Bismillah

Notes based on Imam Safi Khan’s class on Tawakkul.

Stages of Tawakkul:

1. Knowledge
2. Understanding cause and effect
3. Tawheed
4. Dependence on Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala)
5. Positive thoughts about Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala)
6. Total submission
7. Putting all of our affairs in Allah’s hands
8. To be content with Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala)’s decree

1. Knowledge

• We have to know who Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is if we want to put our trust in Him.
• We have to know or recognize Him as our Lord and know His names and attributes.
• We have to maintain the oneness of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) in our lives. The scholars first classified this Tawheed in two, and then later, three categories:

1. Tawheed in Allah’s Lordship – Ar-Rububiyah: Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is the only One who created us and He plans, provides, maintains and sustains the entire creation.

2. Tawheed in Allah’s names and attributes – Asmaa was Sifaat: Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is One in his names and attributes and there is nothing like Him.  For example, Allah has hands, but they are nothing like our hands.  Some of His names include al-Wakeel (the Disposer of affairs, the One who is relied upon); Al-Qadir (the All-Powerful, the Able); and Al-Qayuum (the Sustainer).

3. Tawheed in our servitude to Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) – Al-Uloohiyyah: Once we recognize who Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is, then our objective should be to worship and serve Him alone.

People who don’t believe in Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) as their Lord, or who don’t believe in all of His names and attributes cannot do Tawakkul because they do not know who Allah is.  The scholars say that ‘whoever wants to embark in the world of Tawakkul, the first step is to know Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala).

The bottom line: get to know Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala).

2. Understanding that there is cause and effect that Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala has put in the universe.

• There are certain means that you have to take to achieve certain outcomes.  For example, to pass an exam you need to learn and study.  However, it is Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) who causes you to pass or not.
• Hadith: One day Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, noticed a Bedouin leaving his camel without tying it. He asked the Bedouin, “Why don’t you tie down your camel?” The Bedouin answered, “I put my trust in Allah.” The Prophet then said, “Tie your camel first, then put your trust in Allah” (Tirmidhi).
• You have to do your best in terms of taking the appropriate means, and then leave the results up to Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala).  For example, take medicine when you are sick, but know that it is Allah who allows that medicine to cure you or not.
• In the Quran, Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) commands us to take certain actions in order to achieve particular results:

وَقَالَ رَبُّڪُمُ ٱدۡعُونِىٓ أَسۡتَجِبۡ لَكُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ عَنۡ عِبَادَتِى

سَيَدۡخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ (٦٠)

And your Lord hath said: Pray unto Me and I will answer your prayer. Lo! those who scorn My service, they will enter hell, disgraced. (40:60)

We have to take the action of making dua with the proper etiquettes in order to for Allah respond.

هُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ ذَلُولاً۬ فَٱمۡشُواْ فِى مَنَاكِبِہَا وَكُلُواْ مِن رِّزۡقِهِۦ‌ۖ وَإِلَيۡهِ ٱلنُّشُورُ (١٥)

He it is Who hath made the earth subservient unto you, so Walk in the paths thereof and eat of His providence. And unto Him will be the resurrection (of the dead). (67:15)

• We have to take action in seeking sustenance; it’s not just going to pop out of the ground.

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِذَا نُودِىَ لِلصَّلَوٰةِ مِن يَوۡمِ ٱلۡجُمُعَةِ فَٱسۡعَوۡاْ إِلَىٰ ذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِ وَذَرُواْ ٱلۡبَيۡعَ‌ۚ ذَٲلِكُمۡ خَيۡرٌ۬ لَّكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ (٩)

O ye who believe! When the call is heard for the prayer of the day of congregation, haste unto remembrance of Allah and leave your trading. That is better for you if ye did but know. (62:9)

۞ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعۡلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدۡنَىٰ مِن ثُلُثَىِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَنِصۡفَهُ ۥ وَثُلُثَهُ ۥ وَطَآٮِٕفَةٌ۬ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مَعَكَ‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ ٱلَّيۡلَ وَٱلنَّہَارَ‌ۚ عَلِمَ أَن لَّن تُحۡصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ‌ۖ فَٱقۡرَءُواْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانِ‌ۚ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُم مَّرۡضَىٰ‌ۙ وَءَاخَرُونَ يَضۡرِبُونَ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يَبۡتَغُونَ مِن فَضۡلِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۙ وَءَاخَرُونَ يُقَـٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۖ فَٱقۡرَءُواْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنۡهُ‌ۚ وَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُواْ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَقۡرِضُواْ ٱللَّهَ قَرۡضًا حَسَنً۬ا‌ۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُواْ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنۡ خَيۡرٍ۬ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ خَيۡرً۬ا وَأَعۡظَمَ أَجۡرً۬ا‌ۚ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرُواْ ٱللَّهَ‌ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ۬ رَّحِيمُۢ (٢٠)

Lo! thy Lord knoweth how thou keepest vigil sometimes nearly two-thirds of the night, or (sometimes) half or a third thereof, as do a party of those with thee. Allah measureth the night and the day. He knoweth that ye count it not, and turneth unto you in mercy. Recite, then, of the Qur’an that which is easy for you. He knoweth that there are sick folk among you, while others travel in the land in search of Allah’s bounty, and others (still) are fighting for the cause of Allah. So recite of it that which is easy (for you), and establish worship and pay the poor-due, and (so) lend unto Allah a goodly loan. Whatsoever good ye send before you for your souls, ye will surely find it with Allah, better and greater in the recompense. And seek forgiveness of Allah. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (73:20)

لَيۡسَ عَلَيۡڪُمۡ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَبۡتَغُواْ فَضۡلاً۬ مِّن رَّبِّڪُمۡ‌ۚ فَإِذَآ أَفَضۡتُم مِّنۡ عَرَفَـٰتٍ۬ فَٱذۡڪُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ عِندَ ٱلۡمَشۡعَرِ ٱلۡحَرَامِ‌ۖ وَٱذۡڪُرُوهُ كَمَا هَدَٮٰڪُمۡ وَإِن ڪُنتُم مِّن قَبۡلِهِۦ لَمِنَ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ (١٩٨)

It is no sin for you that ye seek the bounty of your Lord (by trading). But, when ye press on in the multitude from ‘Arafat, remember Allah by the sacred monument. Remember Him as He hath guided you, although before ye were of those astray. (2:198)

• Hadith: “No one has ever eaten any food that is better than eating what his hands have earned. And indeed the Prophet of Allah, Dawud, would eat from the earnings of his hands.” (Bukhari).
• Don’t just sit around doing nothing and say, “Allah will provide.”  Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) will provide as long as you do your work.
• The Sahabah used to work very hard, they did their own work in the fields and in business radiAllahu anhum.  For example, we know that Abu Bakr radiAllahu anhu gave all of his wealth for the sake of Allah several times, how do you think he got his wealth each time after giving it up – he worked hard to earn it each time!
• Taking the appropriate means doesn’t negate your Tawakkul.

Continue reading at Ilm Notes: http://www.ilmnotes.net/safi-khan-eight-stages-of-tawakkul/