of the world and its condemnation, from the booklet Deal of Heavenly Palace, written by Amir Ahl al-Sunnah  دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـه.

Sustenance of birds

The second Caliph of Islam, Sayyidunā ꜤUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ narrates that he heard the beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم say, “If you trust (i.e. have tawakkul) in Allah Almighty as He ought to be trusted, He will give you sustenance as He gives to birds that go out hungry in the morning and return with their stomachs filled in the evening.”^[1]

Mufti Aḥmad Yār Khān رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْه said, “The true essence of tawakkul is to believe that Allah is the ultimate ordainer of all things.” Other scholars have stated, “Striving (to earn Halal sustenance) and leaving the outcome to Allah Almighty is the essence of tawakkul. One should engage the body in work while keeping the heart attached to Allah. Experience shows that those who place their trust in Allah do not die of hunger.

Keep in mind that birds leave their nests in search of sustenance. Yes, if they do not have the strength to move in the trees, they get water and nutrients by remaining where they are. When a chick hatches from its egg, it is white, causing its parents to fly away in fear. With the command of Allah Almighty, a particular type of small insect gathers at the chick’s beak. The chick grows by eating these insects, and when its feathers turn black, the parents return.”^[2]

What is Tawakkul?

Imam Aḥmad Razā Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه said, “Tawakkul does not mean abandoning the means, but rather to not have اِعْتِمَاد عَلَی الْاَسْبَاب i.e. abandon reliance on the means themselves.”^[3]

In other words, giving up the means is not tawakkul, but the refusal to rely on them.