What is the reality of tawakkul (reliance upon Allah)?

The questioner : This questioner is from the Arab Republic of Egypt. He has coded his name as A. He asks: What is the reality of tawakkul (reliance upon Allah)? I hope for your guidance on this?

The Shaykh : The reality of tawakkul (reliance upon Allah) Mighty and Majestic is entrusting your affairs to Allah, as Allah the Exalted said regarding the believer from the family of Pharaoh: . It is for a person to entrust his affairs to Allah, to be sincere in relying on Him for bringing benefits and repelling harms, to trust in his Lord Mighty and Majestic and in His promise, and to perform the religious and physical means that Allah has commanded. This is tawakkul. And if you rely on your Lord in this manner, then Allah the Exalted is sufficient for you and will suffice you, as Allah the Exalted said: . And we affirm this, meaning tawakkul upon Allah or what it entails, in every prayer. We say in every prayer: . And seeking help entails or necessitates entrusting the affair to Allah Mighty and Majestic, and that we have no power or ability or strength for worship except with the help of Allah. However, it is necessary to perform the means that lead to the intended goal, whether they are religious or physical. So if someone says, "I rely on Allah and place my trust in Him for having a child," but does not get married, he is lying in his tawakkul. He must get married, and marriage is the religious means for having a child. And if someone says, "I rely on Allah and throw myself into the fire," or throws himself into the sea while he does not know how to swim, we say you are lying. You must perform the means that protect from the fire or from drowning. For this reason, the master of those who place trust in Allah, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), used to take the physical means along with the sincerity of his tawakkul upon Allah. So he (peace and blessings be upon him) would wear armor in war. Armor is a shield of iron that protects from arrows and spears, and he would sometimes wear two pieces of armor for added protection, as he did on the day of Uhud. So it is necessary to perform the beneficial means, whether religious or physical, in order for you to achieve your intended goal in your reliance on Allah Mighty and Majestic. Yes.

The questioner : May Allah bless you.