Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 23 Part A
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]
at-Tawakkul (Trust and Reliance) and its Proof
Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:
And the proof for at-Tawakkul (trust and reliance) is His saying, He the Most High:
وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَتَوَكَّلُوا إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
And place your reliance and trust in Allaah if you are true believers [5:23]
And His saying:
وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ
And whoever places his trust and reliance in Allaah, then He will suffice him [65:3] 17
[17]: Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan’s Explanation:
at-Tawakkul is to entrust your affairs and to place reliance in Allaah the Perfect and Most High, and to entrust affairs to Him, He the Perfect and Most High – this is at-Tawakkul (trust and reliance). And it is from the greatest of the types of worship, and therefore He said:
وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَتَوَكَّلُوا إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
And place your reliance and trust in Allaah if you are true believers [5:23]
The preposition and the word with it are put before the governing word, to indicate restriction.
.. وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَتَوَكَّلُوا
And upon Allaah place your reliance and trust …
Meaning upon Him and not upon anyone else besides Him, then He said:
إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ..
… if you are people of eemaan [5:23]
So He made it a condition of eemaan to have trust and reliance upon Allaah the Perfect and Most High. And this shows that whoever does not place his trust and reliance upon Allaah, then he is not a believer. So therefore at-Tawakkul (trust and reliance) is a tremendous act of worship. So therefore the believer always places his trust and reliance upon Allaah and depends upon Allaah the Mighty and Majestic.
And Allaah, from His Names is Al-Wakeel (the Trustworthy Disposer of Affairs) meaning: the One to Whom the affairs of His servants are entrusted, He the Perfect and Most High. So at-Tawakkul (placing trust and reliance) cannot be except upon Allaah, and it is not permissible to say, “I place my reliance in so-and-so”, because at-Tawakkul (trust and reliance) is worship, and worship cannot be except for Allaah.
As for when you delegate someone from the creation to carry something out for you, then this is not called tawakkul (trusting in them), it is called tawkeel (entrusting), and al-wikaalah (authorising or entrusting), this is something well-known, that you entrust and authorise someone to carry out some need for you. And the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, he delegated some people to deputise for him in carrying out certain duties. So at-tawkeel (entrusting or delegating) is something other than at-Tawakkul (having trust and reliance). So at-Tawakkul is worship, and it cannot be except for Allaah, and it is not permissible for you to say, “I placed my trust and reliance in so-and-so”. Rather you should say, “I have entrusted someone with something”. And along with this, you entrust and authorize someone, but you do not place your trust and reliance in him, rather you place your trust and reliance in Allaah, the Perfect and Most High. So notice the difference between the two matters and at-Tawakkul and at-tawkeel.
And from the characteristics of the believers is that which Allaah the Most High mentioned with His saying:
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ
That the believers are only those who when Allaah is mentioned, their hearts tremble and when His Signs are recited to them it increases them in eemaan, and they place their trust and reliance upon their Lord. [8:2]
These are from the attributes of the believers, so therefore trust and reliance is a tremendous act of worship, it cannot be except for Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, because He is al-Qaadir (the One Fully Able to do everything), and He is al-Maalik (the Owner) of everything, and He is fully able to bring about for you whatever you desire. As for the created being, then he might not be able to bring about something for you that you desire, so you may entrust him with carrying something out. However trust and reliance is to be upon Allaah with regard to attainment of that thing.
Then you should know that at-Tawakkul (trust and reliance) does not negate and contradict using the means to an end. So the Muslim gathers between having reliance and trust in Allaah and utilizing the means, and there is no contradiction between them. So you carry out the means which you have been commanded to do. However you do not place your trust and reliance upon the means, rather you place your trust and reliance upon Allaah. You, you plant the seeds for crops in the earth – this is a means. However, you do nor place reliance upon the planting and your own action, rather you have reliance upon Allaah with regard to the growth of this plant, and with regard to its producing fruit and with regard to its being kept safe, and with regard to its being good and suitable, and therefore He says:
أَفَرَأَيْتُم مَّا تَحْرُثُونَ
أَأَنتُمْ تَزْرَعُونَهُ أَمْ نَحْنُ الزَّارِعُونَ
Do you see the seed which you sow? Do you make it grow or are We the One Who causes it to grow? [56:63-64]
So the One Who causes it to grow in reality, He is Allaah, but as for you, then you have just carried out the means only. It may produce this plant and grow or it may not produce it. And if it grows, it may be good and fitting, and it may not be good. It may be struck by some calamity, and will pass away.
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Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah. Explanation of the Three Fundamental Principles of Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab by Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan al-Fowzaan hafizahullaah. Translated by Daawood Burbank, rahimahullaah
Posted with kind permission from Dawud Burbank rahimahullaah
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Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank
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