Ghazali looks at tawakkul, breaking it into divisions and levels of tawakkul. The essence of tawakkul is putting your trust in Allah which comes from 3 things: The 3 pillars of tawakkul ILM – Knowledge – of monotheism. Knowing that Allah is the Creator, Protector and Sustainer HAAL-  State – leave your affairs to Allah, your heart trusts Him, you do not turn to other than Him in your heart. AMAL – Deeds  – ignorant people might think tawakkul is abandon earning (kesb) and efforts (sai), or medical treatment (tadawi). There are misconceptions about tawakkul because knowledge is lacking. In fact, you need more than knowledge, as you need a state of heart and then action. We often jump into actions without the right knowledge or state of heart. You shouldn’t do this, because your action has to be based on knowledge. The fruit of this knowledge goes to the heart and from there is translated into action. We do not wait for our rizq (provision) to parachute on us, we have to go out and seek it. Tawaakul (with the extra alif) is laziness. Tawakkul is not tawaakul/laziness – it is tying your camel and then relying on Allah. True tawakkul does not contradict common sense and is in line with the general guidance of the shariah. Level 1 To have confidence in someone once you are convinced of their perfect guidance, ability and sympathy. You feel comfortable in their hands. This is just at a human level, imagine comparing this to Allah’s competence, which is well beyond human level. Therefore once you have done your bit, relax because you can trust Allah the most. Level 2 This is stronger than the state of a little child’s confidence in their mother. You are utterly dependant on her love and … Continue reading Ghazali on Reliance (part 2)