بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
LIKE THE BIRDS
Chances are that you have not heard of people whose hearts are like that of the birds. Whatever the case may be, Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam spoke of them. He said, “Some people will enter Jannah (because) their hearts resemble the hearts of the birds”.
Who are These People?
‘Exceedingly softhearted people’ is the opinion of some commentators. Others aver that they are people who are extremely fearful of Allah. However, in another hadith Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said, “If you rely in Allah in the manner you ought to do so, He will sustain you just as He sustains the birds. They leave in the mornings with empty stomachs, yet they return in the evenings with full stomachs.” In the light of this hadith, we could conclude that the people who will enter Jannah (because) their hearts resemble the hearts of the birds are people who have absolute tawakkul (total reliance) in Allah.
Why Tawakkul?
وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
In Allah (alone) must the Believers have tawakkul.
وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ
Whoever has tawakkul in Allah, He will be sufficient for him.
Why are Muslims required to have tawakkul in Allah? Why is so much of importance and reward attached to tawakkul? The answer to these questions is in the word tawakkul itself. You do not have to be professor of the Arabic language to realise the relationship between the words tawakkul and wakeel. The former is derived from the latter. Put differently, a person who has tawakkul in Allah is making Allah his wakeel.
The word wakeel rings wedding bells in many minds. Its meaning, however, is much broader than the bride’s representative. When a person appoints another to do something on his behalf, the latter is his wakeel. For example, if you appoint him to sell your house, he is your wakeel.
When appointing a wakeel, three qualities are considered:
1. Is the wakeel knowledgeable regarding the issue at hand? You would not appoint him to sell your house if he has no knowledge regarding the real estate market. He may sell your house for an unreasonably low price.
2. Does he have the ability to discharge the task entrusted to him? You would not make him your wakeel to sell your car if he were bedridden. Confined to his bed, he does not have the ability to fulfill the task entrusted to him.
3. Does he have any concern for your welfare? Would you entrust a person who is not be bothered if you suffer a loss? Would you entrust a person who may very well deceive you?
Now, the reason for commanding the Muslims to have total tawakkul in Allah is that:
1. Nobody is more knowledgeable than Allah. In fact, Allah is All Knowing.
أَلا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ خَلَقَ
Would the one who created (everything) not know?
2. Nothing is beyond the qudrat (ability) of Allah.
إِنَّ اللَّه عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Certainly Allah has ability over everything.
3. Allah is Ar-Rahmaan (The Most Merciful), Ar-Ra’oof (The Most Compassionate) and Al- Barr (The Most Kind). Nobody can be more sympathetic towards man than Allah.
Another Reason
Qadr (belief that everything is preordained by Allah) is another reason why tawakkul in Allah alone is imperative for Muslims. Put differently, Muslims are required to have tawakkul in Allah alone because nothing happens contrary to the desire of Allah.
Tawakkul and Worldly Means
Any discussion on tawakkul inevitably leads to the question of worldly means. Does tawakkul demand renunciation of worldly means?
The answer to this question lies in the definition of tawakkul. Imaam Ahmad bin Hambal described it as ‘amal-al-qalb (an action of the heart). What he meant is that it is neither verbal nor physical; it cannot be achieved by using ones tongue and limbs. On the contrary, renunciation of worldly means is physical.
Furthermore,
• Adoption of worldly means has been alluded to in the Qur’aan.
• It was the sunnah of the previous ambiyaa alaihim-us-salaam.
• It was the sunnah of Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam.
The People of Yemen
Claiming that they exercised tawakkul, the people of Yemen would not take with them any provisions when they travelled to Makkah for hajj. Upon reaching Makkah, however, they would resort to begging. Thus, Allah revealed:
وَتَزَوَّدُوا فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَى
Take your provisions although the best provision is taqwa . . .
Commanding the Yemeni hujjaaj to take their provisions even though they claimed to exercise tawakkul is testimony that tawakkul does not require abandonment of worldly means.
