Tawakkul Is Reliance on God’s Power and Knowledge

IQNA – Tawakkul means having confidence, trust, and exclusive reliance on God’s power and knowledge, while also having no hope to people or any other independent causes.

Based on this understanding, a person who has Tawakkul is one who knows that everything is in God’s hands, and He takes care of all their affairs. Therefore, he relies solely on Him.

Upon reflecting on the themes of the verses that mention (Tawakkul), it becomes evident that certain attitudes and qualities are developed in the one who has Tawakkul and relies on God.

Firstly, there is a belief in truths such as God’s power, authority, mercy, and absolute knowledge. Secondly, certain characteristics emerge, including faith, submission, trust, piety, and patience. Overall, the presence of these beliefs and qualities in a person creates a special relationship between the servant and the Almighty God, which is known as Tawakkul.

So, Tawakkul means having confidence, trust, and exclusive reliance on God’s power and knowledge, while also having no hope to people or any other independent causes.

Based on this understanding, a person who has Tawakkul is one who knows that everything is in God’s hands, and He takes care of all their affairs. Therefore, he relies solely on Him.

The author of Al-Mizan Exegesis of the Holy Quran, Allameh Tabatabaei, defines Tawakkul as entrusting ones affairs to God, accepting His will, and making Him one’s agent in managing one’s matters. This concept inherently involves prioritizing God’s will over one’s own and acting according to His commandments.

Of course, Tawakkul does not mean disregarding apparent causes. Rather, it involves dismissing trust in these causes and placing trust in God, as all causes are subject to His will.

For example, Prophet Moses (AS) tells his people: “O my nation, if you believe in Allah, put your trust in Him, if you have submitted.” (Verse 84 of Surah Yunus)

This verse initially conditions Tawakkul on faith and then concludes with another condition, namely Islam (submission). The reality is that a believer first becomes familiar with the status of their Lord in a general sense and believes that He is the cause above all causes, and that all matters of the world are in His hands. This faith and belief lead them to submit their actions to God and never to rely on external appearances. The essence of submission is that a believer has Tawakkul in God and places all their trust in Him.