What is the ruling on one who says, "I have placed my reliance on Allah, then on so-and-so"?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you with good. A questioner says: Some people say, "I have placed my reliance on Allah, then on so-and-so," or "I have depended on Allah, then on so-and-so." What is the ruling on this, given that I have heard some of the reliable students of knowledge say that this is not permissible? They state that tawakkul (reliance) is an act of worship that is not directed to anyone but Allah alone, and they compare it to saying, "I prayed for Allah, then for so-and-so." What is your opinion, O honorable one?
The Shaykh : There is a great difference between them. Tawakkul is reliance. No one doubts that agency (wakalah) is permissible in the Shari'ah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to appoint agents for collecting zakah, distributing zakah, selling, and buying. Every time 'Urwah ibn al-Ja'd (may Allah be pleased with him) was given a dinar by him, he would say:. He would buy two sacrificial animals with the dinar and sell one for a dinar, then come to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with what? A sheep and a dinar. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would say: Sunan ad-Daraqutni 13:26. He would not sell anything without making a profit in it, even if it were dust, by the blessing of the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) supplication for him. The point is that agency is permissible by the consensus of the Muslims, and the texts indicate this. So if you say, "I appointed so-and-so as my agent and relied on him for this matter," there is nothing wrong with it. There is no prohibition in it.
As for absolute entrustment, this is not done for anyone but Allah. Entrustment is not done for anyone but Allah (Mighty and Majestic). It is not possible for a person to rely completely on anyone other than Allah, ever. The first category, which is the known agency, cannot be for someone who is not capable of it. If you appoint someone to buy a car, there is no objection. If you rely on him to buy it, there is no objection. But if you say, "I have placed my reliance on a dead person," or "I have depended on a dead person," this is not permissible. This is shirk (associating partners with Allah).
As for saying, "I have placed my reliance on Allah, then on you," there is no doubt that this is not befitting. It is not befitting because it mixes the devotional tawakkul with the reliance-based tawakkul. Devotional tawakkul is not for anyone but Allah (Mighty and Majestic). So instead of saying, "I have placed my reliance on Allah, then on you," he should say, "I have appointed you as my agent for such-and-such and such-and-such." Yes.
The Shaykh : There is a great difference between them. Tawakkul is reliance. No one doubts that agency (wakalah) is permissible in the Shari'ah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to appoint agents for collecting zakah, distributing zakah, selling, and buying. Every time 'Urwah ibn al-Ja'd (may Allah be pleased with him) was given a dinar by him, he would say:
Take it and buy us a sacrificial animal. Buy us a sacrificial animal.
خذ اشتر لنا أضحية اشتر لنا أضحيةO Allah, bless him in his sale.
اللهم بارك له في بيعهAs for absolute entrustment, this is not done for anyone but Allah. Entrustment is not done for anyone but Allah (Mighty and Majestic). It is not possible for a person to rely completely on anyone other than Allah, ever. The first category, which is the known agency, cannot be for someone who is not capable of it. If you appoint someone to buy a car, there is no objection. If you rely on him to buy it, there is no objection. But if you say, "I have placed my reliance on a dead person," or "I have depended on a dead person," this is not permissible. This is shirk (associating partners with Allah).
As for saying, "I have placed my reliance on Allah, then on you," there is no doubt that this is not befitting. It is not befitting because it mixes the devotional tawakkul with the reliance-based tawakkul. Devotional tawakkul is not for anyone but Allah (Mighty and Majestic). So instead of saying, "I have placed my reliance on Allah, then on you," he should say, "I have appointed you as my agent for such-and-such and such-and-such." Yes.