الْوَكِيلُ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Al-Wakeel
The Trustee
Al-Wakeel is the Trustee, the One who gives satisfaction and is relied upon. Its verse is 4:81, where the Prophet ﷺ is told to turn from the hypocrites and put his trust in Allah, and it is mentioned 14 times in the Quran. The believers' answer to an army's threat ends with the Name: and He is the best Protector (3:173).
Key verse
﴿وَيَقُولُونَ طَاعَةٌ فَإِذَا بَرَزُوا۟ مِنْ عِندِكَ بَيَّتَ طَآئِفَةٌ مِّنْهُمْ غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى تَقُولُ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَكْتُبُ مَا يُبَيِّتُونَ ۖ فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ وَكِيلًا﴾And they say, “We obey,” but when they leave you, a group of them would spend the night contradicting what they said. Allah records all their schemes. So turn away from them, and put your trust in Allah. And Allah is sufficient as a Trustee of Affairs.
The scholar's text
The Trustee, The One who gives the satisfaction and is relied upon.
وَيَقُولُونَ طَاعَةٌۭ فَإِذَا بَرَزُوا۟ مِنْ عِندِكَ بَيَّتَ طَآئِفَةٌۭ مِّنْهُمْ غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى تَقُولُ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَكْتُبُ مَا يُبَيِّتُونَ ۖ فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ وَكِيلًا
النساء 4: 81
(And they say, “We obey,” but when they leave you, a group of them would spend the night contradicting what they said. Allah records all their schemes. So turn away from them, and put your trust in Allah. And Allah is sufficient as a Trustee of Affairs.) An-Nisa 4:81
It is mentioned 14 times in the Holy Quran
الوكيل، الذي يرضي ويعتمد عليه.
وَيَقُولُونَ طَاعَةٌ فَإِذَا بَرَزُوا۟ مِنْ عِندِكَ بَيَّتَ طَآئِفَةٌ مِّنْهُمْ غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى تَقُولُ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَكْتُبُ مَا يُبَيِّتُونَ ۖ فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ وَكِيلًا
النساء 4: 81
ورد في القرآن الكريم 14 مرة.
Turn Away From Them, and Trust
4:81 is about people who said we obey in the Prophet's ﷺ presence and plotted otherwise at night. Obedience has to be the same inside and out, al-Sa'di says, whether the Messenger is present or not. Then the instruction: meet them by turning away, without harshness. They cannot harm him, al-Sa'di explains, as long as he trusts in Allah and seeks His help in supporting His religion. And Allah is sufficient as a Trustee of Affairs.
Arabic: فأعرض عنهم وتوكل على الله
تتحدث آية النساء عن قوم يقولون: طاعة، في حضرة النبي ﷺ ثم يبيتون غير ذلك. قال السعدي: «ولا بد أن تكون طاعة الله ورسوله ظاهرًا وباطنًا في الحضرة والمغيب». ثم الأمر بالإعراض: «ثم أمر رسوله بمقابلتهم بالإعراض وعدم التعنيف، فإنهم لا يضرونه شيئا إذا توكل على الله واستعان به في نصر دينه، وإقامة شرعه»، ﴿وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ وَكِيلًا﴾.
Allah Is Sufficient for Us
﴿ٱلَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّ ٱلنَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا۟ لَكُمْ فَٱخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَـٰنًا وَقَالُوا۟ حَسْبُنَا ٱللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ ٱلْوَكِيلُ﴾Those who were warned, “Your enemies have mobilized their forces against you, so fear them,” the warning only made them grow stronger in faith and they replied, “Allah ˹alone˺ is sufficient ˹as an aid˺ for us and ˹He˺ is the best Protector.”
3:173 is the moment of fear. The believers were told that an army had gathered against them, so they should be afraid. It only made them stronger in faith, and they said: Allah alone is sufficient for us, and He is the best Protector. The threat, al-Sa'di says, only added to their faith and their reliance on Him. Sufficient means He is enough for everything that worries us, and al-Wakeel is the One to whom the running of His servants' affairs is handed, who takes care of what is good for them.
Arabic: حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل
آية آل عمران موقف خوف: قيل للمؤمنين إن الناس قد جمعوا لكم فاخشوهم، فقالوا: ﴿حَسْبُنَا ٱللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ ٱلْوَكِيلُ﴾، قال السعدي: «فلم يزدهم ذلك إلا إيمانا بالله واتكالا عليه». وقال: «أي: كافينا كل ما أهمنا ونعم الوكيل المفوض إليه تدبير عباده، والقائم بمصالحهم».
Better for You Than You Know
﴿وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ وَكِيلًا﴾And put your trust in Allah, for Allah is sufficient as a Trustee of Affairs.
33:3 repeats the instruction in its shortest form: put your trust in Allah, for Allah is sufficient as a Trustee of Affairs. Al-Sa'di explains why He is enough. Matters handed to Him He carries out in the way that is best for the servant, because He knows the servant's good where the servant does not, has power to bring it where the servant has none, and is more merciful to him than he is to himself, or his own parents.
