حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل
Ḥasbunā Allāhu wa niʿma al-wakīl
“God is enough for us, and He is the best Guardian.” It is said when one is reckoned with or reckons, trusting everything to God.
What it means
The phrase means “God is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs”. The Quran gives it as the reply of the believers when they were told that a large force had gathered against them: “They said, ‘God is enough for us, and He is the best Guardian’” (3:173). The verse adds that the threat increased their faith. It expresses trust in God (tawakkul) when danger is real.
Ibn ʿAbbas reported that Abraham said it when he was cast into the fire, and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) said it when people warned the believers of the enemy (Sahih al-Bukhari). Muslims say it in fear, loss, and when they have been wronged, and as a statement of trust when another reckons with them. The word wakīl means one to whom a matter is entrusted, which is why it is translated “Guardian” or “Trustee”.
Often misunderstood as
Said to be a phrase of resignation; the Quran presents it as a statement of trust that increased faith.
Term and Arabic as listed in Ismail al Faruqi, Toward Islamic English (International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1995), p. 57, listed as ḤASBUNĀ ALLAHU WA NI‘MA AL WAKĪL.. The definition is restated here.