Reliance on Allah Especially during the Hard Times
What is the opposite of reliance on Allah? What are the social
and psychological ills that come with this?
From Umar ibn Al-Khattab from the Prophet (May Allah's Peace
and Blessings be upon him) who said: "If only you relied on
Allah a true reliance, He would provide sustenance for you just
as He does the birds: They fly out in the morning empty and
return in the afternoon with full stomachs." [Ahmad, An-Nasaa'I,
Ibn Majah, Al-Hakim and At-Tirmidhi who said: "Hassan sahih]
Reliance on Allah is one of the most important ways of getting
sustenance in this life. Allah said: "And
whoever fears Allah, He will provide him a way out and will
provide for him from an unforeseen direction. And whoever
relies on Allah, He is sufficient for him." (Holy Qur'an
65:2-3)
As we can see if we fear the future and worry about our
sustenance we will have severe psychological problems. By truly
relying on Allah we avoid unnecessary anxieties and
depressions. Take a look at the checklist below and try to
assess your level of reliance on Allah. Ask your heart, if you
really have a firm unwavering belief in all these areas. With
each level, ask yourself do I have this level when I'm sick,
have financial troubles, if a loved one dies, etc.
Eight Levels of Reliance
First level: Trust in Allah by
knowing Him - His Names and Attributes and that everything in
the heavens and earth is His.
Second level: Believe that what
you ask of Him you will receive, that Allah Has full power to
grant it.
Third level: Know that you should
make full effort of your own to obtain what you want and then
rely upon Him; make du'aa and effort, i.e. your body makes
effort, with reliance to seek what you want.
Fourth level: Your heart should
make efforts to obtain what you want. How? Make your heart
connected to Allah. Don't allow your heart to be connected to
the things you're doing to be successful. Be connected to
Allah. So why are you afraid? Why are you afraid? You do what
you have to do and you should feel that Allah will take care of
the thing that you want taken care of.
Fifth level: Things that are not
in your hands or ability put those affairs with Allah.
Sixth level: The person should
have a good opinion of Allah. Have yaqeen (certainty)
concerning this - that Allah will make you successful in what
is best for you. The Prophet (Peace and blessing be upon him)
Allaahu 'alayhi wasallam, said: 'Allah said: 'I am as My
servant thinks of Me'
Meaning if you have a good opinion of Allah, then Allah will
make you successful. But if you have a bad opinion of Allah,
then He may give you something you won't like!
Seventh level: That the person
leaves his affairs totally to Allah and that he is content with
what Allah decrees and with what Allah decides, before the
results come down.
Eighth level: When the result
occurs, that the person is content with that, whatever Allah
has decreed.
These are the eight levels of Tawakkul. So if you feel sad,
mind beset with problems, distressed, anxious, exercise these
eight levels of tawakkul and Allah will take away all your
pain, inshaa Allah."
There was an article by the Associated Press stating that
Airport Chaplains are having turbulent times, (The Herald
Tribune) Many of the airline workers who completely relied on
the airlines for their pension are now faced with the
possibility that their airline companies may go bankrupt and
may loose what they had believed would be their security for
the rest of their lives.
They completely relied on their own works and the financial
analysis/status of airline companies for their financial
security and "peace of mind". Never once did they think that
their "company" would let them down. Before this time,
chaplains were very under utilized. But with "coping with
stress over security, canceled flights and terrorism" they are
being sought after. One chaplain said that people approach him
looking for spiritual answers.
What people are learning is they do not have control over the
unseen future no matter how much they would like to believe
they do. Only when everything is lost and fear sets in do
people start asking and thinking about the spiritual realm of
their lives. We know as Muslims that we must rely on Allah
completely. It doesn't mean we cannot save up for a house or
the "future" but we are always in a perpetual state of
acceptance and readiness for what Allah has written for us. We
know we can do our best buying a house, best medical care, but
in the end only Allah knows the future of each and every thing.
Reliance on Allah does NOT mean to avoid or striving for
sustenance in this life.
"There is no support in this hadith for resigning from work to
earn. On the contrary, it in fact supports working and seeking
earnings. This is because the bird when it flies out in the
morning does so in pursuit of its sustenance. And so the
meaning - and Allah knows best - is: if they were to rely on
Allah while setting out and while returning and when
acting/interacting and believed during all of that that all
good is in the hands of Allah and comes only from Him, they
would never set out except in a state of health and success
like the birds who set out hungry and return full. If, however,
they rely on their own strength and abilities and then engage
in deception, lying and insincerity, this is opposite to
reliance on Allah." (Al-Bayhaqi)
It doesn't mean giving up hope or not working. So many hadiths
speak about how we should strive and work hard. Even if we
don't get what "we want" we are rewarded for our intention,
insha Allah. Knowing that Allah provides for us, keeps us away
from doing forbidden things in desperate times. A good example
of this is from an article from the New York Times "Hard-up
U.S. States Head For The Casino." (New York Times May 6th)
Many states that never allowed gambling are making
constitutional amendments to create state-run casinos. Why?
Because they are "facing daunting deficits and with little
appetite for raising taxes, a growing number of states across
America are going where the money is." A few years ago states
wouldn't even think about instituting state sponsored gambling.
They were against it, "The drive is a change from a few years
ago, when moral concerns over gambling and qualms about
addiction made states careful about expanding opportunities to
roll dice and yank slot machine handles." As the un-Islamic
saying goes "desperate measures for desperate time".
Without true faith and reliance on Allah people end of up
desperately reaching into the forbidden. Once fear kicks in,
people panic and are willing to compromise morals and values
for their sustenance and security. This is where people let the
system of democracy override the rules of Allah. It is
dangerous and only leads to a "bad end". Even if people know it
is wrong, without a true unwavering faith and reliance in
Allah, even the best of people and nations will step over the
line.
We know as Muslims we will be tried by Allah with our health,
money and loved ones. Allah (SWT) says:
"And surely We shall try you with something of fear and hunger,
and loss of wealth and lives and crops; but give glad tidings
to the steadfast, Who say, when a misfortune striketh them: Lo!
we are Allah's and Lo! unto Him we are returning. Such are they
on whom are blessings from their Lord, and mercy. Such are the
rightly guided." (2:155-157)