Tawakkul : Complete trust in Allah and its importance in Islam
In the Islamic religion, tawakkul is an essential element of faith. Tawakkul, or trust in Allah, is expressed through absolute certainty in God and the total surrender of one's affairs into His hands. The perfect example of this trust in Allah is found in the Quran and the hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of God be upon him). Translation and explanation of this term that holds the strength of Muslim believers.
Tawakkul 3ala lah and its religious meaning
The term "tawakkul" comes from the Arabic root وكل (wakala), which means to entrust, delegate or hand something over to someone. Thus, tawakkul consists of entrusting all our affairs and concerns to Allah and asking Him for His help in every aspect of our life.
Tawakkul : complete trust in Allah in the Quran
Tawakkul is mentioned several times in the Holy Quran, thereby emphasizing its intrinsic character to faith for believers, since Allah mentions the believers when He speaks of the complete trust one must have in Him. For example, in Surah Al Imran (3) (verse 200), Allah says to us:
O you who believe! Be patient. Compete in patience. Hold firmly to the bonds of Allah and redouble your vigilance so that you may succeed!
This verse teaches us that trust in Allah is closely linked to our success and our spiritual journey. Moreover, it is clear in the Quran that tawakkul is not merely a passive attitude, but that it also requires effort on our part to improve our situation.
Here are other verses expressing the complete trust that Allah, ta'ala, encourages us to have:
- The true believers are those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned. And when His verses are recited to them, it increases their faith. And they place their trust in their Lord. Surah 8 verse 2
- For it is in Allah that the believers must place their trust. Surah 3 verse 122
- then once you have made your decision, place your trust in Allah, Allah truly loves those who put their trust in Him. Surah 3 verse 159
- To Allah belongs the Unseen of the heavens and the earth, and to Him the whole matter returns. So worship Him and place your trust in Him. Your Lord is not unaware of what you do. Surah 11 verse 123
Tawakkul in the hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of God be upon him)
Several hadiths illustrate the importance of tawakkul and how it is put into practice. For example, a famous hadith reported by Anas ibn Malik recounts the story of a man who asks the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of God be upon him) whether he should tie his camel before trusting in Allah:
A man said: "O Messenger of Allah! Should I tie my camel and trust in Allah, or should I leave it untied and trust in Allah?" The Prophet (Peace and Blessings of God be upon him) replied: "Tie it and trust in Allah."
This hadith shows that tawakkul does not mean abandoning our responsibilities but rather taking all necessary precautions (the notion of cause, of the effort the believer must make) while placing our trust in Allah for the outcome. This demonstrates that tawakkul implies a balance between faith and action, as this next hadith also explains:
According to 'Umar Ibn Al Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (may the prayer of Allah and His peace be upon him) said: "If you placed your trust in Allah as you should, He would surely provide for you as He provides for the bird that goes out in the morning with an empty stomach and returns in the evening with a full one. Reported by Tirmidhi
How to show trust in Allah on a daily basis?
To fully live tawakkul, it is necessary to put certain principles into practice in our daily life:
- Constantly remember Allah: The Dhikr of Allah, or the remembrance of Allah, is essential in order to keep Allah in mind in all circumstances and to realize that everything that happens to us comes from Him. How can one fully trust someone one does not remember? The constant Remembrance of Allah helps strengthen this trust in Allah.
- Be patient: Patience is a very important virtue in Islam, and it is closely linked to tawakkul. Indeed, being patient means accepting the trials sent by Allah and trusting in Him, recognizing that He knows what is best for us, recognizing that He is Capable of anything. The believer thus recognizes that Allah is Capable of bringing us a favorable outcome. Besides, whether favorable or not, the outcome we await is merely a measure specific to us as humans, for the Creator of the Worlds knows what is best for us according to our situation. The result of our efforts is sometimes something beyond our grasp, which is why it is important to show patience when one fully trusts in Allah.
- Practice gratitude: Expressing our gratitude to Allah for His blessings is an important way of showing our trust in Him.
- Depend on Allah alone: Making efforts in seeking the outcome of our affair must not make us rely on intermediaries or human beings to help us, for this goes against our tawakkul in Allah. Our trust must be placed in Allah alone and not in what we have undertaken, or worse, in a person, for that would amount to associationism. The believer places his trust in Allah without associating anything with Him.
- Make sincere efforts: As mentioned earlier, tawakkul implies a balance between faith and action. Thus, we must always give the best of ourselves to reach our goals while trusting in Allah for the outcome.
Conclusion: a religious perspective on tawakkul
In short, tawakkul is a fundamental aspect of faith in Islam and represents complete trust in Allah. It is essential for Muslims to cultivate this trust through the reading of the Quran, the knowledge of the hadiths and the practice of the principles mentioned above.
By fully adopting tawakkul, we can live our life with serenity and fulfillment, knowing that all our affairs are in the hands of Allah, the Almighty and the Infinite Support.