Why do 90% of Muslims say ‘I trust Allah’, but still lose sleep over rizq, marriage, and the future?
It is important to build Tawakkul (توكل) daily as it allows you to place your trust and reliance upon Allah. It is one of the most powerful spiritual principles in Islam. Imam Ahmad said:
“Tawakkul is the work of the heart.”
It is therefore more than just an act; it is a deep, inner work of the heart.
You can speak about trusting Allah all day but do you truly believe that He knows best? Do you really leave your matters to Allah and feel at ease? If so, would anxiety about rizq or the future still consume you?
The Deeper Meaning of Tawakkul
The Arabic word tawakkul (توكل) comes from the root وَكَلَ (wakkala), which means to entrust or assign authority. A wakeel is someone you appoint to act on your behalf.
In Arabic we refer to an attorney or agent by proxy as Waqeel Al‑Niyabah. He has been appointed and entrusted by the police and granted the authority to appear in court and act on their behalf.
When you make Allah your wakeel, you’re acknowledging three things:
- That He alone is able
- That He knows best
- That the world and all matters are controlled by His perfect will
📖 Surah Al-Furqan (25:58):
وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱلْحَىِّ ٱلَّذِى لَا يَمُوتُ
“Put your trust in the Ever-Living, Who never dies, and glorify His praises. Sufficient is He as All-Aware of the sins of His servants.”
Practicing Tawakkul increases our resilience and protects us from stressing over what is already written!
Throughout the Quran, Allah commands Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the believers to have true reliance on Him. It distinguishes those with real Iman from those who are tied too deeply to worldly causation.
Ayaat That Guide Your Tawakkul
Allah repeatedly commanded the Prophet ﷺ to have tawakkul upon Him. For example:
📖 Surah Al-Mulk (67:29):
قُلْ هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ ءَامَنَّا بِهِۦ وَعَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا ۖ فَسَتَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ هُوَ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍۢ مُّبِينٍۢ
Say, “He is the Most Compassionate—in Him ˹alone˺ we believe, and in Him ˹alone˺ we trust. You will soon know who is clearly astray”
📖 Surah An-Nisa (4:81):
وَيَقُولُونَ طَاعَةٌۭ فَإِذَا بَرَزُوا۟ مِنْ عِندِكَ بَيَّتَ طَآئِفَةٌۭ مِّنْهُمْ غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى تَقُولُ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَكْتُبُ مَا يُبَيِّتُونَ ۖ فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ وَكِيلًا
And they say, “We obey,” but when they leave you, a group of them would spend the night contradicting what they said. Allah records all their schemes. So turn away from them, and put your trust in Allah. And Allah is sufficient as a Trustee of Affairs.
📖 Surah Hud (11:123):
وَلِلَّهِ غَيْبُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُ ٱلْأَمْرُ كُلُّهُۥ فَٱعْبُدْهُ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَيْهِ ۚ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ
To Allah ˹alone˺ belongs the knowledge of what is hidden in the heavens and the earth. And to Him all matters are returned. So worship Him and put your trust in Him. And your Lord is never unaware of what you do.
Therefore Tawakkul is not a passive act, it’s a conscious decision to rely completely on Allah, no matter what.
Hadith About Tawakkul
One of the most beautiful/motivational narrations on tawakkul comes from Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه:
Umar bin Al-Khattab narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w. ) said: “If you were to rely upon Allah with true reliance, then He would provide for you just as a bird is provided for, it goes out in the morning empty, and returns full.
(Tirmidhi, Hasan)
This is “tawakkul ʿala Allah ḥaqqa tawakkulihi”.. relying on Allah with true reliance. As an Ummah, we may still be striving toward that lofty level of trust, but each day we renew our effort, seeking to draw ever nearer to perfect reliance on Him.
Neuroscience Behind Tawakkul:
We live in this fast paced world have been accustomed to stress and anxiety. Anxiety triggers your amygdala, flooding your body with cortisol. Chronic stress depletes GABA and serotonin (Selective serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors are what people often use as anti-depressants). Build Tawakkul Daily through Dhikr to rewire your mindset: Instead of overthinking disasters (real or imagined), it anchors you in qadar, accepting what’s written while focusing on positivity and thawab. This slashes chronic anxiety, replacing it with heart-deep peace and stronger Iman.
Tawakkul breaks the cycle of pain and stress. It is the best form of cognitive behavioural therapy.
Just reflecting on the Hadith above is a CBT technique: birds don’t store food for months or have convenience stores. They don’t panic about tomorrow. They act and trust.
Yet we hoard, overthink, and lose sleep over what’s already written.
Tawakkul is Part of True Iman
In Surah Al-Anfal (8:2), Allah describes the believers:
📖 إِنَّمَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ ٱللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتُهُۥ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَـٰنًۭا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ
“The ˹true˺ believers are only those whose hearts tremble at the remembrance of Allah, whose faith increases when His revelations are recited to them, and who put their trust in their Lord.”
Why Is True Tawakkul So Hard Sometimes?
Tawakkul is difficult if you haven’t witnessed the fruits of tawakkul in your life before. Immersed in the material world and its causes and effects, many people unknowingly rely more on the means than on the One who controls the means.
