Tawakkul and Tawkeel

The Fruits of Putting one’s Trust in Allaah (pg. 35-42)

Tawkeel, i.e delegating authority to someone else. If you entrust someone to obtain something for you, such as buying a product for you or renting something for you or litigating on your behalf, does this mean that you have put your trust in someone other than Allaah? No, this does not mean that. Choosing someone to represent you and act on your behalf is not tawakkul.

Tawakkul means complete reliance and relegation of one’s affairs, which cannot be done except on Allaah.

As for tawkeel, it is when you appoint someone else to obtain something permissible that you are looking for, which he has the ability to obtain. This is one of the allowable means. So hire a representative from the perspective of implementing the means and put your trust in Allaah when obtaining your objective from the perspective of worship. But do not put your trust (tawakkul) in this representative. Instead put your trust in Allaah.

So therefore, commissioning someone else to handle some of your affairs does not violate your creed nor does it mean that you are putting your trust in someone other than Allaah. It is merely working hand in hand with someone towards achieving an objective. Allaah says: “Assist one another in (matters of) piety and righteousness and do not assist one another in sin and transgression.” [Surah Al-Maa’idah: 2]

So a wakeel (representative) is only there to assist an individual by taking his place and serving as a means to get what he wants. In the same way that him doing something on his own constitutes a means, then likewise, his commissioning a representative to handle his affairs is also a means. And it does not fall under the realm of putting one’s trust in other than Allaah.

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