(The Prophet) Solomon said, "Tonight I will sleep with (my) ninety wives, each of whom will get a male child who will fight for Allah's Cause." On that, his companion (Sufyan said that his companion was an angel) said to him, "Say, "If Allah will (Allah willing)." But Solomon forgot (to say it). He slept with all his wives, but none of the women gave birth to a child, except one who gave birth to a halfboy. Abu Huraira added: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If Solomon had said, "If Allah will" (Allah willing), he would not have been unsuccessful in his action, and would have attained what he had desired." Once Abu Huraira added: Allah apostle said, "If he had accepted."
Expiation for Unfulfilled Oaths - Sahih al-Bukhari 6720
This narration from Prophet Solomon's life serves as a profound lesson on the necessity of invoking Allah's will in all matters. The classical scholars explain that Solomon (peace be upon him), despite being a prophet, was reminded of human limitation and absolute dependence on Divine decree.
Theological Significance of "Insha'Allah"
Scholars emphasize that forgetting to say "Insha'Allah" (if Allah wills) constitutes a subtle form of relying on one's own planning without proper recognition of Divine will. This incident establishes the sunnah of conditioning all future intentions with this phrase.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani comments in Fath al-Bari that Solomon's intention was pure - to produce warriors for Allah's cause - yet the omission of "Insha'Allah" demonstrated the necessity of coupling good intentions with proper Islamic etiquette.
Legal and Spiritual Implications
The Hanafi school derives from this hadith that vows conditioned upon future capability require the mention of "Insha'Allah" for validity. Maliki scholars use it to emphasize the importance of humility before Allah's decree.
Al-Qurtubi notes that the "half-boy" mentioned symbolizes incomplete outcomes when we rely solely on our own planning without proper submission to Divine will, serving as an eternal reminder for the Muslim ummah.