Travel throughout its Length and Breadth
Reminding man that the Earth and all its contents were created to fulfill his needs, Allah then tells him to travel in pursuit of livelihood.
هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ ذَلُولًا فَامْشُوا فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا وَكُلُوا مِنْ رِزْقِهِ . . .
He is the one who made the earth subservient to you, therefore travel throughout its length and breadth and eat from His sustenance . . .
Allah did not tell man to wait for his sustenance. Instead, he told him to seek it. This is another proof from the Qur’aan that tawakkul does not require abandonment of worldly means.
After Salaat-ul-Jumu’ah
The following aayah is yet one more proof in this regard.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِنْ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ . . .
فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَانْتَشِرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَابْتَغُوا مِنْ فَضْلِ اللَّهِ . . .
O those who have Imaan, when the call is made to salaah on the day of Jumu’ah, hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave all trade . . . Then, when the salaah is completed,
disperse in the land and seek the bounty of Allah . . .
Salaat-ul-Khawf
This refers to a special method of performing salaah that is only observed on the battlefield when the Muslims fear being attacked by the enemy while they are in salaah. Discussed in Surah-an-Nisaa as well as a number of ahaadith, the fuqahaa (Muslim jurists) differ regarding its procedure. Nevertheless, its ordainment also shows the status of adopting worldly means.
Back to the Birds
Let us go back to the hadith of the birds: “If you rely in Allah in the manner you ought to do so, He will sustain you just as He sustains the birds. They leave in the mornings with empty stomachs, yet they return in the evenings with full stomachs.” The last sentence (“They leave in the mornings . . .”) indicates that although the birds rely in Allah for their sustenance, they make an effort to earn it. The same applies to man. Allah will sustain him just as He sustains the birds, but man has to make some effort. Hence, the meaning of the hadith is that if man has true tawakkul, Allah will sustain him with minimum effort on his behalf.
A Moderate Search
Man’s lifespan and his sustenance are preordained by Allah. He will definitely complete the lifespan that Allah had ordained for him. Nobody can live longer or shorter than that. Similarly, man will definitely receive all the sustenance that Allah had ordained for him. It is impossible for him to earn more or less than that. Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said, “No soul dies until it gains its full sustenance and completes its entire lifespan. Therefore, fear Allah and be moderate in your search (for sustenance). Take what is permissible and leave what is prohibited.” The important point in the context of our discussion is that Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam did not say that since our sustenance is preordained, we must not seek it at all. Instead, he said, “Be moderate in your search”.
Fasten Your Camel . . .
“Fasten your camel and have tawakkul” is a commonly cited hadith.
Be Intelligent
Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam passed judgement between two people. As the person against whom judgement was passed walked away, he said حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ (“Allah is sufficient for us and He is the best helper”). Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam responded, “Allah blames people who do not help themselves. You must be intelligent. Then if you are defeated, you should say حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ
Two Steel Armours
In the battle of Uhud, Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam wore two steel armours. The reason for doing so was to demonstrate that tawakkul does not require Muslims to discard all worldly means. Instead, they are required to utilise the same but trust in Allah.
The Explanation of Sahl At-Tastari (ra)
Explaining the above, Sahl At-Tastari (ra) said, “Whoever criticizes activity (for the sake of earning a livelihood etc.) is criticizing the sunnah and whoever criticizes tawakkul is criticizing imaan. Tawakkul is the haal (spiritual condition) of the Nabi sallallahu alaihi wasallam and activity is his sunnah. A person who emulates the haal of Nabi sallallahu alaihi wasallam must definitely not discard his sunnah!”
Three Levels of Tawakkul
At this juncture, you could question me about Ibrahim alaihi-salaam’s response to Jibreel alaihi-salaam when, just before he was flung into the fire, the latter asked him: “Do you need anything?” Ibrahim alaihi-salaam replied, “Not from you!” (‘I do not need your help, but I do need the help of Allah.’) Was this not a rejection of worldly means and, according to the preceding discussion, inconsistent with tawakkul? The answer to this question is that there are three levels of tawakkul viz.
