Levels of Tawakkul

IQNA – Some individuals do not turn to God until they see that all means have been exhausted.

Only when they find that all avenues are closed, do they seek to rely on God. This is the lowest level of Tawakkul (reliance on God), and higher levels are achieved with increased faith.

The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (AS) said, “The strongest people in terms of faith are those who have more Tawakkul than others; the more Tawakkul someone has, the better they have come to know God, and their faith is more complete.”

One can consider various levels of Tawakkul, with the first three stages being as follows:

1. Tawakkul in Overcoming Obstacles

A very weak level of Tawakkul stems from the understanding that the Almighty God has provided means in this world and has granted us abilities such as the power to think and act. However, He can also take away the effectiveness of these abilities. This type of Tawakkul means that when we utilize His blessings, we should recognize that God can deprive us of them. In other words, we should place our trust in God (have Tawakkul) when it comes to overcoming obstacles.

2. Tawakkul in Factors beyond Human Control

A higher level of Tawakkul involves the realization that achieving any of our desires requires many conditions, many of which are beyond our control. Therefore, in order to attain our goals, we use the means available to us, but for the conditions that lie outside our understanding or power, we place our trust in God. In other words, this level of Tawakkul is about relying on God for the fulfillment of conditions that are beyond human control.

3. Trusting the Chain of Causes

One can imagine the causes and effects of the world as interlinked rings, with the end of the chain in God’s hands. He acts as the mover of this chain, such that if the Almighty God does not set the first link of the chain in motion, the rest will not move either. Therefore, one must have faith that God will set this chain into motion and make it effective. At this level, a person realizes that even the means within their own control are just links in a chain, the beginning of which is in God’s power. Of course, there are higher levels of Tawakkul as well.