True tawakkul is when you leave matters entirely to Allah to the point where your heart no longer worries or feels anxious about the outcome. Even what seems like a bad outcome could turn out to be a good outcome on the long run. We really know so little.
In a world where anxiety is endemic, especially among Muslims facing uncertainty about their rizq, careers, families, or health, who truly truly has tawakkul?
Build Tawakkul Daily in Times of Uncertainty
Ongoing wars, and economic instability are a testament that we have little control or knowledge of how the future is going to be. With each calamity we prove how little we know and how powerless we are as a human race. Experts fail, predictions collapse, and plans fall apart. But Allah’s plan never fails. No matter how much we try, nothing can prevent what Allah has decreed, and nothing can bring what He has withheld.
Regardless of how things are going and how we percieve it, we need to build Tawakkul daily to establish Iman in our hearts.
What Tawakkul Is NOT
❌ It’s not laziness (you still work, strive, and make effort for Rizq).
❌ It’s not denial (you acknowledge problems but trust Allah’s solution).
❌ It’s not just for crises (real believers trust Allah in good times before difficult times).
📖 Surah Ghāfir (40:44) quotes the believer from Pharaoh’s court:
وَأُفَوِّضُ أَمْرِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بَصِيرٌۢ بِٱلْعِبَادِ
“And I entrust my affair to Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Seeing of [His] servants.”
Build Tawakkul Daily- Examples of True Tawakkul
The Miracle of Tawakkul – A Mother’s Trust
Imagine the heart of the mother of Prophet Musa عليه السلام. Her baby was in danger of being killed. What did Allah inspire her to do?
📖 Surah Al-Qasas (28:7):
وَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰٓ أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ ۖ فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ فَأَلْقِيهِ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ وَلَا تَخَافِى وَلَا تَحْزَنِىٓ ۖ إِنَّا رَآدُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ
We inspired the mother of Moses: “Nurse him, but when you fear for him, put him then into the river, and do not fear or grieve. We will certainly return him to you, and make him one of the messengers.”
She placed her baby in a basket and into the water. Her tawakkul was so pure and Allah reassured her. Soon, He returned her son and reunited them in the most miraculous way.
Personal Reflection on how to Build Tawakkul Daily
Personally, I’ve experienced the fruits of tawakkul in ways that are too personal to share here. As a doctor I had issues that I had no clue how it could get resolved but by Allah’s will it turned out to be fine. But I know I’m not alone. We all have stories where we felt lost, anxious, or stuck and when we handed things to Allah, He opened doors we never imagined.
Tawakkul teaches us that Allah is enough. Do not knock on others’ doors desperately when you know you have him on your side.
If Allah is indeed your wakeel, do you still need to stress about your future? About marriage, money, or health?
We plan, but Allah’s plan is perfect. Place your trust in Him, not because you’re giving up, but because you know you’ve given it to the One who controls all things.
Dua for Tawakkul When Stressed
Recommended as a daily tawakkul exercise for anxiety relief!
Before you scroll away: Pause. Name ONE thing you’re overthinking (work-related, marriage problem, Rizq, conflict with a close one. Say: ‘Allah, I trust You with this” Then make dua’:
حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ ۖ وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ
“Hasbiyallahu la ilaha illa huwa, ‘alayhi tawakkaltu, wa huwa Rabbul-‘Arshil-‘Adheem.”
Translation:
“Allah is sufficient for me. There is no god but Him. In Him I place my trust, and He is the Lord of the Majestic Throne.”
*(Surah At-Tawbah 9:129)*
اللَّهُمَّ أَسْلَمْتُ نَفْسِي إِلَيْكَ، وَفَوَّضْتُ أَمْرِي إِلَيْكَ، وَوَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِي إِلَيْكَ، وَأَلْجَأْتُ ظَهْرِي إِلَيْكَ، رَغْبَةً وَرَهْبَةً إِلَيْكَ
“Allahumma aslamtu nafsi ilayk, wa fawwadtu amri ilayk, wa wajjahtu wajhi ilayk, wa alja’tu zhahri ilayk, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilayk.”
Translation:
“O Allah, I submit myself to You, entrust my affairs to You, turn my face to You, and rely on You out of hope and fear of You.”
(Bukhari 247)
Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ Dua for Tasleem (Total Submission to Allah)
اللهم ارضني بما قضيت، وبارك لي فيما قدرته، فلا أحب تقديم ما أخرته، ولا تأخير ما عجلته
Alla Allahumma arḍini bimā qaḍayta, wa bārik lī fīmā qaddartahu, fa-lā uḥibbu taqdīma mā akhkhartahu, wa lā taʾkhīra mā ʿajjaltahu.
(Al-Mu’jam al-Awsat 6188 | Hasan)
“O Allah! Make me content with Your decree, bless me in what You’ve destined, until I desire not to hasten what You’ve delayed, nor delay what You’ve hastened.”
Use this: When struggling with Allah’s timing (rizq, marriage, healing).
Tawakkul isn’t a quick fix you turn on when stressed. It requires Sabr. It grows through steady effort: daily dhikr, consistent salah, and sincere shukr. As Muslims, we all have some tawakkul and tasleem in our hearts but it deepens only by constantly reminding ourselves of Allah’s power and wisdom. Don’t aim for perfection overnight. Start where you are. Quran says: “And put your trust in the Ever-Living Who does not die” (25:58).
