على الله توكلنا
‘alā Allāh tawakkalnā
The English phrase "in allah we trust" is translated into Arabic as على الله توكلنا (‘alā Allāh tawakkalnā).
The phrase على الله توكلنا is used to express complete faith and reliance on God for guidance and support. It is commonly used when facing a difficult task, a new endeavor or a period of uncertainty to express spiritual reliance on God.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase means "Upon Allah we have relied". It is composed of the preposition على (upon/on), the proper name الله (Allah) and the verb توكلنا (we relied/we placed our trust).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the informal way to express "In Allah We Trust" is بنتوكل على ربنا.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb توكلنا is the first-person plural past tense form of توكل (to rely/to trust), where the suffix -نا indicates "we".
How do you pronounce it?
‘alā Allāh tawakkalnā
Did you know?
- In the phrase على الله توكلنا, the verb توكل implies a specific kind of trust where one takes all possible practical actions first and then leaves the final result to God.
- The word الله may have evolved from a contraction of al-ilāh, meaning 'the deity', where the initial sound was dropped over time to create a single unique name.
Examples in context
- بالله نتوكلIn Allah we trust.
- على الله توكلنا في هذا الأمر الصعب.ala Allah tawakkalna fi hadha al-amr al-sa'b.In Allah we trust in this difficult matter.
- لا تقلق، على الله توكلنا.la taqlaq, ala Allah tawakkalna.Do not worry, in Allah we trust.
- بدأنا العمل الجديد و على الله توكلنا.bada'na al-'amal al-jadid wa ala Allah tawakkalna.We started the new work and in Allah we trust.
Example conversation
Yusuf and Sarah are discussing a big life decision.
- يوسف Youssefهل أنت مستعدة للرحيل يا سارة؟hal anti musta'idda lil-rahil ya Sarah?Are you ready to leave, Sarah?
- سارة Saraنعم، على الله توكلنا.na'am, ala Allah tawakkalna.Yes, in Allah we trust.
- يوسف Youssefبارك الله فيك يا سارة.baraka Allahu fiki ya Sarah.May Allah bless you, Sarah.
- سارة Saraشكراً لك يا يوسف.shukran laka ya Yusuf.Thank you, Yusuf.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries الله, على, CC BY-SA 4.0.
