Dear brothers and sisters in Islam, Allah Almighty, the Most High, has created us of the best stature and granted us many abilities so that we may look after our needs and those of our relatives and fellow Muslims. He (subhanahu wa ta'ala) has invited us to explore the earth and use it for our subsistence: "It is He Who has made the earth subservient to you, so walk in the path thereof and eat of His provision, and to Him will be the resurrection (sermon)" (Al-Mulk, 67:15).

Yet, brothers and sisters, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has made it clear in this very verse, as well as in other verses, that had He not made this earth manageable to us, we would not be able to explore it nor benefit from it.

Understanding Tawakkul Through Surah Al-Mulk:

The above verse is the starting point of this Khutbah (sermon) which is about tawakkul (trust and complete reliance on Allah). This chapter of the Qur'an is actually—in our humble opinion—a yardstick for understanding tawakkul. Surah Al-Mulk starts and finishes with the same message: To Allah belong all that is in the universe, and nothing would happen without His mercy and constant watchful care. He said in the first verse, "Blessed be He in Whose hands is the Dominion, and He is able to do all things." He then said in the last verse, "Say: Have you thought, 'If your water were to disappear into the earth, who then can supply you with clear-flowing water?'" (Surah Mulk 67:30).

Yes, we can surely explore the earth, look for regions holding water, and successfully discover fountain sources and streams. But without Allah's permission and facilitation, we will not be able to reach this water. Furthermore, what would happen if – all of a sudden – Allah made the sources and springs of our water supply to disappear in the deep undergrounds of the earth. Blessed and Glorified be He! No one will bring it back but He.

The Balance Between Striving and Divine Provision:

Brothers and sisters, there is a hintful touch in the verse mentioned earlier. Allah said, "...so walk in the path thereof." Then He said "...and eat of His provision." So Allah is telling us that though you are encouraged to strive and work hard, what you produce is not yours; what you earn is not yours. Rather, your production, your earnings and all your subsistence comes from Allah. 

He made it available to you out of His Mercy and care for you. Hence, if Allah wills, your work and efforts will be fruitless. Similar verses where Allah ascribes subsistence solely to Him are found in many places in the Qur'an. Allah says, "...So seek from Allah (Alone) subsistence and worship Him (Alone), and be grateful to Him. To Him (Alone) will be your return," (Al-'Ankabut, 29:17).

Those who misunderstood the Plan of Allah and His Wisdom have felt confused by this double command of Allah – to strive and work on the one hand, and rely on Allah to make the actions possible and goals attainable, on the other. Initially, this question was presented before the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam. The companions asked: Should we quit working and rely on Al-Qadar (Allah's predetermined decree)? 

The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, answered: "You should initiate and do things. Everyone shall be facilitated towards that for which he was created." (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim). Consequently, the Companions of the Prophet moved on and initiated righteous deeds while putting their trust in Allah.

Guidelines for Halal Work:

The work that is referred to here is not that of the acts of worship (Salah, Zakah, Sawm, Haj, etc). Rather, it is the work pertaining to our subsistence. Furthermore, we do not refer to haram (forbidden) work and haram subsistence – for we believe, insha' Allah, that the reader is conscious of that. It is the halal (permissible) work and the halal livelihood that we are concerned about in this Khutbah, for it is more tempting to the believer. 

What are the guidelines and limits of the halal work? How much dedication do we give it? Do we attribute the source of subsistence to our work or to Allah's bounties? And do we associate the loss and deprivation of wealth, health and success with our loss of job, or with Allah's universal plan?

Islam's Position on Work and Self-Reliance:

Brothers and sisters, Islam is a dynamic religion. Not only does it not condone passiveness, but also, it strongly rejects laziness and dependency on others. The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, said: "Begging is forbidden except when there is great debt, suffering, injury, or abasing poverty." (Related by Abu Dawud and Al-Bayhaqi). He, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, also said: "It is much better for one of you to take his rope and go to chop some wood (for his livelihood) than to beg from people, whether they give him anything or deny him." (Related by Al-Bukhari, Ibn Majah, and others). 

The Prophet himself, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, worked hard for his living. He spent his boyhood as a shepherd and took to trade in manhood. He carried people's goods to Syria and other places and shared the profits with them.

The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, used to constantly seek refuge with Allah from laziness as reported by Zayed Ibn Arqam: "O Allah! I seek refuge in You from incapacity, from laziness, from cowardice, from miserliness, from ineptitude and from the torment of the grave..." (Related by Muslim).

True Meaning of Tawakkul:

However, brothers and sisters, though we might strive hard to secure our livelihood, we should not attribute our achievements solely in the work we do, but in Allah. We should not put our reliance on our work, our possessions, our wealth, our position, etc. Neither should we rely on our manager, our employer, our friends and our families. 

The only one on Whom we should rely is Allah. He subhanahu wa ta'ala said, "...And rely on the Living One (Allah), Who will never die, and celebrate His praises and thanks. And sufficient is He to be acquainted with the sins of His slaves," (Al-Furqan, 25:58). Whoever attaches his/her heart to his job, or to his/her employer or to any created beings in order for them to provide him/her with sustenance or to make him/her prosperous and successful, and so on, he/she has submitted to them. And the more one relies on the created beings, the weaker becomes one's submission to Allah.

Hence, brothers and sisters, as much as Allah wants from us to initiate actions and seek and use all permissible means to secure our needs and those of our families, He also wants us not to depend on these means as the source of our sustenance. This is the genuine understanding of tawakkul.

Two Extreme Misunderstandings of Tawakkul:

Those who deviated from the right concept of tawakkul have fallen into two extremes. The first group of people are those, attracted by the temptations of this world, and have gone so far as to forget their relationship with Allah. Their heart has become so attracted to these temptations that they became subservient to their desires. 

Such people have become – knowingly or unknowingly – slaves of their own desires. Such people will ultimately claim that all their achievements are but the result of their own work and that Allah had no involvement whatsoever. They do not rely on Allah.

Allah says, "Have you then seen the sort of man who rejects Our signs, yet says: 'I shall certainly be given wealth and children.'" Allah rejects their arrogant claim by saying, "Has he penetrated to the unseen, or has he taken a promise with Allah?" (Maryam, 19:77-78). This type of man who rejects Allah and denies His bounties regards himself as "self-sufficient" and thus, cannot be expected to rely on Allah.

The second group of people are those who understood the reliance on Allah as meaning to completely break away from all mundane affairs. They regarded piety and the pursuit of any material interests as contradictory. 

For them, reliance on Allah would mean not to take any initiatives for securing one's subsistence. Consequently, they renounce the world and retire themselves to remote areas or secluded spots and cut themselves from daily life.

Both of these two groups, brothers and sisters, have not understood the meaning of tawakkul according to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam. Had they attempted to understand the Book of Allah, according to the understanding and implementation of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, and his honourable companions, they would have found that tawakkul is far removed from how they conceived it.