"InshaAllah" has turned into "Alhamdulillah" for Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate, who celebrated his historic victory over Republican Mike Rogers with a religious expression of gratitude and a pointed message to President Donald Trump, whose repeated personal and anti-Muslim attacks failed to prevent his election.
Addressing jubilant supporters in Detroit on November 4 after his victory in Michigan's closely contested Senate race, the 42-year-old Democrat recalled how he had repeatedly used the Arabic expression "InshaAllah" (God willing) during his election campaign whenever supporters asked whether he would win.
"But today, tonight, we can turn that InshaAllah into a..." he told the crowd, deliberately pausing for supporters to complete the sentence with "Alhamdulillah" (Praise be to Allah). El-Sayed repeated the expression and added, "For the right-wing ops, that just means praise be to God." His remarks carried particular significance after his Muslim identity and use of Islamic expressions had become major targets of criticism during the campaign, with opponents portraying his religious faith as a potential threat to American national security.
Rather than attributing his victory to an individual political leader, El-Sayed thanked ordinary supporters who had knocked on doors, made telephone calls, contributed money, and participated in the campaign. "You took a chance on the unlikeliest of candidates.
This is all yours," he said, describing the victory as the achievement of a grassroots movement built around keeping money out of politics, putting money back into people's pockets, and providing Medicare for All. His victory over former Republican congressman Mike Rogers, who enjoyed Trump's endorsement, made him the first Muslim ever elected to the US Senate.
The election was held on November 3, and major American news organisations projected El-Sayed as the winner the following day. The victory was particularly significant because Trump had personally intervened in the campaign, repeatedly describing the Democratic candidate as a dangerous extremist and questioning his loyalty to the United States.
At a campaign rally in Port Huron, Michigan, on October 25, Trump called El-Sayed a "jihadist" and a "Muslim Brotherhood member," claiming that he was on the side of terrorists and should not be trusted with sensitive national security information. In another controversial remark, Trump suggested that El-Sayed would be the only senator required to pass through a metal detector before entering the Senate.
He also repeatedly referred to the candidate by his middle name, Mohamed, rather than Abdul, and mocked his objections to the way he pronounced his name. El-Sayed, however, refused to retreat in the face of the attacks.
Responding to Trump at a news conference in Detroit on October 26, he described the allegations as "deflections and deceptions based on no evidence." He said his name and religious identity had nothing to do with the economic difficulties facing American households. El-Sayed also rejected the allegations concerning the Muslim Brotherhood, telling Fox News (Fox News): "I have never been a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, I never will be a member of the Muslim Brotherhood."
Following his election victory, the senator-elect turned his attention once again to Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance, vowing to represent all Americans regardless of their background or faith.