When someone says jazakallah khairan, then we are also encouraged to reply with the sentence wa iyyakum, meaning “and to you too”. So, the meaning of the Arabic phrase “wa iyyakum” is “and to you too”. As he prays for us with kindness, so we also reply with the same dua so that he too will be rewarded with kindness. ‘
The word “wa iyyakum” in Arabic is the plural version, but it can also be used singularly to give it a more polite meaning. The answer with the sentence wa iyyakum depends on the gender, whether male or female. So the response may vary:
- Wa iyyak (to a male Singular)
- Wa iyyaki (to a female Singular)
However, for a more polite meaning you can use the plural “wa iyyakum” (male plural) or “wa iyyakunna (female plural)” to show a more polite sense of pronunciation towards the singular.
This is the same as someone talking to himself using plural sentences, this shows that he is proud, respected by himself or shows more meaning. This is as it is in the Koran, surah hijr verse 9.
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا ٱلذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُۥ لَحَـٰفِظُونَ
“Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur’an and indeed, We will be its guardian.”
Surah Al Hijr ayat 9
Here, we look that Allah almighty is speaking about himself without companions but grammatically uses plural.
Another Response To Jazakallah
In addition to using the sentence wa iyyakum to reply to Jazakallah khair‘s words as said by elsholat.com, there are other sentences that you can use. This is “Wa antum fa jazakumullahu khairan” which means “And you too, May Allah reward with good”. Using this sentence is better as a reply to Jazakallah khair than using a short sentence “wa iyyakum”. But you can still reply with shorter sentences, this is still true.
Also see: Shukran: What Is The Meaning of Shukran in Arabic
Wa Iyyakum used in a sentence
Let’s see how wa iyyakum is used in sentences.
The best way is to see how this applies to Arabs in their daily lives. We found some sentences used by Arabs on their social media. Here are some examples of using the phrase “Wa iyyakum” in everyday conversation.
Example 1:
Waiyyakum khair, i have merely stated the facts sister. May He bless you with the best of his blessings and jazakallah hu khairan again. (khair means good, so in this case the person said and to you good).
Example 2:
Ameen wa iyyakum bhaijaan
Example 3:
Ameen wa iyyakum bhaijaan Two accidents and a fire at the metro station on the same day
Example 4:
Wa Iyyak bro I’m sure you will be fine just keep at it and leave the rest in Allah SWT hands (example of term Wa iyyak used for male).
Example 5:
Wa iyyaki dear sister! Amin Ya Rabb! He has blessed me so much every day, alhamdulillah (example of term Wa iyyaki used for female).