَ عَهْدُهَا فَيُحْدِثُ لِذَلِكَ اسْتِرْجَاعًا إِلَّا جَدَّدَ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى لَهُ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ فَأَعْطَاهُ مِثْلَ أَجْرِهَا يَوْمَ أُصِيبَ بِهَا» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَالْبَيْهَقِيُّ فِي شعب الْإِيمَان

Reference of Inna lillahi wa Inna ilayhi raji’un  in Quran

ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَـٰبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ

Who, when faced with a disaster, say, “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will ˹all˺ return.”(2:156)

‘Saying does not signify the mere making of a statement. It means a statement which is accompanied by a deep conviction in one’s heart: ‘To Allah do we belong.’ This being so, a man is bound to think that whatever has been sacrificed for God has in fact attained its legitimate end, for it has been spent in the way of the One to whom all things truly belong. And it is to Him that we are destined to return’ refers to the fact that man will not stay forever in this world and will return, sooner or later, to God. 

Allah says in the next ayah: (2:157) Upon them will be the blessings and mercy of their Lord, and it is they who are rightly guided.

Benefits of saying inna lillahi

Allah renews the reward of affliction

Sayyiduna Husayn ibn Ali radi allahu anhu narrated that the Prophet sallalahu alaihe wa sallam said,a Muslim man or woman suffers a hardship and recalls it, even after a long period of time and says:(We belong to Allah and to Him is our return). Allah, Blessed and Exalted, renews a reward whenever it is said like the reward for it on the day he was afflicted (mishkat 1759)

وَعَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ وَلَا مُسْلِمَةٍ يُصَابُ بِمُصِيبَةٍ فَيَذْكُرُهَا وَإِنْ طَالَ عَهْدُهَا فَيُحْدِثُ لِذَلِكَ اسْتِرْجَاعًا إِلَّا جَدَّدَ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى لَهُ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ فَأَعْطَاهُ مِثْلَ أَجْرِهَا يَوْمَ أُصِيبَ بِهَا» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَالْبَيْهَقِيُّ فِي شعب الْإِيمَان

Dua, Hadith of Umm salama on Inna lillahi wa Inna ilayhi raji’un

Umar bin Abu Salamah narrated from his mother, Umm Salamah, that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:“When a calamity strikes one of you, then let him say:

:‏ ‏(‏ إنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ ‏)‏ اللَّهُمَّ عِنْدَكَ احْتَسَبْتُ مُصِيبَتِي فَأْجُرْنِي فِيهَا وَأَبْدِلْنِي مِنْهَا خَيْرًا ‏”

‘Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return. O Allah, I seek reward with You for my affliction, so reward me for it, and replace it for me with something better (Innā lillāhi wa innā ilaihi rāji`ūn, Allāhumma `indaka aḥtasibu muṣībatī fa’jurnī fīhā wa abdilnī minhā khair).’”

When the time of death was near Abu Salamah, he said: ‘O Allah, replace me for my wife, with better than me.” So when he died, Umm Salamah said: “Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return. I seek reward with Allah for my affliction, so reward me for it.”Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3511

إِنّا للهِ وَإِنَا إِلَـيْهِ راجِعـون ، اللهُـمِّ اْجُـرْني في مُصـيبَتي، وَاخْلُـفْ لي خَيْـراً مِنْـها

Innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rāji`ūn, Allāhumma-jurni fī muṣībatī wa ‘khluf lī khayran minhā.

We are from Allah and unto Him we return. O Allah take me out of my plight and bring to me after it something better. Hisn al-Muslim 154

Narrated Umm Salamah:The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: When one of you is afflicted with a calamity, he should say:

 ‏{‏ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ ‏}‏ اللَّهُمَّ عِنْدَكَ أَحْتَسِبُ مُصِيبَتِي فَآجِرْنِي فِيهَا وَأَبْدِلْ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا ‏”‏ ‏.‏

“We belong to Allah, and to Him we do return.” O Allah, I expect reward from Thee from this affliction, so give me reward for it, and give me a better compensation. Sunan Abi Dawud 3119

It was narrated from Umm Salamah that Abu Salamah told her that he heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say:“There is no Muslim who is stricken with a calamity and reacts by saying as Allah has commanded: ‘Inna lillahi, wa inna ilayhi raji’un. Allahumma indaka ahtasabtu musibati, fajurni fiha, wa ‘awwidni minha (Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return. O Allah, with You I seek reward for my calamity, so reward me for it and compensate me),’ but Allah will reward him for that and compensate him with something better than it.”

She said: “When Abu Salamah died, I remembered what he had told me from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and I said: ‘Inna lillahi, wa inna ilayhi raji’un. Allahumma indaka ahtasabtu musibati, fajurni alaiha (Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.

O Allah, with You I seek reward for my calamity, so reward me for it).’ But when I wanted to say wa ‘awwidni minha (and compensate me with better), I said to myself: ‘How can I be compensated with something better than Abu Salamah?’ Then I said it, and Allah compensated me with Muhammad (ﷺ) and rewarded me for my calamity.”

 إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ اللَّهُمَّ عِنْدَكَ احْتَسَبْتُ مُصِيبَتِي فَأْجُرْنِي فِيهَا وَعُضْنِي مِنْهَا – إِلاَّ آجَرَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهَا وَعَاضَهُ خَيْرًا مِنْهَا ‏”‏ ‏.‏

(Sunan Ibn Majah 1598 )

Some quick facts about the phrase: “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un”

1. inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un is also called Istirja
2. It comes in Quran chapter 2 ayah 156
3. It is not only said on death of a person but on facing any hardships and diffficulty
4. It means “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will ˹all˺ return.”
5. It has a deep meaning and signifies the tawwaqul of a Person.

If man is indeed destined to return to God why should he not return to Him having spent his all, having staked his life for His sake? This alternative is preferable to the pursuit of self-aggrandisement and then meeting death either by sickness or accident.

Allah says, in Quran (2:161) As for those who disbelieved and died disbelieving, surely the curse of Allah and of the angels and of all men is on them.(2:162) Thus shall they abide and their chastisement shall not be lightened, nor shall they be given respite.(2:163) Your God is One God, there is no god but He; the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.