What is the meaning of Tawakkul (Arabic Word: تَوَكُّل)?
There are some who have mistaken what the idea of Tawakkul means in Islam.
Tawakkul is having complete trust or reliance on Allah. For all affairs, Allah Almighty is capable, sufficient, and knowing so we should rely on him alone.
A Muslim should have a feeling of deep dependence on Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala because nothing in this world happens without his will or his knowledge. This is a core principle of Islam and if you see things that way then you’ll realize only through constant communication with Allah through prayers and supplications would you be able to achieve any success in this world or in the hereafter.
“That is, when you are buying and selling, giving and taking, remember Allah much, and do not let this world distract you from that which will benefit you in the Hereafter.”
– Tafsir Ibn Kathir (8/1 23)
To those who are constantly doubting, trying to poke holes in Islam, they say “What’s the point of doing anything if my fate is in someone else’s hand”. They may see life as useless and lack purpose, they use tawakkul as a crutch for acting out of laziness.
It’s like a student who whispers to himself ‘tawakkul’ and walks into a testing room without having fully prepared for the test. That way when he get’s his D- he does not take personal accountability for the result. He’ll say that’s what Allah had ordained for me.
This is not the teaching of tawakkul.
What Tawakkul really is can be explained in the hadith where The Prophet advises tieing a camel to a pole,
Anas bin Malik narrated that a man said: “O Messenger of Allah! Shall I tie it and rely (upon Allah), or leave it loose and rely (upon Allah)?” He said: “Tie it and rely (upon Allah).”
– Jami At Tirmidhi Hadith 2517. Grade: Hasan (Darussalam)
It’s the idea of doing your best, taking all the necessary precautions, dotting your i’s crossing your t’s and only then accepting the outcome.
When you can say to yourself I have done my part to the best of my capability, the rest is up to Allah I guarantee you’ll feel a sense of calmness and peace. You have no control over the outcome, from here it’s in Allah’s hand. If it is was destined for you that is great, if it isn’t than maybe Allah has something better planned for you.
We can never know and that’s part of life.
It doesn’t do us any good to dwell, regret, or question Allah’s decree. It is more freeing for the soul to live and let go. Putting trust in Allah that he know what’s best for us.
After all, if we all got what we wanted without facing any adversity we would quickly become both sensitive and weak. Any future trial or loss would break us emotionally. This is why in Surah Baqarah ayat 286 Allah says,
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.
Allah has given us trials in our life to test us for the better. He knows we are resilient and strong and we must not stop believing this and put our entire trust in him. This ayat tells us we don’t know ourselves, you are capable of more than you give ourselves credit for.
IMPORTANCE OF TAWAKKUL AND BENEFITS:
For those who have trust in Allah they are on a path for success and victory.
Full tawakkul in Allah and never faltering in that trust will lead a person to a life of happiness. When it is sincere and pure the believer doesn’t suffer much because he knows Allah has his best interests in mind.
That’s not to say your problems are not real problems but that you can’t cry it away or walk away. It’s there and you have to endure it and survive it. The best way to do that is to live through without losing hope, faith or trust. Move on and become better for it.
The more we remember Allah and try to please him by following the blueprint has been revealed for us in the Quran it will lead to goodness in this world and the hereafter.
We need to stop wishing for something else to happen or for a different fate. That is a false life and a path of unhappiness.
When something happens which we intended say Alhamdulillah, and when something happens that we didn’t say Alhamdulillah twice because that’s what Allah had planned.