The word tawakkul has been derived from (wakalat), meaning ‘taking for oneself a representative’, and a good representative generally possesses the following four characteristics: Awareness, Trustworthiness, Strength, and Sympathy. The word tawakkul lexically means to appoint someone as a deputy. The person who will appoint a deputy wants to rely on a person who is stronger, more compassionate, more knowledgeable and wiser than him and appoints him as a deputy. Allah says:

فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَقُلْ حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ

“But if they turn away, then say, “Sufficient for me (is) Allah. (There is) no god except Him. On Him, I put my trust. And He (is the) Lord (of) the Throne, the Great.” (Surah At-Taubah 9:129)

Tawakkul means to fulfil all of one’s duties and then to leave the result to Allah and to accept the result with reliance and consent. In short, it means to trust in Allah and not to worry about one’s end. One must realize that God is the ultimate source of every bounty, every success, and every benefit, and no harm can reach him even from the most powerful enemy except with the permission of God and similarly no benefit. Allah says:

إِنَّا نَحْنُ نُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ وَنَكْتُبُ مَا قَدَّمُوا وَآثَارَهُمْ ۚ وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَاهُ فِي إِمَامٍ مُّبِينٍ

“Verily, it is We who bring the dead to life and record what they have put forth and what they left behind, and all things We have enumerated in a clear register.” (Surah Ya-Seen 36:12)

One must often ponder about these basic issues of his life and slowly develop his faith in God, place his hope and trust in Him, often pray to Him and nurture realistic thinking about his future and make a plan for doing good actions, keeping in view both this world and hereafter. “Tawakkul upon God means the severance by the servant of all hopes and expectations from the creatures (and attaching them to God).”

Tawakkul the Islamic concept of complete reliance on Allah or ‘trusting in Allah’s plan:

1. Tawakkul indicate that Allah’s wish is an occurrence
2. Tawakkul greater the chances that we try to please
3. Tawakkul in Allah no matter what he has put on us
4. Tawakkul will be going to be an end by His Mercy
5. Tawakkul indicate that Allah cannot be opposed
6. Tawakkul Allah must be strong and rely upon
7. Tawakkul turn the success in the Hereafter
8. Tawakkul is no one but the Lord Himself
9. Tawakkul attribute the pleasure of Allah 
10. Tawakkul to more we rely on Him
11. Tawakkul is that it invites us to connect
12. Tawakkul attribute everything to the Will
13. Tawakkul connect to a powerful associate
14. Tawakkul is the best manager of their affairs
15. Tawakkul turn lead to goodness in this world
16. Tawakkul on Allah relying on loss or success
17. Tawakkul never prevents a man from working
18. Tawakkul means all things are in Allah’s hands
19. Tawakkul following the guidance He has given us
20. Tawakkul is sufficient to protect and manage the affairs

Tawakkul never prevents a man from working and acting by causes. A Muslim knows that he cannot earn money without working and he takes necessary measures for worldly affairs; similarly, he knows that one cannot enter Paradise without worshipping Allah, fulfilling His orders and avoiding His prohibitions; so, he fulfils his duties and relies on Allah. Allah says:

قُل لَّن يُصِيبَنَا إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوْلَانَا وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

Say, “Never will we be struck except by what Allah has decreed for us; He is our protector.” And upon Allah let the believers rely on.” (Surah At-Tawbah 9:51)

Tawakkul means to show consent to the decision that Allah Almighty makes after acting by the causes and taking necessary measures. Such a person lives in peace and does not give pain to his spirit by worrying about his livelihood; the following hadith of the Prophet (PBUH) becomes a great source of hope for him: Success in this world means to survive, manage and live within the limits set by Allah. But true success is in Allah says:

إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ لَهُ سُلْطَانٌ عَلـى الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَ عَلـى‏ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ‏

“Surely he has no authority over those who believe and rely on their Lord.” (Surah Nahl 16:99)

Tawakkul is just making dua for good to happen in your life and expecting good to happen with certainty (no matter how uncertain the situation may be). Human being though is the most superior creature on Earth has a very fragile existence. Humans like any other creature are never independent. Additionally, humans like others have no control over their birth, ageing, and death.

Allah Almighty says in The Holy Quran:

• “Allāh burdens not a person beyond his scope.” (Quran,1:286)
• “And rely upon the Ever-Living who does not die.” (Quran, 25:58)
• “He will provide him from where he does not expect.” (Quran, 65:3)
• “And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah.” (Quran, 3:159)
• “That man can have nothing but what he strives for.” (an-Najm, 53:39)
• “And sufficient is Allah as a wakeel (disposer of affairs).” (Quran, 33:48)
• “And whoever relies upon Allah – He will be sufficient for him.” (Quran, 65:3)
• “…and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know.” (Quran 2:216)
• “Never will we be struck except by what Allah has decreed for us; He is our protector.” And upon Allah let the believers rely on.” (Quran, 9:51)
• “And Allah is predominant over His affair, but most of the people do not know.” (Quran12:20)

Tawakkul one’s affairs to God depends upon a person’s knowledge and a firm belief in God’s Lordship, Mastership and the quality of the authority of the Holy Essence overall affairs of the Universe. However, trusting God in one’s worldly and hereafter affairs doesn’t mean that efforts and endeavours should be given up. Rather one should perform actions to the best of his abilities and then rely on God for His justice, help, and beneficence. Allah says:

رَّبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَاتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلًا

“(The) Lord (of) the east and the west; (there is) no god except Him, so take Him (as) Disposer of Affairs.”: (Surah Al-Muzammil 73:9)

For every living creature, living in this world, life will end one day and the time of death is also not known. It is better than a person should always keep his heart in a state of complete trust with God and not be influenced by physical causes, materialistic things and transient successes and failures, rather one should attach himself to the eternal values set by God. Allah says:

يَمْحُو اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيُثْبِتُ وَعِندَهُ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ

“Allah eliminates what He wills, and confirms, and with Him (is) the Mother (of) the Book.” (Surah Ar-Ra`d 13:39)

Thus, they consider worldly mat­ters as paramount, and put their reliance on material causes, not relying on God and His efficacy and since the affairs of the Hereafter are not important in their eyes and as they have no real faith in the Day of Resurrection and its details, they conjure up pretexts to conceal their neglect.