When your Tawakkul beats your uncertainty

When Your Tawakkul Beats Your Uncertainty

We need success so quickly. We live in a very fast-paced society. We want to get rich so quickly.

With the development of our technology, and now the easy access to all this pool of money, and all this pool of people — we call them followers these days. It's easy, or at least for people who think it's easy to get money.

Everybody wants to get successful and get rich so quickly. Everybody. And they're now going into our life as well too.

People want to get married. They want to do it so quickly. When they get married, they want to be happy so quickly. People want to go to school. They want to finish quickly, and early if possible. And they want to get their degrees so quickly, so they can become successful so quickly.

Everybody wants to do things so quickly in our time. This culture of the early birds and the go-getters and just do it — it's fine. There's nothing wrong with that. The competition is healthy. Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, has even commanded us to go and compete for the khair. It's all right to do that.

But unfortunately, when we don't live a holistic life as a Muslim, we lose some of the elements in the process of trying to be successful in this dunya. We lose one great element. One great element that makes this meaningful — this journey meaningful.

The absence of this element is what's causing a lot of people to feel stressed out, anxious, angry sometimes, scared even to try. Why is that? Because they see people get success in six months online, start getting thousands of dollars, become millionaires at 21 and 25, when I've been working all these years and not getting where I wanted to be.

What Is Tawakkul?

What is that thing that we all miss in the process? Something we call tawakkul — reliance on Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala. I know it sounds cliché. People say, yeah, I know that one. But do you know what it means exactly? Do you even know where you need to use it and how to use it properly?

If you want to be successful, absolutely — but you need to think about it. As Muslims, we live again that holistic concept of life. This is not just the only life you're going to live. As a matter of fact, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala made it clear to us in the Quran — it's a test. And Allah gave you this dunya so you can harvest the akhira. You plant the seeds here so you can get the results in the dunya and in the akhira, primarily for the akhira.

So tawakkul — putting your trust in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and reliance on Allah — is extremely important for having that peace as you go through your journey to become successful in the dunya and in the akhira.

Superstition Is a Form of Shirk

Now, we live in a time that people today are suspicious about everything. They're very superstitious about many things. You tell them to go try this journey — "I don't know, I'm not sure I can." "What about this?" "Why don't you try something online?" "Why don't you try to study this?" People become so anxious and so hesitant because they're so scared.

What happens if I don't succeed? I don't worry about you if you don't succeed — but I'm worried about if you become successful. What are you going to do with that success? How are you going to invest that for you in the dunya and in the akhira? That's what matters. That's what becomes more dangerous.

So tawakkul is important. In the hadith of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, radiyallahu anhu, in the Sunan, Rasulullah ﷺ said:

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 3910; Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1614)

"Being superstitious all the time — that is a form of shirk." Because now you're relating all these events to somebody besides Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. You worry about everything as if it's in the control of something else or somebody else. It's all in the hand of Allah.

Be careful — being too superstitious becomes a form of shirk. You are associating partners with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, radiyallahu anhu, then said:

"Look — we're all humans. We all go through this." And that's who is speaking: Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, the Sahabi, the companion. He says, "We're all humans and we all have those moments when you become hesitant, you're so unsure, and you're not sure if it's time for it. We always have those moments of being hesitant, not sure about it." But he says — with true tawakkul, with true trust in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, it goes away.

So I need tawakkul in my life. You need that tawakkul in your life. You need that reliance on Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in your life. Because without it, you're not going to move an inch in this life. And if you do so on your own, you get scared all the time. But if you know that you trust Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala's judgment, you are at ease — because at the end of the day, whatever happens, happens by the will of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and I just did my best.

The Quranic Command to Trust Allah

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:

"And put your trust in Allah. And He is sufficient for you as a Disposer of affairs." If you truly put your trust in Allah, He will be sufficient for you.

The Definition of Tawakkul

The meaning of tawakkul — our ulama have tried to explain it to us in the best and easiest way. Some made a very long definition of tawakkul: "When it comes to tawakkul, you need to understand it's all about putting your trust and reliance on Allah by bringing that which is good for you and removing that which is harmful to you in matters of this dunya and the hereafter." Kind of a lengthy definition.

But we have a better definition — the definition of al-Hasan, rahimahullah, when he was asked: "What is tawakkul? What does it mean to truly rely on Allah?" He said:

Simply: "You are pleased with Allah." What does that mean? It means whatever comes out of your endeavor, out of your journey, out of your effort — whatever comes — you trust Allah, so you are pleased with the results, no matter what they are. Why? Because I did my best. I put all the effort that was needed to be successful. But if I couldn't get it, then I trust Allah's judgment. Nothing happens randomly. There must be wisdom behind that.

So when I am pleased with Allah, I trust Him. And if you trust Him, you rely on Him. And if you do rely on Him, then you have proven that you are among those who truly trust Allah and you have tawakkul.

So the simple definition of truly being mutawakkil — having tawakkul — is that you are pleased with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Whatever the outcome of my life, I am pleased with Allah because I trust Allah's judgment subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Tawakkul in Every Aspect of Life

We see that as Muslims, tawakkul applies to almost every aspect of your life. The Prophet ﷺ taught us that you need to have tawakkul — that trust in Allah and dependence on Him — in every aspect of your life.

Tawakkul Before Sleep

When you go to sleep — have you ever thought about it? The du'a that the Prophet ﷺ taught us, the supplication we say when we go to bed:

"O Allah, I have submitted my face to You. I delegate my affairs to You. I lean my back upon You — out of love and out of fear of You, my Lord. I know there is no escape and there is no shelter except with You, my Lord. I believe in the book You sent, and the messenger You sent to us."

And the Prophet ﷺ says: if you die in that moment, this is it — you're clear. You die on the fitrah. Because you know who you are and you know who He is subhanahu wa ta'ala.

