(June 1, 2015 at 11:49 am)Prince Wrote: Its true people often use the word Allah to fill in gaps. It drives me crazy when i ask someone if he will be free tomorrow, his direct answer will be "If Allah wills". How do i respond to that, its not a definitive answer. I mean, are you saying that God may stop you from leaving the house, or you just don't want to leave by your own will.
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With some people, that means "yes," but they are letting you know that it is possible that they will have a heart attack (or some other such thing) that will prevent them from keeping their appointment with you. Some do this because they would regard it as a lie to say that they would meet you and yet not be able to do so due to something beyond their control (like a heart attack, getting run over by a bus, whatever). Some regard such a "lie" as sinful, and they want to avoid sin. Hence, instead of "yes," they say something like "if Allah wills."
Some might be using it more as you seem to be taking it, as a way to say "maybe."
If you want to know what they mean, you may try asking them to explain it.
I don't know if this will make you feel better or not, but Christians have a similar saying, "God willing." Typically, I have heard it used in the sense explained in my first paragraph, but I am not very familiar with Islam or your culture, so I am a bit reluctant to say that this is what they likely mean. But, without further information, that is how I would take it.
Of course, some people are liars in every culture, so it may not make any difference what is meant by a particular person in a particular instance.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
