Tawakkul.

Taken From : Jami' Al-'Uloom wa Al-Hikam : A Commentary on 50 Major Hadith
- by Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali

Hadith No. 49

From Umar ibn Al-Khattab from the Prophet (sas) who said:

"If only you relied on Allah a true reliance, He would provide sustenance for you just as He does the birds: They fly out in the morning empty and return in the afternoon with full stomachs."

[ Ahmad, An-Nasaa’I, Ibn Majah, Al-Hakim and At-Tirmidhi who said: "Hassan sahih"]

1. Reliance on Allah is one of the most important causes of getting sustenance in this life. Allah said: {And whoever fears Allah, He will provide him a way out and will provide for him from an unforeseen direction. And whoever relies on Allah, He is sufficient for him.}

2. Reliance on Allah does NOT mean not working and striving for sustenance in this life. Al-Bahaiqiy (one of the major collectors of hadith) said:

"There is no support in this hadith for resigning from working to earn. On the contrary, it in fact supports working and seeking earnings. This is because the bird when it flies out in the morning does so in pursuit of its sustenance. And so the meaning – and Allah knows best – is: if they were to rely on Allah while setting out and while returning and when acting/interacting and believed during all of that that all good id in the hands of Allah and comes only from Him, they would never set out except in a state of health and success like the birds who set out hungry and return full. If, however, they rely on their own strengths and abilities and then engage in deception, lying and insincerity, this is opposite to reliance on Allah."

3. Tawakkul (reliance) on Allah is: The true reliance of the heart on Allah in the pursuit of acquiring that which benefits and avoiding that which harms in this life and the hereafter and the leaving these issues up to Allah along with the true belief that no one gives, witholds, harms or benefits except Allah Most High.

4. Allah orders us to rely on Him AND to strive for our objectives. {And prepare against them all that you are capable of in forms of strength and ranks of horses…} and {…and, when the [Friday] prayer is finished, go forth in the land and seek from the bounties of Allah and mention/remember Allah much that perhaps you may be successful.}

5. One of the salaf said: "Whoever criticizes action and work for the sake of earning has criticized the sunnah and whoever criticizes reliance on Allah has criticized belief. Reliance on Allah was the STATE of the Prophet (sas) while working and earning was his sunnah. So whoever aspires to his state, let him not neglect his sunnah (sas)."

6. In this area, there are three kinds of actions.

a) The acts of obedience which Allah has commanded us. We must rely on Allah in the performance of these actions. That is why when the Mu’adhin mentions the commands to come to prayer, we respond with "Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billahi" – there is not motion nor any power except with Allah. Whatever Allah wills is and whatever He does not will is not. Whoever is negligent in these actions is deserving of punishment in this life and/or the hereafter. One of the salaf said: "Strive as the striving of one who can only save himself by his efforts and rely on Allah as one who will never find anything but that which was written for him."

b) The basic needs which Allah has tied to our survival and well-being. These include eating when we are hungry and needs for clothing to protect us from the elements and shelter, etc. These are also obligatory on the Muslim to pursue the means to them. Whoever neglects them to the point of causing harm to himself or to those who depend on him though he was able to do otherwise is sinful in this negligence and deserving of punishment. The Prophet (sas) used to connect his fasting from one day to the next, but forbid the companions from doing that saying: "I am not in the same position as one of you, I am provided food and drink." This means – and Allah knows best – that what Allah sent to Muhammad (sas) freed him from much of his needs for basic human necessities.

c) That which Allah has connected to our benefit in many cases, but no always.

i) That which Allah frequently frees some of his servants from the need for it such as medicines. The scholars differed about one who becomes sick: Is it better to take medicine or leave it and rely on Allah? Some took the opinion that reliance on Allah was better and used the hadith: "Seventy thousand from my nation will enter paradise without any account-taking… those who do not believe in omens, do not seek incantations for cure or use cauterization and who rely on their Lord." Other countered by the fact that the Prophet (sas) used cures and his state is best. The hadith, then is referring to incantations which are makrooh (disliked) because of the fear of falling into shirk since it was mentioned along with cauterization which is makrooh.

ii) That in which the pattern is rarely broken such as sustenance being provided to those who do not strive to seek it. This is not allowed except to those who have knowledge of such provision such as Maryam in the hose if Zakariya.

7. Ibn Abbas said: Some people from Yemen used to come to Hajj without bringing provisions and said: We are the reliers (on Allah). Then when they get to Makka, they ask the people for help. Allah then revealed about them: {…and take provisions and the best of provisions is piety.}

8. The important thing is to trust in the guarantee of sustenance from Allah, to struggle and strive with the causes of that and to be in acceptance of the share appointed by Allah. One Imam Ahmad’s companions said: "Don’t become so concerned with the guaranteed that you come to accuse the Guarantor and becoming unaccepting of His apportionment."

9. The fruit of tawakkul is the acceptance of Allah’s decree. Whoever leaves his affairs to Allah and then is accepting of what he is given has truly relied on Allah. Al-Hassan and others among the salaf defined tawakkul as ridhaa (acceptance).

Ibn Baz (rahimahullah) on slandering Duaat.

