Indeed, all praises and thanks are due to Allāh. We praise Him, we seek His Help and and we seek His Forgiveness. And we take refuge in Allāh from the evils of ourselves and from the bad of our actions. Whomever Allāh guides, none can misguide. And whomever Allāh misguides, none can guide. And I testify that there is no one worthy of worship except Allāh. And I testify that Muḥammad is His slave and messenger. May blessings and peace be upon him and upon his family and companions.
Allāh says:
"Rely upon The Ever-Living who does not die." (Qur’ān 25:58)
And He says:
“And whoever relies upon Allāh, then He will suffice him.” (Qur’ān 65:3)
And He says:
“Indeed, Allāh loves those who rely upon Him.” (Qur’ān 3:159)
Thus, I advise you – dear brothers and sisters in Islām – to place your ultimate reliance – to have tawakkul – upon Allāh in all your matters. Place your reliance upon the one with whom rests all Power and Ability. Indeed, tawakkul is a light for the heart and a means to get closer to Allāh.
Now, tawakkul does not contradict that you take the means to achieve your aim. When you're thirsty, you won't just say, "Well, I'm gonna wait here and place my trust in Allāh and He'll quench my thirst for me." When you want to cross the road, you don't just say, “I rely upon Allāh,” and then walk onto the road as if cars just suddenly ceased to exist. When you fall ill, you don't just go out and say, “I place my trust in Allāh,” and wait for the cure to drop from the sky. When you have an upcoming exam, you don't just slouch on your couch and say, “No need to study or pay attention in class. I'll just make du‘ā’ and place my trust in Allāh.” Know, dear intelligent human beings, that Allāh has placed means by which matters are fulfilled. So with quenching thirst, Allāh has made drinking water the means by which this is fulfilled. With crossing a road, Allāh has made taking due care and caution as the means of doing so safely. With curing illness, Allāh has placed seeking medical care, taking medicine, etc. as the means by which it is achieved. With passing an exam, Allāh has made studying, attentiveness in class, revision, etc. as the means to achieve this. The one who does not take the appropriate means to achieve something is indeed having bad etiquette with Allāh, for such means were placed by the Creator (subḥānahu wa ta‘ālā) Himself as the way by which the ends are fulfilled. Same goes with the one who places his ultimate trust in other than Allāh, such as in his actions, actions that cannot lead to anything except if Allāh permits. After all, don't you see the many cases where medicine fails to do its job?
Dear honourable believers! When seeking to do something, we take the means Allāh has provided for us to fulfil that something, keeping in mind that the end result is with Allāh. And this serves as an answer to those who say, "Well what's the point of me doing anything if Allāh has already decreed my fate?" For we don't know what Allāh has decreed for us; we just concern ourselves with doing the actions which lead us to our desired result, whilst placing our trust in Allāh that our actions achieve that desired result. Plan what you need to plan. Relieve yourself of worry after you have planned; do not concern yourself with what Allāh has willed for you, as was stated by Imām Ibn ‘Aṭā’i llāh.
It was reported that a man said, “O Messenger of Allāh, should I tie my camel and trust in Allāh, or should I untie her and trust in Allāh?” The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said, “Tie her and trust in Allāh.”
So I remind you, dear believers in Allāh, to place your ultimate reliance on Allāh – have tawakkul upon Him. Do what you need to do but at the same time – and more importantly – place your trust in Allāh, asking Him to aid you in your affairs. And if things don't turn out in your favour, then remember that, as per the Prophetic teaching, the situation of a true believer is always one of goodness: if good times come his way, he is grateful to Allāh and is thus rewarded, and if hardship comes his way, he endures it patiently and is thus rewarded. Your life may not be going the way you willed it to go, but it's going exactly the way Allāh willed it to go. So place your ultimate reliance upon Him, al-Wakīl, the best of those who can be relied upon. Ḥasbuna Llāhu wa ni‘ma l-Wakīl!
Allāh says:
وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى الْحَيِّ الَّذِي لَا يَمُوتُ
And He says:
ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ
And He says:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ
Thus, I advise you – dear brothers and sisters in Islām – to place your ultimate reliance – to have tawakkul – upon Allāh in all your matters. Place your reliance upon the one with whom rests all Power and Ability. Indeed, tawakkul is a light for the heart and a means to get closer to Allāh.
Now, tawakkul does not contradict that you take the means to achieve your aim. When you're thirsty, you won't just say, "Well, I'm gonna wait here and place my trust in Allāh and He'll quench my thirst for me." When you want to cross the road, you don't just say, “I rely upon Allāh,” and then walk onto the road as if cars just suddenly ceased to exist. When you fall ill, you don't just go out and say, “I place my trust in Allāh,” and wait for the cure to drop from the sky. When you have an upcoming exam, you don't just slouch on your couch and say, “No need to study or pay attention in class. I'll just make du‘ā’ and place my trust in Allāh.” Know, dear intelligent human beings, that Allāh has placed means by which matters are fulfilled. So with quenching thirst, Allāh has made drinking water the means by which this is fulfilled. With crossing a road, Allāh has made taking due care and caution as the means of doing so safely. With curing illness, Allāh has placed seeking medical care, taking medicine, etc. as the means by which it is achieved. With passing an exam, Allāh has made studying, attentiveness in class, revision, etc. as the means to achieve this. The one who does not take the appropriate means to achieve something is indeed having bad etiquette with Allāh, for such means were placed by the Creator (subḥānahu wa ta‘ālā) Himself as the way by which the ends are fulfilled. Same goes with the one who places his ultimate trust in other than Allāh, such as in his actions, actions that cannot lead to anything except if Allāh permits. After all, don't you see the many cases where medicine fails to do its job?
Dear honourable believers! When seeking to do something, we take the means Allāh has provided for us to fulfil that something, keeping in mind that the end result is with Allāh. And this serves as an answer to those who say, "Well what's the point of me doing anything if Allāh has already decreed my fate?" For we don't know what Allāh has decreed for us; we just concern ourselves with doing the actions which lead us to our desired result, whilst placing our trust in Allāh that our actions achieve that desired result. Plan what you need to plan. Relieve yourself of worry after you have planned; do not concern yourself with what Allāh has willed for you, as was stated by Imām Ibn ‘Aṭā’i llāh.
It was reported that a man said, “O Messenger of Allāh, should I tie my camel and trust in Allāh, or should I untie her and trust in Allāh?” The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said, “Tie her and trust in Allāh.”
So I remind you, dear believers in Allāh, to place your ultimate reliance on Allāh – have tawakkul upon Him. Do what you need to do but at the same time – and more importantly – place your trust in Allāh, asking Him to aid you in your affairs. And if things don't turn out in your favour, then remember that, as per the Prophetic teaching, the situation of a true believer is always one of goodness: if good times come his way, he is grateful to Allāh and is thus rewarded, and if hardship comes his way, he endures it patiently and is thus rewarded. Your life may not be going the way you willed it to go, but it's going exactly the way Allāh willed it to go. So place your ultimate reliance upon Him, al-Wakīl, the best of those who can be relied upon. Ḥasbuna Llāhu wa ni‘ma l-Wakīl!
