Putting Trust in Allah (Tawakkul)

Putting Trust in Allah (Tawakkul)

Tawakkul (putting trust in Allah) is the reliance of the heart upon Him and entrusting matters to Him, seeking nothing and no one but Him.

Relying on Allah is among the pinnacle aspects of Tawhid (belief in the oneness of Allah), and Allah has made it a condition of faith. Allah says:

 فَعَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلُوا ‌إِنْ ‌كُنْتُمْ ‌مُسْلِمِينَ) [يونس: 84])

[So upon Allah let the believers rely if they are indeed believers.] (Quran 5:23)

Putting trust in Allah is a characteristic of the believers. Allah says:

إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَانًا ‌وَعَلَى ‌رَبِّهِمْ ‌يَتَوَكَّلُونَ) [الأنفال: 2])

[The ˹true˺ believers are only those whose hearts tremble at the remembrance of Allah, whose faith increases when His revelations are recited to them, and who put their trust in their Lord.] 8:2

Whoever puts trust in Allah, Allah is sufficient for him, meaning Allah is all he needs, and he requires no one else. Allah says:

 يَاأَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ حَسْبُكَ اللَّهُ وَمَنِ ‌اتَّبَعَكَ ‌مِنَ ‌الْمُؤْمِنِينَ) [الأنفال: 64])

[O Prophet! Allah is sufficient for you and for the believers who follow you.] 8:64

Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "Meaning, He is sufficient for him. And whoever has Allah as Sufficient for him and a Protector, no enemy can harm him, and nothing can afflict him except what is inevitable, like heat, cold, hunger, and thirst."

Putting trust in other than Allah regarding victory, sustenance, and protection is a major form of Shirk. These matters are beyond anyone's control except Allah.

This occurs among those who venerate graves; they seek protection from enemies and ask for victory over foes. As an example, during the Tartar invasion of Damascus, their followers said:

"O fearful ones of the Tartars,

Seek refuge by the grave of Abu Umar,

Seek refuge by the grave of Abu Umar,

It will protect you from harm."

We seek refuge in Allah from this form of Shirk.

Authorized entrustment occurs when an individual places a matter within their capability under the responsibility of another. This constitutes a deliberate act of entrustment , not mere reliance.

Trusting in Allah cannot be achieved without acting on the causes He prescribed. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "If you truly relied on Allah with the required reliance, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds; they leave their nests in the morning with empty stomachs and return in the evening with full stomachs." He illustrated that relying on Allah doesn't negate the use of means.

The people of Yemen used to perform Hajj without provisions, claiming they were truly reliant on Allah. When they arrived in Mecca and asked for help, Allah revealed this verse:

(وَتَزَوَّدُوا ‌فَإِنَّ ‌خَيْرَ ‌الزَّادِ ‌التَّقْوَى)
[البقرة: 197]

[Take ˹necessary˺ provisions ˹for the journey˺—surely the best provision is righteousness.] 2:197

A man asked the Prophet, peace be upon him, whether to tie his camel or rely on Allah. The Prophet replied, "Tie it and rely on Allah." This emphasizes acting on causes while placing trust in Allah for the outcome.

Thus, concludes the fifteenth lesson, all praise is due to Allah.