The key to acquiring true tawakul

Practicing tawakul, or reliance on Allah, builds a beautiful relationship between you and Allah and allows you to truly see His mercy, compassion and wisdom:

“The more a person’s desire for Allah’s blessings and mercy increases, and his hope that He will take care of his matters and needs increases — the more his servitude to Allah and freedom from others increases.”

— Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله)(Al-’Ubudiya)

Allah pairs having taqwa and tawakul together several times in the Quran.

What is taqwa?

It is translated as fear of Allah but literally it means to place between you and Allah’s anger and punishment a barrier by staying away from His prohibitions and fulfilling His commands.

When you have taqwa of Allah, you fulfill His commands by taking the necessary means that are called for in a situation, and you pair that with reliance on Allah as well.

Taking the necessary means as well as having reliance on Allah is the definition of true reliance:

A man asked the Prophet, peace be upon him, “Should I tie up [my camel] and rely on Allah, or should I leave it loose and rely on Him?”

He, peace be upon him, replied, “Tie it up and rely [on Allah].”

(Sahih Sunan at-Tirmidhi)

Ibn Al-Qayyim (رحمه الله) explains this concept beautifully in his book Zad Al-Ma’ad:

فالقُوَّةُ كُلُّ القُوَّةِ فِي التَّوَكُّلِ عَلى اللَّهِ، كَما قالَ بَعْضُ السَّلَفِ: مَن سَرَّهُ أنْ يَكُونَ أقْوى النّاسِ، فَلْيَتَوَكَّلْ عَلى اللَّهِ، فالقُوَّةُ مَضْمُونَةٌ لِلْمُتَوَكِّلِ، والكِفايَةُ والحَسْبُ والدَّفْعُ عَنْهُ، وإنَّما يَنْقُصُ عَلَيْهِ مِن ذَلِكَ بِقَدْرِ ما يَنْقُصُ مِنَ التَّقْوى والتَّوَكُّلِ، وإلّا فَمَعَ تَحَقُّقِهِ بِهِما، لا بُدَّ أنْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ مَخْرَجًا مِن كُلِّ ما ضاقَ عَلى النّاسِ، ويَكُونُ اللَّهُ حَسْبَهُ وكافِيَهُ.

“The greatest strength is found in tawaakul (reliance) on Allah. Some of the Salaf said:

“Whoever wants to be the strongest of people, let him have reliance in Allah.”

Strength, sufficiency, and protection is guaranteed for the one who relies on Allah. There is no doubt that when he applies (taqwa and tawakul in Allah), Allah will definitely make a way out for him from all the difficulties which have burdened others, and Allah will be enough for him.”

Allah says in the Quran:

‎وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّـهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجًا ﴿٢﴾ وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّـهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ ۚ

“And whoever has taqwa of Allah - He will make for him a way out and will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him.”

(Quran 65:2-3)