Tawakkul

﷽

إِنَّ مَعِیَ رَبِّی سَیَهۡدِینِ

"Indeed my Lord is with me and He will guide me" (26:62)

Undoubtedly we've heard this Ayat plenty of times. But the beauty of it is such, that every time we hear it, it's as though it wraps around our hearts like a soft blanket, as though we are automatically lifted out of our difficult situation, and and all our problems turn to nothing.

I wanted to speak about Tawakkul in Allah through my favourite Quran Ayats.

This is the beauty of the Quran and this is the beauty of the words of Allah.

Our problems, worries and difficulties become insignificant and trivial when we turn to Allah as our handhold. You and I are not the only ones going through a difficulty and a trial.

Every single prophet that came and passed was tested and trialed by Allah SWT. Each had a different test and each passed their test. Why? Because they turned to and relied on Allah SWT alone, and we are supposed to do the same.

We can learn about patience and tawakkul in life, through looking at the hardships and sufferings of the blessed prophets, and how they endured their trials. No prophet or people were sent, and no test or trial took place, except as a lesson for us.

Yunus (AS)

Yunus (AS) ended up in the belly of the whale - in three layers of darkness, the whale, the ocean, the night. He had fear in him, he had regret, he had remorse, he had sadness, but what did he do to help himself out of there? He turned to Allah SWT.

He turned in repentance, he acknowledged his error, and ultimately he knew there was no one else who was going to help him out of that situation besides his creator.

What does Yunus (AS) supplicate?

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

"There is no diety besides you, pure are you, indeed I am from the wrongdoers" (21:87)

Allah helped him out of his difficulty because he turned to Him, and Him alone.

Musa (AS)

Musa (AS) was worried when Pharaoh's army was in their pursuit, right behind them, with the river dead in front of them. Musa (AS)'s army were shaken saying 'we are caught', but with Musa (AS)'s unshaken faith, he said

إِنَّ مَعِیَ رَبِّی سَیَهۡدِینِ

"Indeed my Lord is with me and He will guide me"

What did Allah SWT do? Allah SWT helped them out of that near - death experience, allowing the river to part for them, while their pursuers drowned. Why? Because Musa (AS) and his people had unwavering faith in Allah, that undoubtedly He alone was going to help them out.

Such are the moments for the test of faith - trust in the promise of Allah with unshaken faith.

Prophet ‎ ﷺ ‎ ‎

Just looking at the life of our beloved Prophet ‎ ﷺ ‎ ‎ is enough for us to understand Allah is with those He loves, but similar was in the incident above with the Prophet ‎ ﷺ ‎ ‎in the cave of Thur with Abu Bakr (RA). The enemy was so close in pursuing them, but the Prophet ‎ ﷺ ‎ ‎ reassured Abu Bakr (RA) with the words

إِذْ هُمَا فِى ٱلْغَارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَـٰحِبِهِۦ لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَنَا ۖ

"When they were both in the cave, he reassured his companion saying 'Do not grieve, indeed Allah is with us' (9:40)

It is this unshaken faith and belief in Allah that He will always do the best for us and take care of our affairs.

Have we ever considered why prophets were sent as humans and not angels or any other being? Why did Allah not send down these prophets in the form of a perfect, grand, miraculous creations? It is for this exact reason. Human experiences alike.

They were human and so are we. So that they could endure and experience the same humane experiences that we do in life. So we can look at their lives and take lessons and consolation, that just as much as they were prophets and beloveds of Allah, Allah SWT did not test them any less than us. In fact the prophets were tested to such a great degree none of us could ever think of enduing, because of such an unwavering belief in Allah.

Another one of my favourite Ayats in the Quran is where Allah SWT says

أَلَيْسَ ٱللَّهُ بِكَافٍ عَبْدَهُۥ ۖ

"Is Allah SWT not sufficient for His servant? (39:36)

Some commentators say 'His servant' in this ayat refers to the Prophet ‎ ﷺ ‎ ‎ himself, because of the background of revelation, while others say it's referring generally to everyone. Either way, this ayat brings such a comfort to the soul, with Allah reassuring us that am i not sufficient for you? Am I not enough for you? To take care of you? To look after your needs? After hearing this it just puts us to shame; how can we even think about doubting Allah? How can we even think about turning to other people and other things to fulfil our needs and take care of our affairs? No one will ever want the best for us as much as our creator.

It's also so beautiful when Allah SWT says

"فَأَيْنَ تَذْهَبُونَ" (81:26)

"So where are you going"

Almost as though Allah SWT is speaking directly to us that where are you going? Why are you going away from me? What is more important than me? What can provide for you what I cant?

Although we may feel distressed and lost in our grief, saddened and low, we should never underestimate Allah SWT's power to put us in a better situation and bring us relief.

