Tawakkul: Islam’s Secret to Action-Oriented Faith
My perspective: How Tawakkul completes the Vedantic idea of Shraddha
“Tie your camel, then have tawakkul in Allah” — AI Image by Author.
As a lover of exploring the world’s spiritual cultures and a student of Vedanta, I am deeply attracted to the powerful principle of “tawakkul” in Islam. A concept that at first glance may seem distant from my Vedic background, but upon closer examination reveals harmonies so consonant as to enrich and complete the very idea of “shraddha” or supreme faith.
Tawakkul
Tawakkul, as the famous narration of Al-Tirmidhi — the well-known Persian jurist of the Arabic language who lived in the 9th century — reminds us, is by no means an attitude of passive resignation or inactive waiting for Allah to do everything. Quite the opposite! It is instead a vibrant call to act with the utmost determination and commitment to realizing our earthly goals, bringing all our resources, abilities and responsible efforts into play.
As brilliantly exemplified by the metaphor used by Al-Tirmidhi:
“Tie your camel, then have tawakkul in Allah.”
We are called to adopt every possible precaution and security measure, deploying all our human diligence and responsibility. Yet, only after having carried out this part of scrupulous care, does tawakkul exhort us to open ourselves with trust to the ultimate results, whatever they may be, serenely surrendering to the divine plan.
Responsible human beings
This vision resonates within me in a tremendously powerful and harmonious way with my understanding of Vedic shraddha, while adding a more explicitly “practical” and concrete action-oriented nuance. Tawakkul indeed reminds us that, before letting go of trust, we must fully fulfil our role as conscious and responsible human beings, acting with the utmost care and commitment to create the best possible conditions for “success” in this phenomenal dimension.
The metaphor of the car, which I found in a Web article written by Shabir Hassan, offered as a practical example, splendidly clarifies this principle: tawakkul is like taking all precautions to protect your car (locking it, removing valuables from the interior), and then trusting Allah to guard it. If someone were to break the glass, we can find peace knowing that we have done all that is humanly possible and that that event was part of God’s higher design.
This stands in stark contrast to the unmotivated attitude of those who erroneously believe in “tamanni,” the “false hopes” of being able to leave the car unattended, open and vulnerable, saying that Allah will take care of it. Tawakkul is not this foolish illusion, but rather the union of responsible human effort and unwavering trust in the Divine.
The best path
I see this perspective reverberate in an edifying way in the concreteness of my daily life. I think, for example, of the career or work decisions I will face. Following the teaching of tawakkul, first of all, I will “tie my camel”: I will study the various options with the utmost application, gathering data and opinions, and analyzing the pros and cons with the utmost possible rigour. In short, I will bring all my intellectual resources and human diligence to bear in defining the best path.
Yet, once this premise of responsible effort has been made, tawakkul will remind me to then let go and surrender with trust. Whatever result manifests, I will know that I have put forth all my enthusiasm and seriousness. And Vedic shraddha will reassure me that that result, even if mysterious to my limited mind, will be the most harmonious for my spiritual growth, part of the perfect cosmic design.
The same applies to health or relationship challenges: I will act with the utmost possible care and responsibility, scrupulously following every medical or psychological advice. In short, I will “tie” every window and door to create optimal conditions. Then, having done everything feasible, I will open myself with trust to the breath of the Divine, certain that its sublime plan will be revealed for my highest good, albeit inscrutable to my human eyes.
Liberating gem
In this subtle dance between caring action and serene surrender, tawakkul and shraddha reveal themselves as two faces of the same liberating gem of wisdom. On the one hand, the call of tawakkul to disciplinedly deploy all my talents and abilities to lay the foundations of “success.” On the other, the invitation of shraddha to nurture an unwavering faith in the underlying harmony of every event, however inexplicable to my limited senses.
Two complementary calls, two mirrors reflecting the same Truth: I am simultaneously the committed actor in the great cosmic drama, playing my part with dedication, but also the conscious soul connected to the One Without a Second that embraces and transcends everything. A responsible human being who fulfils his role with seriousness, but also a marvelled spectator of the eternal representation of Being of which I am but a wave of the infinite sea.
And it is by keeping this awareness alive, coupled with the constant and integrated practice of these two spiritual twins, that I can experience an ever-greater peace and freedom. As when I strive with devotion to realize my earthly goals, yet opening myself trustingly to the breath of divine Harmony that envelops and transcends them.
And…so?
In this vision, tawakkul and shraddha are the two wings that allow me to rise ever higher beyond the confines of the illusion of separation and control. These two profound calls kept in the heart of every noble tradition of wisdom, remind me that life is an adventure far vaster than my small individual perceptions. In which I am simultaneously actor and spectator, drop and ocean, never truly separate from the very stage upon which the eternal drama of the Real unfolds moment by moment.
It is only by embracing these spiritual twins with gratitude and humility that I manage, day by day, to let go of the anguished anxiety of having to control every detail of my journey. Instead, flow with greater lightness and surrender into the great Divine River that generates nourishes and ultimately gathers everything into Its endless womb. An inestimable gift for all souls thirsting for truth and authentic peace, beyond the boundaries of any faith or philosophy.
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