Wa iyyakum, and you too.

Wa iyyakum means "and you too". It is the usual reply when someone says jazakallah khair or makes a good dua for you, returning the same dua to them.

To a manReply

وَإِيَّاكَ

Wa iyyāk

And you too (to a man).

Masculine singular

To a womanReply

وَإِيَّاكِ

Wa iyyāki

And you too (to a woman).

Feminine singular

To a group, or politely to anyoneReply

وَإِيَّاكُمْ

Wa iyyākum

And you all too.

Plural

Quran 1:5In the Quran

إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ

Iyyaaka na'budu wa Iyyaaka nasta'een

It is You we worship and You we ask for help.

Quran 1:5, Sahih International translation

Our teachers will check the Arabic and transliteration on this page before launch.

Guide

Meaning, use and source.

Wa iyyakum (وَإِيَّاكُمْ) means "and you too", or more exactly "and to you as well". When someone says jazakallah khair ("may Allah reward you with good"), replying wa iyyakum asks the same reward for them.

Wa iyyak, wa iyyaki or wa iyyakum?

Wa iyyak or wa iyyaka: to one man.
Wa iyyaki: to one woman.
Wa iyyakum: to a group. It is also used for one person out of politeness, which is why it is the form you hear most.

The word iyya is the one in Surah Al-Fatiha: "iyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nasta'in", "It is You we worship and You we ask for help" (Quran 1:5). Wa iyyaka here simply means "and you".

When to say it

After jazakallah khair, jazakallahu khayran, or barakallahu fik.
After someone says "may Allah forgive you", "may Allah bless you" or any good dua.
After greetings like Eid Mubarak or Ramadan Mubarak, people often reply "wa iyyakum" or "khair Mubarak".

Wa iyyakum at Eid

At Eid, the Companions greeted each other with "taqabbalallahu minna wa minkum", "may Allah accept from us and from you". A common reply is the same words back, or "wa minkum", "and from you". People also answer Eid Mubarak with "wa iyyakum" or "khair Mubarak". Any of these is fine, as long as you return the good wish.

Is there a hadith for saying wa iyyakum?

There is no hadith that fixes wa iyyakum as the reply to jazakallah khair. It is plain Arabic for "and you", used by Arabic speakers for centuries. Any good words in return are fine, such as wa jazakum ("and may He reward you"), wa fik barakallah ("and may Allah bless you"), or ameen.

Spellings

You will see wa iyyakum, waiyyakum, wa iyakum, wa eyyakum and wa iyyaki. The double y shows the stressed sound: wa iy-yā-kum.

Quran 1:5, translation by Sahih International.
On jazakallahu khayran: Jami at-Tirmidhi 2035, graded hasan.

Questions

Good to know.

What does wa iyyakum mean?

And you too, or and to you as well. It returns a good wish or dua to the person who said it.

What is the difference between wa iyyak and wa iyyaki?

Wa iyyak is said to a man and wa iyyaki to a woman. Wa iyyakum is for a group, and is often used politely for one person.

Is wa iyyakum the right reply to jazakallah khair?

Yes, it is the most common reply. Wa jazakum (and may Allah reward you) is another good one.