Tawakkul is the “trust and reliance on Allah” that is accepting the results that He decides regardless of how they may turn out to be. We may face challenges and difficult situations in our life but we have to face them strongly while believing in Allah Almighty that is the concept of Tawakkul. Tawakkul is our belief and the attitude that we have about putting trust in Allah to take care of all affairs of our life. Allah says:
وَّيَرۡزُقۡهُ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَحۡتَسِبُؕ وَمَنۡ يَّتَوَكَّلۡ عَلَى اللّٰهِ فَهُوَ حَسۡبُهٗؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ بَالِغُ اَمۡرِهٖؕ قَدۡ جَعَلَ اللّٰهُ لِكُلِّ شَىۡءٍ قَدۡرًا
“And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever places his trust in Allah, Sufficient is He for him, for Allah will surely accomplish His Purpose: For verily, Allah has appointed for all things a due proportion.” (Surah Talaq, 65:3)
“Reliance on Allah” is referred to in Arabic as tawakkul. The word means to place one’s affairs in the hands of another. Allah has many Beautiful Names. One of Allah’s Names associated with ‘trust’ is Al-Wakeel – the Disposer of Affairs. Allah commands us to place our trust in Him: Allah says:
الَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَقَالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ
“Those to whom the people said: Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them! But it only increased their faith, and they said: Sufficient for us is Allah, and he is an excellent guardian.” (Surah Al Imran 3:173)
Reliance does not mean you do not work for provision, neglect education or not apply for a job, and miss an interview deadline. Allah has decreed that we must work and it is from the ways that He gives people when they strive. Allah says:
وَلَمَّا رَأَى الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الْأَحْزَابَ قَالُوا هَٰذَا مَا وَعَدَنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَصَدَقَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ ۚ وَمَا زَادَهُمْ إِلَّا إِيمَانًا وَتَسْلِيمًا
“When the believers saw the companies, they said: This is what Allah and his messenger had promised us, and Allah and his messenger spoke the truth. It only increased their faith and submission.” (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:22)
Do not sit in your home and claim that your daily sustenance will come to you! Allah orders us to depend upon Him and to work at the same time. Thus, the act of striving for our sustenance is an act of physical worship while trusting in Allah is the worship of the heart.
Here are some effective tips to make a decision earlier in the trust and reliance on Allah:
- Trust in Allah means to decide and have Tawakkal
- Trust in Allah on Allah relying on loss or success
- Trust in Allah means to consult a fellow believer
- Trust in Allah means to think before you decide
- Trust in Allah no matter what he has put on us
- Trust in Allah that Allah’s plan is the best plan
- Trust in Allah to rely on Allah in all our affairs
- Trust in Allah attribute the pleasure of Allah
- Trust in Allah must be strong and rely upon
- Trust in Allah and pray to Allah SWT
- Trust in Allah means to put into action
- Trust in Allah and consider all possibility
- Trust in Allah means to trust your intuition
- Trust in Allah and ask for Allah’s guidance
- Trust in Allah and avoid negative thoughts
- Trust in Allah worry ends where faith begins
- Trust in Allah means to start alt with Bismillah
- Trust in Allah turn the success in the Hereafter
- Trust in Allah to consult and then take a decision
- Trust in Allah turn lead to goodness in this world
You should believe that Allah, out of His wisdom, may decide to supersede all your plans for reasons that only He knows. Remind yourself that believing in al-Qadr (divine decree) is one of the pillars of your faith. Know that whatever will happen will happen and all you can do is your best. Allah says:
فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ
“When you have made the decision, rely upon Allah. Verily, Allah loves those who trust him.” (Surah Al Imran 3:159)
Reliance to Allah is an act of worship. Through our devoted trust and reliance, we express our monotheistic belief, and therefore these are things we should direct towards Allah alone. We should fully use those blessings by thanking Allah for them, without getting puffed up with arrogance about our strengths. Allah says:
الَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَقَالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ
“Those who said to them [the people], “Indeed the people (have) certainly gathered against you, so fear them.” But it increased them (in) faith and they said, “Sufficient for us (is) Allah and (He is the) best [the] Disposer of affairs.” (Surah Al-Imran 3:173)
When a believer realizes that Allah alone is in charge of everything, that He alone controls everything, he can hand his affair over to Allah. All our strength and ability is from Allah and ultimately it’s the favour of Allah that will determine our success. Likewise, Allah forbids us to place our reliance on His creation. You should always plan and work based on what Allah has blessed you with.
Tawakkul means perfect reliance and trust. May Allah (SWT) grant us wisdom to follow the verses:
- “He is the Disposer of all Affairs.” (Quran 6:102)
- “Allah is sufficient as Disposer of Affairs.” (Quran 4:81)
- “And in Allah let the believers put their trust.” (Surah Ibrahim, 14:11)
- “I expose my distress and anguish only unto Allah…” (Qur’an 12:86)
- “So seek provision from Allah and worship Him (Alone).” (Quran 29: 17)
- “And whoever relies on Allah completely – He is more than enough for him.” (Quran 65:3)
- “(He is) the Lord of the East and the West. There is no true deity but He. Take Him, therefore, as Disposer of your Affairs.” (Quran 73:9)
- “So patience is most fitting! It may be that Allah will bring them all unto me. Lo! He, only He, is the Knower, the Wise.” (Qur’an 12:83)
- “And put your tawakkul in Allah, for Allah is Sufficient as a Wakil [trustee and disposer of affairs].” (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:3)
- “O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam.” (Surah Al-Imran, 3:102)
Trust is to look at what is Imaan. It is not just having faith in the heart, but it is a combination of faith and action. Similarly, reliance on Allah does not mean giving up on your efforts. Rather it is to strive with the attitude that Allah will take care of your affairs and will help you get through the trials. After your best efforts, accept whatever happens. Allah says:
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ
“The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts become fearful. When his verses are recited to them, it increases their faith, and they rely upon their Lord.” (Surat al-Anfal 8:2)
We need to apply tawakkul in our daily lives. One of the major benefits of tawakkul is that it can relieve us from unnecessary anxiety, worry, and resulting depression from the daily challenges. By believing that all our affairs are in Allah’s hands and we can do only what is in our control, we leave the results to Allah and accept His decree whatever it may be. Allah says:
وَلَا تَدْعُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُكَ وَلَا يَضُرُّكَ ۖ فَإِن فَعَلْتَ فَإِنَّكَ إِذًا مِّنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
“Do not invoke besides Allah that which neither benefits you nor harms you, for if you did so then you would-be wrongdoers.” (Surah Yunus 10:106)
Tawakkul is part of the completion of one’s faith. We should do everything available to us to reach our goals. We must avoid a common pitfall. We tend to either rely on our efforts and forget to trust Allah or we think we are relying on Allah by not adopting any practical measures to solve our problems. Allah says:
وَإِن جَنَحُوا لِلسَّلْمِ فَاجْنَحْ لَهَا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
“If they incline to peace, then incline to it also and rely upon Allah. Verily, it is He who is the Hearing, the Knowing.” (Surah Al-Anfal 8:61)
A sensible Muslim who understands tawakkul will not give up the effort, but will also not become overly elated with success or depressed by failure. May Allah (SWT) give us the tawfiq (good fortune) to have the fullest conviction of Allah’s Lordship – and the patience and thankfulness that are yielded from that conviction – to be, each one of us, a mutawakkil. Ameen.
