Of the numerous benefits of having tawakkul is that a believer is protected from insinuations of Shaytan. Allaah says: "Indeed, there is no authority for him (Shaytaan) over those who believe and rely upon their Lord (have Tawakkul). (Q16[Nahl]:99 ) The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "The human mind keeps wandering and branching away into different valleys. If someone follows his mind in all those wanderings, Allaah does not care which valley ruins that person. On the other hand. Whoever has tawakkul in Allaah. He will be sufficient to save him from those wanderings." ( Ibn Maajah from Amr Ibn Al-Aas )
A person without tawakkul will fall prey to many un-Islamic practices in the face of adversity that a true believer with tawakkul on Allaah will avoid at every cost.
Reward in the Hereafter
Those who have tawakkul will be appropriately rewarded in the Hereafter. The Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Seventy thousand of my Ummah will enter Jannah without reckoning. They will be those who did not seek cure through mantras. who did not take omens and who had tawakkul in their Lord." (Bukhaaree and Muslim from Ibn Abbaas)
Patience in the Face of Hardship
A person with tawakkul on Allaah will bravely, unflinchingly and steadfastly continue working for Islamic objectives regardless of the impediments, threats and hardships encountered. This is the nature of all the Messengers of Allaah from Nooh through to Muhammad. When Prophet Nooh (alayhi salaam) was rebuked and threatened, this is how he responded: "And recite to them the news of Noah when he said to his people: O my people, if my stay (among you) and my reminding (you) Aayaat (verses in the Qur aan) of Allaah is hard on you, then I have put my tawakkul (trust I reliance) in Allaah. So devise your plan and (call upon) your Shurakaa (any entity equated with Allaah) and let not your plan be obscure to you. Then carry it out upon me and do not give me respite. (Q10[Yunoos]:71) In many instances, Allaah recommends tawakkul for the believers through the Messenger of Allaah. For instance, when the Muslims demonstrated some weakness in the battle of Uhud, Allaah says: "When two parties among you were about to lose courage, while AI/aah was their ally; and upon Allaah must the believers rely (have Tawakkul). (Q3[Aali-lmraan]: 122)
A person without tawakkul will fall prey to many un-Islamic practices in the face of adversity that a true believer with tawakkul an Allaah will avoid at every cast. Allaah also enjoins: "And when you have made a decision, then rely upon Allaah (have tawakkul). Verily, Allaah loves those who rely on Him. If Allaah helps you, no one can overcome you; but if He forsakes you, who is there who can help you after Him. And upon Allaah must the believers rely (have tawakkul). (Q3[Aali- Imraan]: 159-160) If at any point, a believer feels powerless or hopeless, he should refresh his faith and tawakkul in Allaah and continue his personal or Islamic struggle with hope and a winning attitude.
A true believer knows that the best of the successes is for him in the Hereafter, if he relies only on Allaah. Allaah says: "As for those who emigrated for Allaah after they had been persecuted, We will certainly settle them in this world nicely, but their reward of the Hereafter will be greater, if only they knew. They are those who persevered and relied in their Lord. II (Q 16[An-Nahl]:41-42) With the degeneration of the Ummah, tawakkul has also taken on wrong connotations. Some people think that tawakkul entails only sitting like monks and doing nothing, hoping that Allaah will do something. That meaning is from Shaytaan to make Muslims inactive and indolent. The real tawakkul, as evidenced by the verses of the Quraan quoted above, is such a strong conviction of Allaahs approval and mercy being with you in your struggles.
The life of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is a superb example of Islamic tawakkul. In every move he made and at every stage of his mission, he used the best tactics and strategies at human disposal, and then fully relied on Allaah. For example, while migrating to Madeenah, he took all the precautions that were humanly possible for his. safe departure from Makkah and safe arrival in Madeenah: Planning the migration secretly, leaving when least expected so that his departure is not noticed, selecting a hiding place on an opposite direction to Madeenah, arranging survival provisions for three days of hiding and a week of travelling, arranging for a faithful guide, arranging for the camels to be brought only when leaving the hiding place, selection of route least travelled, etc. But once he had done whatever was humanly possible, he had such trust in Allaah that he was never worried about the consequences even when everything seemed to fall apart. It was the remarkable demonstration of his tawakkul, when enemies reached at the mouth of the cave and Aboo Bakr (RA) became worried, he calmly assured him, "Do not worry, Allaah is with us."
Even in basic matters of the world, one has to do his best and then leave the results to Allaah. Umar Bin Khattaab (RA) heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) saying: "if you trust Allaah with right kind of Tawakkul, He will provide you sustenance as He provides for the birds - they go out in the morning with empty stomachs and tome back in the evening with full stomachs." ( Tirmidhi ) A bird sitting in his nest, praising Allaah may not have his stomach filled. It has to go out to seek food. But the one that goes out and does its best to find food certainly comes back full.
Tawakkul, as described above, is related to ones efforts and results of those efforts for the matters that fall under the area of human endeavour. A person with right concept of accountability to and tawakkul on Allaah puts in his best possible efforts to do what Allaah expects him to do in those matters and does not worry about the results.
He positively and constructively deals with whatever he encounters and continues with full force doing his level best regardless of the results or consequences. Another matter closely related to tawakkul is being content with matters that are beyond our power and influence. There are many things in our life that are decided for us without our input or approval. The examples are the parents we are born to, our genes that determine many things in our life, our physical features, the circumstances of the society we are born in or we live in, etc. The Muslims who understand that our life is a test of how we live and do the best with whatever we got and whatever situations we have been put in, they are fully content and happy with the circumstances. This is as they exert all their efforts and energies in making the best of their situations and making the correct Islamic decisions in those situations.
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited