حَدَّثَنَا حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ هُبَيْرَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي تَمِيمٍ الْجَيْشَانِيِّ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عُمَرَ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَقُولُ " لَوْ أَنَّكُمْ تَوَكَّلْتُمْ عَلَى اللَّهِ حَقَّ تَوَكُّلِهِ لَرَزَقَكُمْ كَمَا يَرْزُقُ الطَّيْرَ تَغْدُو خِمَاصًا وَتَرُوحُ بِطَانًا " .
‘Umar said:
“I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘If you were to rely upon Allah with the reliance He is due, you would be given provision like the birds: They go out hungry in the morning and come back with full bellies in the evening.”
Among the timeless teachings of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the call to place our complete trust in Allah while also striving in the means He has created. In a profound hadith reported by ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab (RA), the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“If you were to rely upon Allah with the reliance He is truly due, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds: they go out in the morning hungry and return full in the evening.”
— Narrated by At-Tirmidhi, authentic
This narration, though brief, captures the essence of tawakkul—a central pillar in the believer’s relationship with Allah. It teaches that trust in Allah is not about passive waiting, but about active reliance: moving forward, taking the means available, while keeping one’s heart firmly anchored in the One who controls all means.
The Prophet ﷺ likened reliance on Allah to the daily journey of a bird. The bird does not sit in its nest hoping for food to descend from the sky. Every morning, it leaves hungry, searching and striving, with no guarantee of where provision will be found. Yet, it returns full by the evening, its needs fulfilled.
This is the balance of tawakkul: effort coupled with trust. On one hand, Islam rejects laziness disguised as spirituality. Simply saying, “I trust Allah,” while refusing to take the means He has placed in our path, is not true reliance. On the other hand, placing absolute trust in the means themselves—our wealth, jobs, medicine, or strategies—is also a deficiency. The believer knows that means are only tools, and their effectiveness rests solely in Allah’s command.
The Qur’an echoes this principle in the words of the believers:
“It is You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.”
(Surah al-Fātiḥah 1:5)
We take the means, but we seek Allah’s help to make those means beneficial.
A striking example is medicine. A sick person may take the best treatment available, but healing ultimately comes from Allah. Some people say, “The medicine cured me,” forgetting that many times medicine fails, or works only when Allah wills. The heart must never cling to the pill or prescription, but to the One who created both the illness and the cure.
The Prophet ﷺ emphasized this balance in another hadith:
“Be eager for what benefits you, seek the help of Allah, and do not lose heart.”
— Sahih Muslim
“Be eager for what benefits you” points to taking the means. “Seek the help of Allah” reminds us not to rely on the means. Together, they form the complete picture of tawakkul.
The imagery of the bird teaches us more than just action—it also shows us serenity. Imagine if we had to step out every morning with no shops, no storage, no guarantees, and still expect to feed ourselves and our families. The stress would be unbearable. Yet birds do this every single day. Their hearts are light, free of anxiety, because their trust is with Allah.
The believer is invited to mirror this attitude. We leave our homes in the morning with effort and planning, but the heart rests in Allah’s promise:
“And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him.”
(Surah at-Ṭalāq 65:3)
This does not mean life will be free of hardship. But it means our provision, protection, and outcomes are under His care. That certainty relieves us of the crushing weight of trying to control what is beyond our power.
How do we live tawakkul in daily life?
- Take the means fully. Work, study, plan, and prepare. Just as the bird leaves its nest, the believer must step out and strive.
- Check the heart. Ask yourself: is my hope in my job, my contacts, my bank balance—or in Allah who controls all outcomes?
- Make duʿāʾ constantly. With every action, seek Allah’s support: “O Allah, bless my effort and make it fruitful.”
- Release attachment. Know that success or failure is not in your hands. Accept outcomes with trust that Allah’s decree is best.
When a believer locks his home, he recognizes that safety is not in the lock itself, but in Allah’s will. When a student studies, she knows knowledge enters the heart only if Allah allows it. When a parent provides, they realize that sustenance comes not from their salary, but from the One who feeds all creation.
Imam al-Nawawī began his famous collection of forty hadith with the hadith of intention, reminding us that every act must start with the heart directed to Allah. Now, as the commentary of Hadith 49 shows, the circle nears completion: action must end with reliance on Allah. Together, intention and reliance form the bookends of a believer’s journey—sincere beginnings and trusting conclusions.
The bird does not know what awaits it each morning, but it goes forth. The believer too steps into the unknown of each day, but with a heart that knows: Allah has written every provision, every moment, and every outcome.
Tawakkul is not wishful thinking. It is not passive waiting. It is the act of tying your camel, as the Prophet ﷺ said, and then trusting Allah to protect it. It is working diligently, while knowing results are in the hands of the Almighty. It is striving like the bird, leaving the nest with hunger, and returning with contentment.
May Allah make us people of true tawakkul—those who strive with energy, hearts anchored in Him, and souls at peace with His decree.
Disclaimer:
Instructor: Sheikh Dr. Sajid Umar | STEPS TO JANNAH S4 | Forty Hadith Imam Nawawi
These are notes sharing from the Steps of Jannah classes online taught by Sheikh Dr Sajid Umar focusing on Hadith 40 an-Nawawi. The classes are still ongoing, every Monday 8pm UK time. If you would like to join, please email stepstojannah12@gmail.com
The notes written are from a student’s personal notes transcribed from the sessions. Should there be any error, May Allah forgive us, and do feedback (ain1810@gmail.com) so that it can get amended, and may it be beneficial to all of us and may Allah reward Jannah to Sh Sajid and his team for the beneficial ‘ilm being shared and to all of the students Steps to Jannah, Ameen.