Those Who Rely on God And Those Who Don’t
A person who is truly Mutawakkil may work much harder than others, but they do not see their own efforts as the primary or true cause of their success. Instead, they recognize the Almighty God as the main actor and place their trust in Him, rather than in the means and tools at their disposal.
The belief of a non-Mutawakkil person is that knowledge comes from study, or that they earn a living through their experience, effort, and knowledge, or that a particular behavior grants them honor. The Holy Quran quotes Qaroon as saying, “I have received this wealth because of my knowledge.” (Verse 78 Surah Al-Qasas)
However, a person who relies on God views every blessing and power as a favor from the Almighty: “(He said) This is a favor from my Lord.” (Verse 40 of Surah An-Naml).
A Mutawakkil person sees all the means of the universe as tools, and thus, with trust in God, he seeks to identify his own capabilities within the framework of the tools embedded in the creation system. However, just as a pen is a tool in the hands of a writer and moves according to his will, all the elements that have an impact in the world are, in fact, instruments in the hands of God’s power, acting only by His will and in accordance with His desires.
So the difference between a person who has trust in God and one who does not lies in the fact that the person with trust truly believes that God is the primary cause and relies on Him, rather than on means, intermediaries, money, or connections.
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Therefore, the distinction between the two is not in their actions. It is possible that a person with trust may work even harder than others, yet they do not consider their own efforts as the main or true cause of outcomes. Of course, claiming to hold this belief is easy, but acting on it is much more challenging. If those who claim this belief show caution and abandon their responsibilities out of fear of discomfort, resentment, anger, or the power of others, then their behavior is not in alignment with the essence of true trust in God.
If a person wishes to place their trust in God, they must regard Him as possessing the necessary qualifications to rely on Him in all matters. They should seek guidance from Him for what is good and right and trust in the fate He has predetermined. This issue relies on knowledge and understanding, and after this stage, it moves to action and implementation. Therefore, Tawakkul fundamentally involves two types of requirements: cognitive and practical.