فَإِنَّ مَعَ ٱلْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا ٥

إِنَّ مَعَ ٱلْعُسْرِ يُسْرًۭا ٦

Allah SWT not only says it once, but twice in the Quran, "Verily after hardship is ease"(94:5,6). Personally I do not see anything more comforting than that for a believer.

Firstly, Allah does not burden a soul with more than it can bear. On top of that, Allah SWT is reassuring us that do not worry, after your little difficulty I am going to let you taste the sweetness of your trial. But on one condition? Trust me.

Allah SWT does not take anything away from us, unless He is going to give us something better. Perhaps there's something we really want for ourselves, but Allah SWT doesn't give it to us either because He knows what is better for us, or He wants to reward us for our sabr and patience. He knows what is good for us and what isn't. We think we know what is best for us, but in reality we're human, of course we don't.

وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تَكْرَهُوا۟ شَيْـًۭٔا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تُحِبُّوا۟ شَيْـًۭٔا وَهُوَ شَرٌّۭ لَّكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ٢١٦

"Perhaps you dislike something which is good for you, and perhaps you love something which is bad for you. And Allah SWT knows while you do not know (2:216).

Just breathe, turn to Allah, and trust Him.

Another reason why Allah may not give us what we want, is because He knows if He does, we may stop turning to Him in supplication, begging Him and crying to Him.

He also may know that if He gives us the thing we want, it will ruin our faith. It will take us away from Him and His remembrance, which ultimately will lead to a miserable life. Isn't that so beautiful? That Allah wants us there with Him and for Him only? He doesnt want anything else in our life to take up space in our heart more than it does for Allah?

Our Lord loves us more than our own mother loves us. He is closer to us than our jugular vein. He is our creator, our nurturer, our sustainer, wouldn't He know us the best? Wouldn't He want the best for us? Wouldn't He know what we truly feel and want deep down? Allah SWT says in Surah Mulk:

إِنَّهُۥ عَلِيمٌۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ

أَلَا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ خَلَقَ وَهُوَ ٱللَّطِيفُ ٱلْخَبِيرُ

"Indeed He is most knowing of what is in the heart, undoubtedly, how could He not know His own creation?" (67:13,14)

After all this, how can we then not entrust our affairs, worries and troubles in the hands of such a Lord?

وَأُفَوِّضُ أَمْرِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ

"And I entrust my affairs to Allah SWT" (40:44)

One of my all time favourite ayahs towards the end of Surah Yusuf is:

أَنتَ وَلِىِّۦ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ

"You are my guardian in the world and hereafter"

There is no better protector, friend, guardian and carer than AllahSWT, who will always want the best for us in every situation.

We can create such a faith and tawakkul in Allah SWT by firstly pondering on Quran Ayats. Looking at what Allah SWT has said in His glorious book, looking at the Quran and Sunnah on how to go through difficult situations.

ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ ٢٨

"Undoubtedly with the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest" (13:28)

وَٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ۚ

"And seek help through patience and prayer" (2:45)

These are ayats we've heard time and again, and in those moments of difficulty, uncertainty and worry, doing the above in unquestionably hard, but we need to take a moment aside to really reflect on what Allah SWT is telling us. Allah is telling us do not worry. I am here for you. Turn to me and I will Help you. Trust me, just trust me, and I will take care of your matters.

Secondly, dua. Dua is the weapon of a believer, it is the essence of worship. Without dua, we start to view ourselves as self - sufficient, self - reliant, independent, which are all contrary to islamic teachings. We need Allah. Allah doesn't need us. Allah is self sufficient and self reliant. We are not. We were created, hence we need the creator to help us. Allah wasn't created, Allah doesn't need anyone. So we need to turn to our creator, talk to Him, ask of Him, speak to Him. After this, Allah will either (1) accept our dua, (2) answer our dua in another form (i.e) protect from a calamity, (3) save our dua for the hereafter.

So know, that no dua is ever wasted. Allah SWT does everything in His infinite wisdom, which we can never comprehend.

This is why Islam is such a beautiful faith. There's answers for everything we are going through, there's remedies and cures for all our grief, sadness and hardship, and most importantly, we have the blessed opportunity of changing our circumstances and talking to our creator through Dua. There is reward in our endurance. There is reward in our pain. There is reward in our tears. There is reward in our duas.

Do not despair in the mercy of your Lord. Is He not sufficient for His servant? <3

Have unwavering faith in your Lord and remember, Allah did not leave Yunus (AS) to drown in the ocean, nor did He leave Musa (AS) to be defeated by the enemies. Likewise, your Lord will not let you drown in oceans of worry, nor let you be defeated by sadness.

وَأُفَوِّضُ أَمْرِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ

Always & Forever