1. Exercising tawakkul in Allah, man adopts a worldly means that he constantly focuses on. This could be likened to the appointment of a lawyer. Although the client has confidence in his lawyer, he maintains continuous contact with him, enquiring about developments regarding the case.
2. Exercising tawakkul in Allah, man adopts a worldly means but, due to his tawakkul, he only focuses on Allah (and not the means that he adopted).
3. Exercising tawakkul in Allah, man does not even adopt a worldly means.
Considering the essence of tawakkul, the first level is the lowest and the third level is the highest. However, the third level is that of the ambiyaa and a selected few among the pious. It is not demanded from the average Muslim. The tawakkul demanded from them is of the second level.
Two Types of Asbaab
Moreover, asbaab (worldly means) are of two types:
1. يقينية – Means that definitely result in the desired effect. For example, drinking cold water definitely quenches a man’s thirst and eating food fills a hungry man’s stomach. Omission of such means is foolish and impermissible in the sharee’ah.
2. ظنية – Means that do not necessarily result in the desired effect, although they generally do. For example, commerce and agriculture are means of livelihood. Although they generally do result in livelihood, there is no certainty that always do so. Omission of such means are of two types:
a. When a person intentionally chooses to live in the absence of worldly means – in a desert, for example. This type is also impermissible in the sharee’ah.
b. When a person discards the worldly means despite its availability. For example, he refuses to make an effort to earn a livelihood although he lives in a city wherein there are ample job opportunities. Under normal circumstances, this type of omission is impermissible. However, it is permissible in the presence of the following conditions:
The person concerned should not have any dependents. He must not be responsible for the needs of anybody else.
He must have firm resolution.
He must always be content with whatever Allah ordains for him.
He must never beg from anybody, neither directly nor indirectly.
In the absence of any one or more of these conditions, omission of the worldly means is impermissible. In addition, it must be done with the intention of ilaaj-un-nafs (treatment of the spiritual self) or fulfillment of some other need. Narrations of certain Sahaabah (ra) and other pious people who discarded the worldly means should be interpreted in this manner. Nevertheless, adoption of the worldly means is best for the average Muslim.
Note:
Whatever has been mentioned above is regarding apparent asbaab (worldly means that have an apparent relation with the desired result). It does not apply to obscure, far-fetched asbaab (means that do not have any apparent relation with the desired result). Adoption of such means contradicts the hadith “. . . be moderate in your search (for sustenance)”. Hence, Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam would utilise the apparent means and thereafter say:
اللهم هذا الجُهدُ ، وعَلَيكَ التُّكلانُ
O Allah, this is our effort, now we rely in you.
Another Type of Tawakkul
This is the tawakkul that is observed when fulfilling the commands of Allah, which are the means of safety from Jahannam and entry into Jannah. While implementing such actions he must have tawakkul in Allah regarding his safety in the Hereafter. Yusuf bin Asbaat (ra) said in this regard, “Do the actions of a man who can only be saved by his actions but exercise the tawakkul of a man who can only be afflicted by what has been ordained for him.”
The Important Question
‘How do we inculcate tawakkul?’ is the important question. In the light of the reasons for the importance and virtue of tawakkul in the sharee’ah, we could conclude that tawakkul is inculcated by recognising the attributes of Allah in contrast with human weakness. Added to this, contemplation of the virtues of tawakkul and anecdotes of those who adopted it will prove extremely beneficial.
و آخر دعوانا أن الحمد لله رب العلمين
و صلى الله على النبى محمد و على آله و أصحابه أجمعين
Abu Hudhaifa Muhammed Karolia
14 Sha’baan 1433 / 04 July 2012
Al-Jaami’ah Al-Mahmoodiah
Persida, Springs