Tawakkal in Destiny

Her husband fought for his life on the ventilator, her children gathered by her side. The doctors had given her a choice; a heavy responsibility. Her relatives criticised her for paying heavy fees for the futile treatments and for not thinking about her daughters.

“Don’t you want to save your wealth for their marriage? The doctors have given up all hope for his survival, we need to pull the plug.”

Eyes welling with tears, heart full of pain, she stood once more on the prayer mat. Pouring out her soul, she did not know how to express her grief. Then, as she uttered the words, she remembered, she felt calm and prayed with total conviction;

“You Alone we worship and You Alone we ask for help” ( AL-FATIHAH : 5)

This ayah clearly establishes the tawakkul of the believer. These perfect words, if said with sincerity, can relieve a believer from any stress, anxiety and grief. If you sincerely put your trust in Him and believe, He will answer your call; then why should you fear the future, or grieve over the past? We have been ordered in Surah Aale-Imran

” Then when thou hast taken a decision, put thy trust in Allah. For Allah loves those who put their trust in Him”

However, this does not mean we sit idly and do nothing. Tawakkul ( trust ) in our destiny being pre-ordained does not mean laziness or sitting idle. It means taking your decision or preparing for the necessities and then waiting for God to create the effect with the firm faith that whatever happens, will be our fate, our ‘QADR’. It is as if a student doesn’t prepare for his exam and leaves it to God. This is not tawakkul! He needs to prepare what is necessary, in all halal ways and then leave his affairs with his Lord. One afflicted with an illness cannot just stop taking her medicines and leave it to Allah to cure her. She needs to take the necessary steps for her well-being, whilst praying with sincere tawakkul, that whatever will happen, will be the will of Allah. She must show gratitude and praise when a blessing is granted, and persevere and not lose hope when faced with a calamity. Instead of proclaiming

“Why has this happened?”
“Why has this blessing been taken away?”
“What am I going to do?”
We must read “Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raajeoon”

So, as this mother sat and pondered over her decision, the husband’s brothers gathered around announcing the total costs and never-ending hospital bills. The women started chit-chatting about how this poor mother is going to spend her life, without a husband, raising her daughters in a cruel society. Yes, these thoughts crossed her mind. Yes, she heard noises and chatter and gossip till her mind no longer absorbed anything. It was silent. Yet, in her heart, she had inner peace now. As she ended her prayer, she took her decision. Her heart didn’t listen to the people telling her to trust her wealth to sustain her family. She could not pull the plug on the ventilator – even if there was one doctor who gave a slight glimpse of hope, she was going to take it.

And surely, with each passing day, she was faced with tough times and many moments of doubt. Her tawakkul in her destiny, her faith that whatever would happen will be the will of Allah, kept her strong and steadfast. Three months passed and her husband had finally recovered! Although he could no longer walk, he was there. Their daughters got married, one after another, each and every detail overseen by the father. Financial help was provided by sources they had never dreamt of. The family enjoyed another 3 years with the father protecting and guiding them. When it was time for him to leave them, she remembered how her Lord had helped her before, and she stood again on her prayer mat, eyes brimming with tears, heart full of hope and trust in her Lord.

“If you had all relied on Allah (swt) as you should rely on Him, then He would have provided for you as He provides for the birds, who wake up hungry in the morning and return with full stomachs at dusk” (At- Tirmidhi)