That's why when you are asleep, you are the most vulnerable. You're defenseless. You can do nothing about it. So therefore I need the protection from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And when I wake up, Alhamdulillah — the first thing you say. "I praise Allah, that He brought me back to life after I was dead." Because literally you could die in that moment by any means — man-made or even disaster, subhanallah. But Allah protected you. So when I'm asleep I'm the most vulnerable, and that's why we make this du'a when we go to sleep.

Tawakkul When Dealing with Enemies

My dear brothers and sisters, even when you're dealing with the affairs of this life — whether you're dealing with foes or friends — you still need to trust Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Allah says:

Those who are like enemies to you or who hurt you — Allah says: just turn away from them. Don't worry about them. Don't bother. Just leave them alone. And put your trust in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. What does that mean? No harm can they do to you unless Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala allows it. And if you know that Allah allows it, it must be for a reason. So even those enemies become — you know what — means of receiving Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala's hikmah and wisdom for me.

Tawakkul When People Turn Away from You

And also, if people turn away from you — I'm trying to be friends with this person, that person, and they all turn away from you — Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:

"And if they turn away, say: Allah is sufficient for me. There is no god worthy of worship but He subhanahu wa ta'ala. Upon Him is my reliance. I trust Him subhanahu wa ta'ala."

Tawakkul in Times of Calamity

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala commands us — even when calamities befall anybody — they still need to put their trust in Allah to go through this difficulty. He says subhanahu wa ta'ala:

"Say to them, O Muhammad: nothing is going to befall us, nothing will come to us, except that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has written this — that it would happen to us. He is our Mawla, our ally, our Lord subhanahu wa ta'ala. And upon Allah let the believers put their trust."

Tawakkul in Seeking Provision (Rizq)

My dear brothers and sisters, we even put our trust in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in providing rizq — provision. And that's the most concerning thing for people today. Am I going to keep my job? Is this income that's bringing me money online going to continue? We worry about our rizq. This success — how long is it going to continue? We don't know. So we start having this weakness of iman sometimes.

Remember, my dear brothers and sisters — when we live in this life, everything around you is about you being in control of everything. But they don't tell you that no matter how much you try, at the end of the day, Allah is the one who is in control. So keep reminding yourself of that.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2344; Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 4164 — graded Hasan)

"If you truly put your trust in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala as He deserves to be trusted, He will provide for you like He does for the birds. The birds — what do they do? They leave in the morning with empty stomachs, and they come back in the evening with full stomachs."

What does that mean? The rizq is written. The only thing needed is just to make the effort. You need to make the effort — that's all what Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is asking from you. That's all what the Prophet ﷺ is asking from us. Our responsibility is just to make that effort, and Allah will give us the results.

My dear brothers and sisters, once again — in this fast-paced life it's not easy for people to pause, and stop, and think, and do tawakkul. Because no one is going to wait for you. The markets are not going to wait for you. The people are not going to wait for you. So we're always trying to catch everything we can before it's too late. And that's why a lot of people lose that concept of tawakkul — knowing that whatever happens, at the end of the day, it's in the hand of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

So let's keep this in our minds insha'Allah. As we move with our lives, it is so important that we think about Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and trust Allah. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make us among the mutawakkilin, O Lord of the worlds. I say this and ask forgiveness of Allah — for me and for you. Ask forgiveness of Him. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Second Part: Tying the Camel First

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and companions.

No one wants to study — he just wants to pass the exam so he can get rich quickly. If you want to be successful at work, then learn the trade. What is the skill that I need to acquire for me to become successful? How do I make money in a halal way? I need to learn that. I need to seek these means of success. And then I put my trust in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

The Hadith of the Camel

In the famous hadith narrated by Anas ibn Malik, radiyallahu anhu, a man came to the masjid of Rasulullah ﷺ. As he was about to enter the masjid, he left his camel untied. And then he asked the Prophet ﷺ: "O Rasulullah, should I just put my trust in Allah and leave the camel, because Allah will guard it for me? Or should I tie the camel down first and then put my trust in Allah's judgment?" He said:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2517)

"Tie your camel first, and then put your trust in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala." A very simple message from Rasulullah ﷺ — having tawakkul, that trust in Allah, doesn't mean that you're just going to sit at home and wait for miracles to happen. But I tell you what — if you truly trust Allah, miracles will happen. But you have to do it right. I need to put the effort first, and then put my trust in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

So putting your trust in Allah after taking the means — that doesn't nullify your understanding of tawakkul. Also, no matter how weak these means may seem, or maybe not necessarily what you think will get you there — only Allah knows how the result will look like.

The Example of Ayyub (alayhi salam)

Just like when you think you're doing everything right and you expect the result you wish for — Allah will still test you. In the story of Ayyub, alayhi salam, he was sick for so long. Then when Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala wanted to bring him back to life and heal him again, he was very weak — physically weak. He couldn't even move. But what did Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala ask him to do to start the process of healing and recovery?

"Stomp the ground with your foot." He's weak — he doesn't even have the power to do that. But Allah told him: just do it. Just kick the ground with your foot. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala caused water to gush out, cold and fresh, for him to shower in, to cleanse himself, and to drink from.

The Example of Maryam (alayha salam)

Just like He did with Maryam when she was in her moment of weakness. She — a lady giving birth alone to Isa, alayhi salam, Prophet Jesus — in that moment, as a newborn, Allah told her:

"Shake that palm tree." She has just given birth — but she shakes that palm tree. You do your part. Allah will make the fresh dates fall upon you so you could eat and drink and rest in that moment.

So my dear brothers and sisters, no matter what the means are — if there is a means that should get you there, you do it. And then trust Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala's judgment. That's what we call al-tawakkul.

Closing Du'a