Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji'un
Al-Baqarah 2:156. Also known as Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajioon, To Allah we belong and to Him we return, Istirja
ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَٰبَتۡهُم مُّصِيبَةࣱ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيۡهِ رَٰجِعُونَ ﴿١٥٦﴾
Allatheena itha asabathum museebatun qaloo inna lillahi wainna ilayhi rajiAAoona
Those who, when a calamity afflicts them, say, “To Allah we belong, and to Him we will return.”
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un means that we belong to Allah and to Him we will return. The phrase comes from verse 156 of Surah Al-Baqarah, where it is what patient people say when a calamity strikes them. Saying it is called istirja.
Muslims say it on hearing of a death, but the verse speaks of any misfortune, large or small. It reminds the speaker that what was lost was never fully theirs, and that they too are on their way back to Allah.
What it means
Those struck by calamity
The verse describes people who, when a misfortune reaches them, respond with these words. It follows directly from the previous verse, which gives good news to the patient.
We belong to Allah
The first half is an admission of ownership. We, and everything we have, belong to Allah. A loss is the return of something that was His all along.
To Him we will return
The second half looks ahead. Everyone will go back to Allah, so a separation in this life is not the end of the story.
Where it sits in Surah Al-Baqarah
Verse 153 calls on believers to seek help through patience and prayer and says Allah is with the patient. Verse 154 says those killed in Allah's cause are alive, though we do not perceive it. Verse 155 states plainly that people will be tested with some fear and hunger and loss of wealth, lives and crops, and gives good news to the patient. Verse 156 defines them by this phrase. Verse 157 then says that upon them are blessings and mercy from their Lord, and that they are the rightly guided.
How it is used
Muslims say this phrase when they hear of a death and at other moments of loss, even small ones. Sahih Muslim reports, from Umm Salamah, that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that whenever a Muslim is struck by a calamity and says these words, followed by a prayer asking Allah to reward them in their affliction and replace it with something better, Allah will replace it with something better. Umm Salamah said that when her husband Abu Salamah died, she wondered who could be better than him, but she said the words anyway, and Allah later gave her the Prophet ﷺ as her husband.
Questions
What does Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un mean?
It means: Surely we belong to Allah, and to Him we will return.
When do Muslims say Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un?
Most commonly on hearing of someone's death, but the verse covers any calamity, and many Muslims say it for smaller losses as well.
Is there a dua to add after Inna lillahi?
Yes. Sahih Muslim records that the Prophet ﷺ taught adding a short prayer asking Allah to reward you in your loss and replace it with something better.