ذَٰالِكُمْ يُوعَظُ بِهِۦ مَن كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مَخْرَجًۭا
This is enjoined on whoever has faith in Allah and the Last Day. And whoever is mindful of Allah, He will make a way out for them, [65:2]
وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بَـٰلِغُ أَمْرِهِۦ ۚ قَدْ جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدْرًۭا
and provide for them from sources they could never imagine. And whoever puts their trust in Allah, then He ˹alone˺ is sufficient for them. Certainly, Allah achieves His Will. Allah has already set a destiny for everything. [65:3]
(The Clear Quran)
In life, we encounter a range of circumstances that demand diligence, practice, and strategic thinking, along with the dedication of time and effort to reach our goals. We try everything in our own capacities. However, how often do we place our trust in Allah to grant us success in our endeavours?
A simple yet powerful example is shown from our beloved Prophet ﷺ , the best of mankind, who placed his trust and reliance in Allah throughout his life. His actions are a constant guidance for those who are trying to be on the straight path.
In Ramadan, the Battle of Badr took place – the first official battle between the Muslims and Quraysh, but the Muslims were vastly outnumbered, with 319 to 1,000. On the night before the battle, as rain fell and the companions slept, our Prophet ﷺ stayed awake, raising his hands in supplication to his Lord, continuously asking for aid and success. He prayed with such fervour that his robe slipped from his shoulders. Abu Bakr draped it back over him, and reassured him, “Your Lord will never abandon you.” Later on, the Prophet ﷺ confidently told Abu Bakr that Allah would aid them, and that victory was assured.
The battle ensued, and victory was indeed assured for the Muslims as Allah sent down His angels to aid them. The Muslims triumphed over the Quraysh, marking this day as the Day of Furqan, a decisive moment that distinguished truth from falsehood.
There are many valuable lessons to be drawn from this brief example. Observing the actions of the Prophet ﷺ, we see that despite all the preparations and the significant disadvantage the Muslims faced, he turned to Allah for aid and success. Rather than spending the night devising new strategies or setting traps for the enemy, he sought divine assistance. While preparation and effort are crucial, true success is only assured when one ultimately turns to Allah, allowing Him to bless and bring fruition to one’s efforts and hard work. This, in return, gifts one with divine intervention.
This reliance on Allah we have discussed is Tawakul. The word التَّوَكُل (At Tawakul) means entrusting and fully relying on Allah alone, knowing that everything is in His hands, and He alone can help you obtain what is good, remove what is evil, and to achieve any actions.
In Surah Al-Ma’idah, Allah tells us:
وَعَلَى اللّهِ فَتَوَكَّلُواْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ “Put your trust in Allah if you are ‘truly’ believers.” [5:23]
In Tawakkul is understanding that Allah is enough for us, that we need Him and that whatever He will allow to happen is good for us. How can we not have trust in the One who is enough for us? Of whom we are in perpetual need of? And the One who will only allow good to happen to us?
Tawakkul is to follow the commands of Allah even when disobeying Him seems easier. It is to believe that He will grant us paradise for choosing Him over the fleeting pleasures of this world. It is to entrust our affairs to Allah and be content knowing that He will take care of us. Tawakkul is to know that all will be well, even if things look impossible. Tawakkul is knowing that at the end of the tunnel there is light, even if we don’t see it. It is understanding that when Allah shields something from us, He is redirecting us to something better.
Allah tells us in Surah Baqarah “Perhaps you dislike something which is good for you and like something which is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know.” [2:216]
So, the next time we strive towards a goal, let us include Allah in our strategy, for Allah reminds us. Humble yourself before Him, call out to Him for assistance, and seek His permission to grant you success in this world and the Hereafter. Let us take inspiration from the best of examples, our beloved Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. If he, despite his lofty status, returned to Allah, then who are we to think we are self-sufficient and are not in need of His aid?
What we have shared about the Battle of Badr is just one of the countless examples from the life of our beloved Prophet ﷺ. Truly, no one devoted more time to worshipping Allah or turned to Him more frequently than he did. We know that despite his sins being forgiven and his place in Jannah being assured, he spent his nights in prayer until his feet swelled. We see the reason behind this powerful connection in the hadith mentioned in Sahih Al-Bukhari:
حَدَّثَنَا خَلاَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا مِسْعَرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا زِيَادُ بْنُ عِلاَقَةَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الْمُغِيرَةَ بْنَ شُعْبَةَ، يَقُولُ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُصَلِّي حَتَّى تَرِمَ ـ أَوْ تَنْتَفِخَ ـ قَدَمَاهُ فَيُقَالُ لَهُ، فَيَقُولُ: “أَفَلاَ أَكُونُ عَبْدًا شَكُورًا”.
Narrated Al-Mughira bin Shu`ba: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray so much that his feet used to become oedematous or swollen, and when he was asked as to why he prays so much, he would say, “Shall I not be a thankful slave (to Allah)?” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6471)
So just like we have put our trust in Allah, Al-Wakeel and achieve success in our endeavours, let us also remember to be like our Prophet ﷺ and return to Allah in shukr (gratitude). Begin with basic and consistent statements of Shukr, such as Alhamdulillah, or offer a prostration of shukr in response to good news to express gratitude to Allah for enabling us to accomplish our goals. By following the example set by our Prophet ﷺ, let us further demonstrate our gratitude through acts of worship and doing what pleases Allah, The Almighty by letting go of a sin which displeases Him.
I pray Allah allows us to be from those who are in constant reliance on Him and in a constant state of shukr! Ameen
