TAWAKKUL- توكل

 

Literally: Putting one's trust, especially putting one's trust in Allah.

This word is derived from the root of وكل and denotes entrusting one's entire possessions, including himself, to the protection of Allah. Tawakkul is to conform to the causes, which are the creational laws of Allah, 1 by accepting them as the veils of Allah’s qoudrah and by intending to obey the Takwînî Sharî’ah, which is one’s incumbent duty; and it is to seek the result from Allah and to be pleased with everything that Allah gives. To accept Qadar. To trust in Haqq. To be far from despair and sorrow because the ma’nawî strength of the one who earnestly and truly relies on Allah’s infinite qoudrah will increase. It is as follows:

 

Îmân is both nûr and strength. Yes, a man who obtains true îmân can challenge the universe and be saved from the pressure of events according to the strength of his îmân. He says, "Tawakkaltu ‘Âlallah," and travels with complete safety on the ship of life amidst the mountainous waves of events. He entrusts all his burdens to the absolute Qadîr’s hand of qoudrah, passes the world with ease, and rests in the barzakh. Then he can fly to Jannah in order to enter eternal happiness. Otherwise, if he does not do tawakkul, instead of flying, the burdens of the world will rather drag him to the asfal sâfilîn. It means that the necessary result of îmân is tawhîd, the necessary result of tawhîd is submission (taslîm), the necessary result of submission (taslîm) is tawakkul, and the necessary result of tawakkul is happiness in both worlds. But do not misunderstand. Tawakkul is not a complete rejection of the causes. Rather, it consists of conforming to causes by knowing that causes are veils to the hand of Qoudrah, accepting that taking action by using causes is a sort of du'â by action, asking for the effects only from Janâb-i Haqq, knowing that the results are from Him and being thankful to Him. The example of the one who does tawakkul and the one who does not resembles this story:

One time, two men shouldered heavy loads onto both their backs and heads, bought tickets and got on a large ship. One of them left his load on the ship as soon as he got on and guarded it by sitting on it. The other one did not put down his load since he was both stupid and proud. He was told, "Leave your heavy load on the ship and rest." He said, "No, I will not leave it; it might get lost. I am strong; I will protect my property on my head and back." Again, he was told, "This reliable ship of the sultân that carries you and us is stronger; it protects much better. You may get dizzy and fall into the sea with your load. You will also gradually lose your strength. Your bent back and mindless head will not be able to put forth power for those loads that get heavier gradually. And if the captain sees you in this situation, he will either order your expulsion and call you crazy, or he will order your imprisonment and say, “He is a traitor; he discredits our ship and ridicules us!” Also, you will be a laughingstock to everyone because you have made yourself a laughingstock to the people due to your conceit that demonstrates your weakness, your pride that demonstrates your impotence, and your pretence that demonstrates your abasement and riyâ to the eye of those who have careful consideration. Everyone is laughing at you." Whereupon that unfortunate man came to his senses. He put his load on the floor and sat on it. He said, "Ah! May Allah be pleased with you. I have been saved from the difficulty, prison and being a laughingstock."

Thus, O man who does not do tawakkul! You too come to your senses like that man and do tawakkul, so that you can be saved from begging the entire universe, trembling before every event, being boastful and a laughingstock, the misery in the âkhirah and the prison of the pressures of this world.

 The Twenty-Third Word - Third Point

 

What is meant by دِين is either requital, that is, the day of requital for deeds of khayr and sharr, or of the haqiqahs of religion; that is, the day they will rise and be totally manifested, and the sphere of belief will prevail over the sphere of causes. For by relating causes to effects, Allah (‘Azza wa jalla) has deposited an order in the universe through His will, and obliged man through his nature, wahm, and imagination, to comply with the order and be bound to it. Moreover, He directed all things towards Himself and is far above the effect of the causes in His dominions (mulk). He charged man in belief and îmân, to comply with this sphere with his conscience and his rûh, and be bound to it. For in this world, the sphere of causes predominates over the sphere of belief, while in the next world the haqiqahs of aqâid will be manifested as supreme over the sphere of causes.

Know too that each of the two spheres has its appointed position and particular rules, so each should be given its due. Thus, the person who looks from the position of the causal world with his nature, wahm, and imagination, and the criteria of causes towards the sphere of belief is forced to be Mu'tazilite, while a person who looks from the position of belief and its criteria with his rûh and conscience towards the sphere of causes will end up displaying a lazy sort of trust and obstinate opposition to the will of the Orderer.

 Signs of Miraculousness ( 26 )