Ibn al-Qayyim said:

“Every time the slave has good thoughts about Allah, perfects his hope in him, and is truthful in his trust
in Him, then indeed Allah will never ever disappoint him nor let him down, for He ‫ سبحانه‬does not break
the hope of the hoper, nor will he waste the deeds of the doer."

[Al-Fawaaid]

He (s.w.t) also says:

“Say: ‘Nothing shall ever happen to us except that which Allaah has
ordained for us. He is our Mawla (protector).’ And in Allaah let the
believers put their Tawakkul.”
(At-Tawbah: 51)
Firm belief in al-Qadr, along with good thoughts about Allaah (s.w.t), is imperative in
order for the slave to acquire one of the most essential provisions of the traveller in
pursuit of Allaah’s Pleasure: at-Tawakkul. Verily, those who fail to equip themselves
with this important provision whilst traversing the Path of Ar-Rahmaan will not be able
to exercise patience in times of hardship and misfortune, or express gratitude in times of
fortune and ease.

The Reality of At-Tawakkul

At-Tawakkul on Allaah (s.w.t), however, must not be misconstrued to include the act of
abandoning the means with which to achieve one’s objectives, whilst claiming to believe
in al-Qadr and hoping for good from Allaah (s.w.t). Rather, at-Tawakkul on Allaah
(s.w.t) is comprised of three elements:

(i) Al-Itiqaad: The slave knows and believes with certainty that the command belongs
to none but Allaah (s.w.t) and that whatever He wills takes place, whilst that which He
(s.w.t) does not will to take place cannot occur. The slave acknowledges that Allaah
(s.w.t) Alone is the One Who brings about benefit or harm, and that none can withhold
whatever He gives, nor grant whatever He (s.w.t) withholds.
(ii) Al-I’timaad: Trust in and reliance on Allaah (s.w.t) Alone – whilst expecting
nothing but good from Him (s.w.t).
(iii) Al-‘Amal: To pursue the permissible worldly means in order to achieve the
desirable aims and objectives.
It is the combination of these three components that constitute true Tawakkul on Ar-
Rahmaan. Merely believing that Allaah (s.w.t) is Ar-Razzaak (i.e. The Sustainer) and
that He (s.w.t) has power over all things, whilst neglecting the means to achieve the aim,
is insufficient to be considered a true example of at-Tawakkul. This belief must be
accompanied by action, hence the Mutawakkil (i.e. the one who possesses at-Tawakkul)
believes in Allaah’s Beautiful Name Ar-Razzaak and follows this belief up with action,
i.e. by pursuing the worldly means with which to achieve the objective. The Holy
Prophet (saw) said:

“If you have Tawakkul on Allaah, in right the manner, He would provide
for you just as He provides for the birds. They go out in the morning with
empty stomachs and return in the evening full.”
(At-Tirmidhi: 3344, Ibn Hibban: 2548)
It should be noted that in this Hadeeth the Messenger of Allaah (s.a.w) used the
example of birds going out in search of their sustenance, as opposed to a tree that
receives its provision without moving from its place or actively seeking it. This Hadeeth
eloquently illustrates the fact that one cannot abandon the means with which to achieve
the aim, thus misconstruing his negligence to be an expression of at-Tawakkul and
belief in al-Qadr. Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim (r.h) expresses this point in the following words:

“Whenever the disbelieving enemy attacks the land of Islaam, he does so by the Qadr
of Allaah. Is it then permissible for the Muslims to surrender to this Qadr, and
abandon repelling it with a Qadr just like it – and that is Jihad which they (i.e.
Muslims) use to repel the Qadr of Allaah with His Qadr.”
(Al-Madarijus-Salikeen)
At-Taqwa is the act of fearing Allaah (s.w.t) and averting His Wrath and Punishment, by
obeying His Commands and avoiding that which He has prohibited. The Muslim is
commanded to pursue the permissible means with which he may repel harm and attain
well-being, both in this life and in the Hereafter. Neglecting these means, in the name
of “at-Tawakkul”, is neither wise nor an act of Taqwa. On the contrary, it is an act of
negligence for which the slave will be held accountable. Allaah (swt) says:
“So have Taqwa of Allaah. And in Allaah let the believers put their
Tawakkul.”
(Al-Ma’idah: 11)
In order to truly have at-Tawakkul on Allaah (s.w.t) the Muslim must strike a balance
between al-‘Itiqaad, al-I’timaad, and al-‘Amal. So, have true Tawakkul on Ar-Rahmaan:

“…certainly, Allaah loves those who put their Tawakkul (in Him).”
(Ali ‘Imraan: 159)
To live and die upon the truth, to strive in its defence, to convey it to others, and to endure the
hardships that befall one as a result thereof is our mission. O Allãh, make firm our feet on Your Path,
ãmīn