Arabic: وتوكل على الله وكفى بالله وكيلا
تعيد آية الأحزاب الأمر في أقصر صورة: ﴿وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ وَكِيلًا﴾، قال السعدي: «توكل إليه الأمور، فيقوم بها، وبما هو أصلح للعبد، وذلك لعلمه بمصالح عبده، من حيث لا يعلم العبد، وقدرته على إيصالها إليه، من حيث لا يقدر عليها العبد، وأنه أرحم بعبده من نفسه، ومن والديه».
No Authority Over My Servants
﴿إِنَّ عِبَادِى لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَـٰنٌ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِرَبِّكَ وَكِيلًا﴾˹Allah added,˺ “You will truly have no authority over My ˹faithful˺ servants.” And sufficient is your Lord as a Guardian.
17:65 ends Allah's answer to Satan: you will truly have no authority over My faithful servants, and sufficient is your Lord as a Guardian. No hold and no misleading, al-Sa'di explains: by their worship Allah wards every evil off them, guards them from Satan and suffices them. And the closing words hold, he says, for whoever trusts in Him and does what He commanded. Take Him alone as a Trustee, 73:9 says, and al-Sa'di's gloss there is a keeper and manager of all your affairs.
Arabic: إن عبادي ليس لك عليهم سلطان
تختم آية الإسراء جواب الله للشيطان: ﴿إِنَّ عِبَادِى لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَـٰنٌ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِرَبِّكَ وَكِيلًا﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: تسلط وإغواء بل الله يدفع عنهم -بقيامهم بعبوديته- كل شر ويحفظهم من الشيطان الرجيم ويقوم بكفايتهم»، و﴿وَكَفَىٰ بِرَبِّكَ وَكِيلًا﴾ «لمن توكل عليه وأدى ما أمر به». وفي المزمل: ﴿فَٱتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلًا﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: حافظا ومدبرا لأمورك كلها».
Like the Birds
﴿فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ ٱلْقَلْبِ لَٱنفَضُّوا۟ مِنْ حَوْلِكَ ۖ فَٱعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَمْرِ ۖ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ﴾It is out of Allah’s mercy that you ˹O Prophet˺ have been lenient with them. Had you been cruel or hard-hearted, they would have certainly abandoned you. So pardon them, ask Allah’s forgiveness for them, and consult with them in ˹conducting˺ matters. Once you make a decision, put your trust in Allah. Surely Allah loves those who trust in Him.
Trust does not replace thinking. 3:159 tells the Prophet ﷺ to consult his companions, and once a decision is made, to put his trust in Allah. Al-Sa'di: after consulting, lean on Allah's might and power, letting go of your own. The Prophet ﷺ described what such trust brings: “If you were to rely upon Allah with the required reliance, then He would provide for you just as a bird is provided for, it goes out in the morning empty, and returns full” (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2344, graded sahih by al-Albani). The birds still go out each morning.
Arabic: كما ترزق الطير
التوكل لا يلغي النظر، فقد أمر الله نبيه ﷺ أن يشاور أصحابه ثم يتوكل إذا عزم: ﴿وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَمْرِ ۖ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: على أمر من الأمور بعد الاستشارة فيه، إن كان يحتاج إلى استشارة فتوكل على الله أي: اعتمد على حول الله وقوته، متبرئا من حولك وقوتك». وقال النبي ﷺ: «لَوْ أَنَّكُمْ كُنْتُمْ تَوَكَّلُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ حَقَّ تَوَكُّلِهِ لَرُزِقْتُمْ كَمَا تُرْزَقُ الطَّيْرُ تَغْدُو خِمَاصًا وَتَرُوحُ بِطَانًا» (جامع الترمذي 2344، صححه الألباني)، والطير تغدو كل صباح.
From the Sunnah
If you were to rely upon Allah with the required reliance, then He would provide for you just as a bird is provided for, it goes out in the morning empty, and returns full
لَوْ أَنَّكُمْ كُنْتُمْ تَوَكَّلُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ حَقَّ تَوَكُّلِهِ لَرُزِقْتُمْ كَمَا تُرْزَقُ الطَّيْرُ تَغْدُو خِمَاصًا وَتَرُوحُ بِطَانًا
A du'a with this Name
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ لاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ
In the Name of Allah, I place my trust in Allah, there is no might or power except by Allah
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3426, graded sahih by al-Albani: what to say on leaving the house, as Anas ibn Malik reported; the Prophet ﷺ said it is answered: you have been sufficed and protected
Related Names
Questions about Al-Wakeel
What does Al-Wakeel mean?
Al-Wakeel means the Trustee, relied upon and giving satisfaction to whoever relies on Him.
How many times is Al-Wakeel in the Quran?
Al-Wakeel is mentioned 14 times in the Quran. Its verse here, 4:81, closes on the Name.
Does trusting Allah mean not making plans?
No. 3:159 says to consult first and trust Allah once the decision is made; al-Sa'di says to rely on His power rather than your own.
What should a Muslim say when leaving the house?
On leaving the house a Muslim says: In the name of Allah, I place my trust in Allah, there is no might or power except by Allah (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3426, graded sahih by al-Albani).