TAWAKKUL- توكل

Literally and Etymologically:

Literally, it means placing one’s trust in someone, relying on others, or delegating one's affairs to a trustee. Etymologically, it derives from the verbal root w-k-l (و-ك-ل) and denotes entrusting one's entire self and possessions to another for absolute protection and guardianship.

Furthermore, this root is also the source of the name of Allah: Al-Wakîl (The Ultimate Trustee, The Supreme Guardian and Disposer of Affairs).

As an Islamic Term: Relying wholeheartedly on Allah. It is to conform to causes — which are the creational laws of Allah — by acknowledging them directly as the veils of the qoudrah of Allah, intending to obey the Takwînî Sharî’ah as an incumbent duty while engaging with those causes, seeking the ultimate result solely from Allah, being profoundly pleased with His qadhâ, and accepting qadar with utter trust in Haqq. True tawakkul fortifies the ma‘nawî strength of an ‘abd through earnest reliance on Allah’s infinite qoudrah, liberating the rûh from despair, sorrow and anxiety for worldly matters.

This profound state is essentially expressed in the frequent dhikr of the sacred âyah:

1 حَسْبُنَا اللهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ

which is the essence of tawakkul, serving as an impenetrable ma’nawî shield and an endless source of solace for a mu’min especially in times of hardship and calamity.

Excerpts from the Risale-i Nur on the haqiqah of tawakkul:

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 )