Tawakkul (Trust in God)

Tawakkul (Trust in God) 

by: Umm Thameenah is a contributing writer to Magazine

"If you had all relied on Allah (SWT) as you should rely on Him, then He would have provided for you as He provides for the birds, who wake up hungry in the morning and return with full stomachs at dusk."

[At-Tirmidhi]

Do you truly have full trust in Allah (SWT)? There are some of us who strive our utmost to prepare for things wherein no certainty exists, whilst others fail to prepare for certain things wherein lies no doubt. And let us not forget those that believe their destiny is completely in their own hands, whilst their counterparts hold, in what can only be described as 'bravery', that they have full trust in Allah (SWT), thus granting themselves the ticket to do nothing at all.

Tawakkul is a light for our hearts and a means for us to seek nearness towards Allah (SWT) in a manner that absolutely nothing else can achieve. The essence of this quality of the heart is built upon two very important pillars: dependence upon Allah and trust in Allah.

We may often trust a person, without necessarily depending upon them, and likewise we may depend upon a person without fully trusting them. However when it comes to Our Lord (SWT), both exist simultaneously in perfection. So why are we so ready to trust others, but so quick to question Allah (SWT)? I'm sure we can all recall at least one incident in our lives when we experienced the rahma of Allah (SWT) in disguise. What did we do? What did we say? When one of the innumerable blessings we failed to count and thank our Lord for was unexpectedly taken from us, what thoughts rushed to our minds? What regrettable words came from our mouths? Why has this happened? What did I do wrong? Why has my blessing been taken away from me? Such spur of the moment questions, tainted by our false comprehension that the blessings bestowed upon us belonged to us, in an instant, shakes our building of tawakkul, sometimes causing it to collapse, consequently opening up a door for our enemy -Shaytaan and closing a door for us to Our Beloved (SWT).

Sisters, why do we become so devastated at the onset of calamity? Why do we lose all hope? Why do we not simply trust in Allah (SWT)? For every goodness and blessing we own has only been by His Rahma (Mercy). The amaanah (trusts) within our possessions are only ours for a temporary period of time; they belong to Allah and one day we'll have to return them to Him (SWT). When something is taken away from us or we are faced with a calamity, always remember that Allah is testing our Eemaan (faith) and He (SWT) knows that we are strong enough to deal with it, otherwise it would never have come to us in the first place, for Allah (SWT) never burdens a soul with more than it can bear.

Have full Tawakkul (trust) in Allah (SWT) and never belittle that trust. For the trust we have in Allah is a path to success and a means to achieving victory. Never lose hope and always remember that the situation of a true believer is always one of goodness: For when they are granted a blessing from Allah (SWT) they praise Him and due to that they are rewarded and their blessings increase and when a calamity strikes they patiently persevere, and as a result of which they are rewarded and granted something better than what they lost.

Put your trust in Allah. Allah loves those that trust [in Him].

[Surah al-Imran 3: 159]

Know that Allah (SWT) is pleased with those servants who persevere and He (SWT) loves those that trust in Him. Build a strong foundation of trust and allow for it to accompany you in all that you do. For it is a quality that will remain sufficient for you in the matters of this world, your deen (religion) and in the Aakhira (hereafter) insha'Allah. A beautiful example that never fails to touch my heart is that of our mother: Umm Salamah (RA), when her husband Abu Salamah (RA) passed away and she remained steadfast, uttering the best statement at the time of any calamity: 'Inna Lillaahi wa inna ilayhi raaji'oon -Surely to Allah we belong and surely to Him we will return'. And she received exactly as Allah (SWT) promises: blessings and mercy:

'And give good news to those who persevere, those who say, when a misfortune strikes them, Surely to Allah we belong, and surely to Him we will return, these are the ones on whom blessings from their Lord descend, and mercy, and these are the ones who are rightly guided'.

[Surah Al-Baqarah 2: 155-157] 

For who could be better as a husband than Rasoolullah (SAW) -A gift to our mother, Umm Salamah (RA) for her tawakkul in Allah (SWT). 

It may seem difficult to imagine, and I don't make out that it's always the easiest of things to do. However, with complete conviction, as I too have witnessed such a great blessing from Allah (SWT) after a calamity had befallen me, that if you truly trust in your Lord, with every atom's weight of your heart, Allah will provide for you in ways you could never have imagined. 

Let us take a moment to ponder over one ayah in the Qur'an, yes, just one ayah. If I asked you to guess which ayah it is, what would you say? Would it even cross your mind that you read this ayah without fail in every single rakat (standing) of your salah?

'You Alone we worship and You Alone we ask for help'

[Surah al-Faatihah: 5] "The Opening" 

This ayah clearly establishes the tawakkul of the believer. Some of the Salaf (early believers) have said, "Al-Faatihah is the secret of the Qur'an, while these words are the secret of Al-Faatihah." So how can we stand before Allah day in and day out, uttering such perfect words of tawakkul, and yet not sincerely mean them? For belief, undoubtedly, must be followed by action. 

Our Lord (SWT) With His Hikmah, Love and Rahmah knows exactly what is good for us, so let us not be amongst the sinful servants of Allah (SWT) who suspect Him of wrongdoing. So the next time you stand before Allah (SWT) and consult Him in your affairs, don't think He'll give you what is good for you; know with certainty that He (SWT) will:                  

'Say: "Nothing will befall us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is our Protector. In Allah let the believers put their trust." [Surah At-Tawbah:51]

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