Have you ever imagined being lost in the middle of the sea — no compass, no contact, no modern device to guide you? In that moment of isolation, who would you turn to, whose plan would you trust completely? Allah gives us the answer in the Qur’an:

”Say, “Who rescues you from the darknesses of the land and sea [when] you call upon Him imploring [aloud] and privately, ‘If He should save us from this [crisis], we will surely be among the thankful.” (قُلْ مَن يُنَجِّيكُم مِّن ظُلُمَاتِ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ تَدْعُونَهُ تَضَرُّعًا وَخُفْيَةً لَّئِنْ أَنجَانَا مِنْ هَٰذِهِ لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ)

In such a moment, a person may lose faith in all the familiar certainties they once relied on. Everything else becomes trivial. Only your faith and belief remain as the reason for your survival. Allah, the Creator of mankind, knows the deepest truths of our nature. It is the pure concept of tawḥīd (monotheism) that overcomes every skeptical thought. Trusting Allah and having unwavering faith in Him is the only way out of life’s dilemmas. In other words, reliance upon Allah is the very core upon which all creation depends.

”And rely upon the Ever-Living who does not die, and exalt [Allah] with His praise. And sufficient is He to be, with the sins of His servants, Acquainted.”

(وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى الْحَيِّ الَّذِي لَا يَمُوتُ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِهِ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِهِ بِذُنُوبِ عِبَادِهِ خَبِيرًا)

     Reliance on Allah (At-Tawakkul) is the sincerity of the heart in depending entirely on Him — seeking all goodness from Him alone and asking His protection against any harm — in every matter of this life and the Hereafter. It is the firm belief that no one can cause harm, grant benefit, give, or withhold except Allah. Those who truly rely upon Allah follow the way of the Prophets. It is a form of worship for the believers — one that Allah commanded the Prophets and the righteous to uphold. He ordered the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to rely upon Him,

”And rely upon the Exalted in Might, the Merciful. Who sees you when you arise. And your movement among those who prostrate.” (Surah At-Tur)

(وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى الْعَزِيزِ الرَّحِيمِ. الَّذِي يَرَاكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ. وَتَقَلُّبَكَ فِي السَّاجِدِينَ) 

When Sayyiduna Ibrāhīm (ʿalayhi as-salām) was cast into the fire, the angel Jibrīl came to him and asked if he needed anything. Sayyiduna Ibrāhīm replied,

“From you, I need nothing; my need is only from Allah. ”My sufficiency is God, and good is the Guardian.”
(حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ ونِعْمَ الوكيلُ)

Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm’s heart, in that moment, was attached to nothing and no one except Allah. This was the perfect living example of At-Tawakkul— reliance on Allah in its purest form. For Muslims, reliance on Allah is not merely a virtue — it is a sign of true faith which Muslim’s faith can be tested after any sort of suffering. When everything is closing its doors before you, you accept it and realize that it is all because of Allah. Everything is planned perfectly, nothing goes against the Will of Allah, Allah said in Surah At-Tawbah:51:

”Say, “Never will we be struck except by what Allah has decreed for us; He is our protector.” And upon Allah let the believers rely.”

(قُل لَّن يُصِيبَنَا إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوْلَانَا ۚ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ)

     At-Tawakkul can and should be practiced in every state of life. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught his companions to rely solely and completely upon Allah when it comes to provision. Indeed, provision is one of the main concerns that occupies people’s minds; it stirs fears, sadness, and worries. People exhaust themselves seeking every possible source of provision, yet if a person spends their whole life chasing it, they will never taste a true inner peace. The Prophet ﷺ directed us to where our hearts can find tranquility. Sayyiduna Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) said:

In everything a person says, does, or resolves to do, he should place his reliance upon Him. If you make a decision, then be firm and proceed with its execution. If you are in doubt about something, turn to Allah in prayer and place your trust in Him. Those who rely upon Allah are loved by Allah, He said in Surah Al-Imran:159

”And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].”

(فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ)

         difference between Reliance upon Allah and idleness

People sometimes confuse reliance upon Allah with idleness. Having faith in Allah does not mean neglecting to take the necessary means and causes into consideration. Rather, it is part of its perfection and completeness. However, one must beware of the heart leaning upon the means, for this contradicts reliance on Allah. Thus, it has been said: striving to take the means with the limbs is obedience to Allah, and placing reliance with the heart upon Allah is faith in Allah. At-Tawakkul is the heartbeat of a believer’s life — a constant awareness that every benefit and every harm is in Allah’s hands, coupled with the effort to take the means He has permitted. It is not passive waiting, nor it is restless striving without trust; it is walking the path with both the strength of action and the serenity of faith. When the heart depends on Allah alone, it finds peace in every outcome, knowing that His decree is always for the ultimate good. And in this, the believer lives a life of strength, contentment, and unwavering connection to the One who never fails His servants.