What does Mashallah mean?

Mashallah is an Arabic phrase meaning “what God has willed”. Muslims say it when they see something good or beautiful, such as a child, a new home, or a success, to acknowledge that it came from God. It is also said to guard against envy: praising something without mentioning God is thought to invite the evil eye, so mashallah turns the praise back to its source. The phrase appears in the Quran in the story of a man shown his fine garden and told he should have said it. It is used across the Arabic-speaking world regardless of religion. The source glossary covers its origin and correct pronunciation.