Question:

In recent days there has been a lot of slander against those who call people to Islam (daa’iyahs) and dividing them into groups and categories. What is your opinion on that?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Allaah has enjoined justice and good treatment of others, and He has forbidden wrongdoing, hatred and enmity. Allaah sent His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with the same message as He sent all the Messengers, namely the call to Tawheed and to worship of Allaah alone. He commanded him to establish justice and forbade him to do the opposite, i.e., to worship anything other than Allaah, to cause division and to transgress against the rights of others.

In these days it has become very common that people who claim to have knowledge and to be calling people to good slander many of their brothers among the well-known daa’iyahs, and they talk about the seekers of knowledge, daa’iyahs and lecturers. They do that in secret in their own gatherings, but it may be recorded on tapes that are distributed among the people, and they may do it openly in public lectures in the mosques. This behaviour goes against the commands of Allaah and His Messenger in several ways.

1 – It is a transgression against the rights of the Muslims, and against the elite of the people, namely the seekers of knowledge and daa’iyahs who are striving to make the people aware and to teach them and correct their beliefs and practices, and to organize lessons and lectures, and to write beneficial books.

2 – It splits the Muslims and causes division in their ranks. They are the most in need of unity and they need to keep away from division, discord and too much gossip amongst themselves, especially when the daa’iyahs who are being slandered are from among the Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah who are well known for their opposition to bid’ah (innovation) and myth, and for standing up against those who promote such things, and for exposing their plots and tricks. We see no benefit to be gained by such actions, except for the enemies who lie in wait for opportunities to harm the Muslims, such as the kaafirs, hypocrites and followers of bid’ah and misguidance.

3 – This action offers support and help for the self-serving among the secularists, westernizers and other heretics who are well known for stirring up trouble among the daa’iyahs and telling lies against them, and inciting people against them in their writings and recordings. It is contrary to Islamic brotherhood for those who are too hasty to help their enemies against their brothers among the seekers of knowledge, daa’iyahs and others.

4 – This spreads corrupts ideas in the hearts and minds of the common folk and elite; it spreads and propagates lies and false rumours, and causes a great deal of backbiting and slander. It leaves the door wide open to evil people who persist in spreading doubts and stirring up fitnah, and who are keen to cause harm to the believers by accusing them of things that they did not do.

5 – Much of what is being said has no basis in reality; rather these are illusions which the Shaytaan has made attractive to them, through which he has tempted them. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion; indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another…”[al-Hujuraat 49:12]

The believer should interpret what his Muslim brother says in the best possible way. One of the salaf said: Never think of something that is said by your brother as being bad when you still find room for a good interpretation.

6 – Whatever ijtihaad is produced by some scholars or seekers of knowledge, in areas where ijtihaad is permitted, the author of said ijtihaad cannot be blamed or rebuked for it, so long as he is qualified to engage in ijtihaad. If someone else has a different opinion, it is better for him to debate with him in a proper manner, striving to reach the truth via the shortest route and leaving no room for the insinuating whispers of the Shaytaan or for him to cause trouble among the believers. If that is not possible, and someone thinks that he has no choice but to explain what is wrong with his ijtihaad, then he should choose the best wording and the most subtle way of explaining, and not resort to attacking, slandering or going to extremes in criticizing him, which may cause others to reject the truth or to turn away from it. He should also avoid criticizing specific people, casting aspersions upon their intentions or saying unnecessary or irrelevant things about them. In such cases the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would say, “What is the matter with some people who say such and such…?”

The advice I offer to these brothers who have fallen into the sin of slandering the daa’iyahs is to repent to Allaah for the things that they have written or said that may have corrupted the hearts of some youth and filled them with hatred and grudges, and kept them from seeking beneficial knowledge or from calling people to Allaah by making them preoccupied with gossip and talking about this one and that one, and seeking out faults for which they could criticize people, and going to extremes in doing that.

I also advise them to offer expiation for the things that they have done by writing and other means that they think they should not have done, and to remove from people’s minds the wrong ideas they may have given them. They should focus on fruitful actions which will bring them closer to Allaah and will be beneficial to people, and they should beware of being too hasty to accuse people of kufr, fisq and bid’ah without any clear evidence or proof. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever says to his brother ‘O kaafir!’ one of them will be deserving of that description.” (Saheeh, agreed upon).

It is prescribed for those who call others to the truth and for seekers of knowledge, if they are uncertain about something said by a scholar or anyone else, to refer to the prominent scholars and to ask them, so that they can explain the facts of the matter to them and remove the confusion and doubt from their minds, in accordance with the words of Allaah in Soorat al-Nisaa’ (interpretatiuon of the meaning):

“When there comes to them some matter touching (public) safety or fear, they make it known (among the people); if only they had referred it to the Messenger or to those charged with authority among them, the proper investigators would have understood it from them (directly). Had it not been for the Grace and Mercy of Allaah upon you, you would have followed Shaytaan (Satan), save a few of you”[al-Nisaa’ 4:83]

And Allaah is the One Whom we ask to reform all the Muslims and to unite their hearts in taqwa and to bring the scholars of the Muslims and those who call to the truth together in doing that which pleases Him and will benefit His slaves. May He unite them in following guidance and protect them against all the causes of division and dissent; may He support the truth through them and humiliate falsehood through them, for He is the One Who is able to do that. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions, and those who follow his guidance until the Day of Resurrection.

Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh ‘Abd al- ‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 7, p. 311.