Tawakkul (Trust in Islam)
The concept of Tawakkul explained with examples from student life
Examination seasons, for students, can be stressful and demanding with the intense pressure to absorb a large quantity of information in a very limited time. Combine this with the uncertain choice of the examination questions and the sometimes confusing and ambiguous assessment procedure, and it isn't a surprise that exam periods are often the most depressing and miserable periods in a student's life, a point brutally illustrated by the rise in depression.
And it is precisely at these challenging times that the distinction between the Muslims and the non-Muslims is more apparent, when some of the best qualities of the Islamic Personality are emphasised, reminding Muslims and non-Muslims alike of the deep-rooted ideological differences that separate the two viewpoints in life.
At these times the Muslim students exhibit a quality unique to the Muslims, a quality linked to a fundamental pillar of faith, an essential part of the Islamic Aqeedah. This is the quality of tawakkul alAllah: complete, exclusive and unquestioning trust and reliance upon Allah (swt). The firm belief that it is only Allah (swt) that controls our actions and the outcomes of our actions, and it is only He who can provide success or failure. This knowledge is only known to Him, and it is our firm faith in these unseen predicates that distinguishes Muslims from non-Muslims in situations like these.
While the non-Muslims put their faith in the material resources and actions available to them (asbab), the Muslim is constantly aware that these material causes do not guarantee the outcome of our undertakings, as nothing can happen without the will of Allah (swt), the Creator and Sustainer of all. The non-Muslims rely only on their material resources and actions; they cannot hope to achieve anything more than what they can perceive from the reality before them. With tawakkul one can achieve with the help of Allah (swt) results far greater than expected, a factor that greatly influenced the achievements of the Muslims in the past, whether military, political, scientific, educational or social.
Tawakkul alAllah generates a strength of commitment and is one of the most important sources of a Muslim's psychological strength and energy. It also causes the Muslim to accept without question the decree of Allah: he gives thanks when he is blessed and is patient at the time of trial; if bad fortune befalls him he is patient and puts his trust in Allah (swt) knowing that this is the Will of Allah (swt).
Al-Tirmithi and Ahmed narrate the Prophet (saas) as having said to Ibn Abbas,
'' Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, ask of Allah, and if you seek help, seek the help of Allah. Know that if the nations were to gather together to benefit you with anything, it would benefit you only with something that Allah had already prescribed for you, and if they gather together to harm you with anything, they would harm you only with something Allah had already prescribed for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.''
''If Allah helps you, none can overcome you; if he forsakes you, who is there after that that can help you? In Allah then, let the believers put their trust.'' ( 3:160)
It is important to distinguish between the correct Islamic quality of tawakkul and the fatalistic and irrational notion of what we refer to as tawaakul (see different spelling). This idea of tawaakul comes about when one fails to realise that Allah (swt) in His wisdom has created this universe and has created within it certain universal laws (sunnan kawneeyah) to which the universe is subjected. One of these laws is the law of Cause-and-Effect: an effect cannot occur unless the cause exists, with the will of Allah (swt). Tawakul alAllah means to follow the commands of Allah (swt) by striving in order to identify and make use of the most appropriate means to follow in accordance with Allah's natural laws, knowing that it is only with Allah's knowledge and will that this is possible.
Tawaakul on the other hand is the result of complacency on behalf of a Muslim, combined with a negligence of Allah's command to strive to bring about a result. We see this defeated mentality among those who claim that the only means of changing the situation of the Muslims is by du'a without initiating any action. In one incident, a man came to the Prophet (saas) asking him to make du'a to cure his camel from a skin disease. The Prophet (saas) told the man ''Add to your du'a some tar'', indicating that the du'a by itself was insufficient. In another incident, the Prophet (saas) told a beduin who wanted to unleash his camel while depending on Allah to protect her, ''Tie her, and have tawakkul(trust in Allah)'', clearly differentiating between tawakkul and tawaakul.
This Hadith does not indicate any prerequisite for trusting Allah (SWT). It does not, therefore suggest that somehow there is a link between tying the camel (an action) and putting one's trust in Allah (SWT). However the Hadith conveys an important lesson to all of us:
That while trust in Allah (SWT) is absolute being independent of what we do, it is our responsibility to act on what we intend to accomplish.
In this case trying the camel was a right thing to do, if the person feared that the camel would run away. Therefore he should have taken the precaution regardless of his trust in Allah (SWT). Trying the camel does not take away from his trust in Allah (SWT), nor does it become a requirement for trusting Allah (SWT). Regardless of how he had acted the outcome would remain in accordance with the will of Allah (SWT).
We cannot rely on Allah (swt) to grant us any miracles to solve our problems; rather we are obliged to prepare ourselves by acquiring the correct means to reach a solution, relying constantly on Allah (swt) to facilitate the action as well as the outcome.
''And against them prepare your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies of Allah and your enemies, and others besides, whom ye may not know, but whom Allah does know.''
This is a clear indication that the obligation upon us is to make the necessary preparations as these actions fall within the sphere of actions under our direct control and for which we shall be held accountable. The outcome or the result of such preparations lies within the sphere of actions which we cannot influence and which only Allah (swt) can control. Therefore we must take the necessary actions within our sphere and ask Allah (tawakkul) that both the actions and the outcome are facilitated and favourable, i.e. acceptable to Him. Examples: studying for an examination, seeking employment, preparing for a journey...etc
that their hearts should be humble for the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth?
[57:16]
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