Tie Your Camel

Anas (radi Allahu anhu) reported that a person asked Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam), “Should I tie my camel and have Tawakkul (trust in Allah for her protection) or should I leave her untied and have Tawakkul.” Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) replied, “Tie her and have Tawakkul.” (Hasan) [Jami At-Tirmidhi]

Tawakkul means to put in one's best efforts to do what Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) expects one to do and then leave the results to Allah's will. Tawakkul comes from conviction in qada wa qadar, one of the six pillars of eeman: What Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) has written for me must come to pass.


Tawakkul in Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) includes tawakkul in His provision of rizq. 50,000 years before the creation of the universe, what provisions would come to me were written down in Lawh Mahfuz (The Preserved Tablet). Our test in this world is of the means we choose to earn these provisions. Do we adopt halal means and work seeking the pleasure of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala); or do we resort to haraam, not trusting the rizq to come to us through halal means?

To seek one's livelihood is the way of the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam). Even he did not sit at home waiting for provision to fall out of the sky. But he (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) also said not to kill oneself in trying to earn more and more; since only that which is ordained for us will come to us.
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