عَنْ عُمَرَ رضْي اللّهُ عنه قال: سَمِعتُ رسولَ اللّهِ صلَّى اللّهُ عليه وسلَّمَ يقولُ: «لو أنَّكُمْ تَتَوكَّلُونَ علَى اللّهِ حقَّ توكُّله لرزقَكم كما يرْزقُ الطَّيرَ، تغدوا خِماصًا وتَرُوحُ بِطانًا» رواه الترمذيُّ، وقال: «حديثٌ حسَنٌ».
'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: "If you were to rely upon Allah with true reliance, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds: they go out in the morning with empty stomachs and return in the evening with full stomachs." Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, who said: It is a good (hasan) hadith.
الشرح · explanation
التوكل : هو صدق اعتماد القلب على اللّه عزّ وجلّ في استجلاب المصالح، ودفع المضار. تغدو: تخرج في أول النهار. خماصًا: ضامرة البطون من الجوع. تروح: ترجع في آخر النهار. بطانًا: ممتلئة البطون.
Al-Tawakkul: the sincere reliance of the heart upon Allah in seeking benefits and warding off harms. Taghdu: they go out in the early morning. Khimasan: with empty stomachs from hunger. Taruh: they return at the end of the day. Bitanan: with full stomachs.
الدروس · lessons
المَحْظُوْرُ الِاعْتِمَادُ عَلَى الأَسْبَابِ، أَمَّا الأَخْذُ بِهَا مَعَ الِاعْتِقَادِ بِأَنَّ اللّهَ تَعَالَى بِيَدِهِ الرِّزْقُ فَهَذَا هُوَ المَطْلُوْبُ، وَهُوَ الَّذِيْ حَثَّ الشَّرْعُ عَلَيْهِ، أَمَّا مُجَرَّدُ اللَّفْظِ بِالتَوَّكُّلِ دُوْنَ الأَخْذِ بِالأَسْبَابِ فَمَمْنُوْعٌ، وَهُوَ التَّوَاكُلُ. قال بعض السلف : بحسبك من التوسل إليه أن يعلم من قلبك حسن توكلك عليه، فكم من عبد من عباده قد فوض إليه أمره، فكفاه منه ما أهمه.
What is prohibited is reliance upon the means themselves. As for taking the means while believing that provision is in the hand of Allah the Exalted, this is what is required and what the Sacred Law encourages. Merely professing trust in Allah without taking the necessary means is forbidden, and that is tawakul (passivity/negligence). Some of the righteous predecessors said: It suffices as a means of drawing near to Him that He knows from your heart your sincere reliance upon Him. How many a servant among His servants has entrusted his affairs to Him, and He has taken care of what concerned him.