Tawakkul at Its Best

Tawakkul at Its Best – Surrender!

“Have faith,” or “Ask from Allah with tawakkul” — we’ve heard and spoken these phrases countless times, especially when it comes to our desires. We often advise others, and are advised ourselves, to have faith in Allah (SWT). But do we truly understand the depth of the word Tawakkul?

Not just Tawakkul, but also phrases like “hand your worries to Allah,” or “surrender.” Yet, ironically, many people are afraid to surrender. The paradox is striking — believers are afraid to hand over their worries to the very Deity who controls everything in existence. Many Muslims approach the words Tawakkul and Surrender with fear, as if the Lord of the Universes is going to snatch away what they’ve been striving so hard to attain.

This is a common phenomenon. You’ll ask a fellow Muslim to surrender, and their heart tightens.

As a believer, I take comfort in and have complete faith in this powerful verse from the Qur’an:

“And you do not will except that Allah wills. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise.”
— Surah Al-Insān (76:30)

So, if Allah does not will something for me — how can I ever attain it? No matter what I do, no matter how far I go to try to achieve it — I simply cannot have it.
It’s that simple.

And similarly:

“If Allah helps you, none can overcome you; but if He forsakes you, who is there after Him that can help you? And in Allah let the believers put their trust.”
— Surah Aal-E-Imran (3:160)

If Allah wills something for me, no one can take it away. If we deeply internalize this truth, the burden on our hearts will be lifted.

---

The First Principle:

“You cannot even will (desire) something unless Allah has already willed it for you.”

As Muslims, we believe in Loh-e-Mahfooz — the preserved tablet of destiny. Everything is written, sealed, protected, and inaccessible to any being. Nothing can be altered in it. Every motion in the universe is pre-destined.

Yet, many believe in a linear version of taqdeer (destiny) — that we live a single prewritten path from birth to death. But in my understanding, that’s a limited view.

---

The Expanded View of Taqdeer:

Taqdeer exists in multiple realities. Every moment of your life is impregnated with the seed of the next. At every instant, you face choices — between good and bad, right and wrong, better or worse. Each moment is a decision-making node, shaping the trajectory of your future.

If taqdeer were truly linear, what would be the point of rewards (thawab) and punishments (gunah)?

Clearly, you are being judged — because you are choosing. Therefore:

“Indeed, Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.”
— Surah Ar-Ra’d (13:11)

Every moment presents a test — a multiple-choice question. For example, at any given time, you can:

1. Choose to pray
2. Eat
3. Go for a walk
4. Mistreat someone
5. Curse
6. Waste time
7. Watch something immoral
8. Study the Qur’an
9. Help your mother
10. Sleep

You see? You have choices. This is how your taqdeer is written — not as a single track, but as a branching tree, based on the decisions you make. These decisions are shaped by your thoughts, and Allah has given you free will to act within the sphere of His Divine Knowledge.

And yet, everything is already written — in all its possible branches.

---

Desire is Also Written

Even your desires are part of your destiny. Why? Because you cannot desire something unless Allah puts it in your heart.

“But Allah has endeared to you the faith and has made it pleasing in your hearts…”
— Surah Al-Hujurat (49:7)

When a desire arises in your heart, it’s there because Allah willed it. And now you stand at the crossroads — whether to trust Him completely (Tawakkul) or to take things into your own hands, driven by anxiety and control.

---

What Is Real Tawakkul?

Saying “I have tawakkul in Allah” is not enough.

True tawakkul means staying steadfast, even when your desire has not yet materialized.

So ask yourself: What kind of tawakkul are you practicing when you are constantly:

• Mentally struggling to craft your way toward the desire?
• Feeling hopeless because you haven’t yet seen results?
• Being ungrateful because it hasn’t shown up?

That is not tawakkul.

This is:

When you relax and enjoy the present moment,
When you deeply know that your desire is meant for you,
When you trust that every step will come easily and naturally,
When you’re no longer chasing, but receiving.

This is surrender — when you allow Allah to bring things to you in the least resistant, most miraculous ways.

“And whoever relies upon Allah — then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose.”
— Surah At-Talaq (65:3)

---

The Feminine Energy of Surrender

This surrender is like stepping into a feminine energy — playful, free, restful, and trusting. You’re no longer hustling; you’re aligned. You’re no longer chasing; you’re open to receiving.

And that’s when miracles occur. Because Allah’s ways are not your ways, and His timing is better than anything you could plan.

“Perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah knows, while you know not.”
— Surah Al-Baqarah (2:216)

---

Final Reflection

Trusting Allah means letting go — not of action, but of anxiety. It means acting from faith, not from fear.

True Tawakkul is peaceful.
True Surrender is liberating.
And true belief is knowing that what is meant for you will reach you — without stress, without struggle, and in its perfect time.

“Indeed, my Lord is near and responsive.”
— Surah Hud (11:61)

---

Let your heart rest.
Let Allah write your story.
And let miracles unfold where you least expect them.