The short answer
Tawakkul is reliance on Allah. Ibn Rajab, in Jami' al-'Ulum wa-l-Hikam, explains it as the sincere reliance of the heart on Allah, and says that realising it does not contradict striving in the means. Al Imran 3:159 tells the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, to put his trust in Allah once he is resolved.
What is tawakkul?
In his commentary Jami' al-'Ulum wa-l-Hikam on the hadith of the birds (set out below), Ibn Rajab sets out the reality of tawakkul under the edition's heading of that name, in these words (his sentence continues; this page quotes the first part) (source 3).
Jami' al-'Ulum wa-l-Hikam, vol. 3, p. 1266
هو صدق اعتماد القلب على الله عز وجل في استجلاب الصالح، ودفع الضار، من أمور الدنيا والآخرة كلها
huwa ṣidqu iʿtimādi l-qalbi ʿalā llāhi ʿazza wa-jalla fī stijlābi ṣ-ṣāliḥi wa-dafʿi ḍ-ḍārri min umūri d-dunyā wa-l-ākhirati kullihā
It is the sincere reliance of the heart on Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, in bringing what is beneficial and warding off what is harmful, in all the affairs of this world and the next. (Our translation.)
That is one explanation in one commentary; this page cites no other definition. It is about the heart. The same commentary takes up the limbs (outward, bodily action) below.
How is tawakkul written in Arabic?
The noun, with the article, as Ibn Rajab writes it in Jami' al-'Ulum wa-l-Hikam:
Jami' al-'Ulum wa-l-Hikam, vol. 3, p. 1267
التوكل
at-tawakkul
In English: reliance, trust (our rendering).
The two Quran passages on this page use verb forms instead. Three of them, each cut from the verse itself, with the site's English:
| Transliteration | Arabic | Where | This site's English |
|---|---|---|---|
| fa-tawakkal | فَتَوَكَّلْ | Al Imran 3:159 | put your trust |
| al-mutawakkilīn | ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ | Al Imran 3:159 | those who put their trust |
| yatawakkal | يَتَوَكَّلْ | At-Talaq 65:3 | whoever puts his trust |
Ibn Rajab quotes At-Talaq 65:2 to 3 in the passage where he calls the hadith of the birds a basis for tawakkul (source 4), which is how this page links that verb to the word.
What does the Quran say about trusting Allah?
Al Imran 3:159 is addressed to the Prophet (the site's translation adds "O Muhammad"). In the order of the verse, it speaks of pardoning, asking forgiveness, consulting, being resolved, and putting trust in Allah.
فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ ٱلْقَلْبِ لَٱنفَضُّوا۟ مِنْ حَوْلِكَ ۖ فَٱعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَمْرِ ۖ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ
In this site's translation the closing instruction is "And when you are resolved, then put your trust in Allah" and the verse ends "Indeed, Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him)". The decision comes first and the trust follows it. This page cites no commentary on the occasion of the verse, so it draws nothing further from it.
At-Talaq 65:3 continues a sentence that begins in 65:2, about keeping one's duty to Allah. The surah opens with rules about divorce, so the passage below is read here only for what its own words say.
فَإِذَا بَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ فَارِقُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ وَأَشْهِدُوا۟ ذَوَىْ عَدْلٍ مِّنكُمْ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلشَّهَـٰدَةَ لِلَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ يُوعَظُ بِهِۦ مَن كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مَخْرَجًا وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بَـٰلِغُ أَمْرِهِۦ ۚ قَدْ جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدْرًا
The verse says "And whoever puts his trust in Allah, He will suffice him." It does not say what that looks like in any case, and this page does not turn it into a prediction.
What does the report about the birds say?
'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet said that if you were relying on Allah with the reliance due to Him, you would be provided for as the birds are provided for. The Arabic goes on that they go out hungry and come back full.
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2344, graded hasan or sahih
لَوْ أَنَّكُمْ كُنْتُمْ تَوَكَّلُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ حَقَّ تَوَكُّلِهِ لَرُزِقْتُمْ كَمَا تُرْزَقُ الطَّيْرُ تَغْدُو خِمَاصًا وَتَرُوحُ بِطَانًا
law annakum kuntum tawakkalūna ʿalā llāhi ḥaqqa tawakkulihi la-ruziqtum kamā tuzraqu ṭ-ṭayru taghdū khimāṣan wa-tarūḥu biṭānan
If you were relying on Allah with the reliance due to Him, you would be provided for as the birds are provided for: they go out hungry and come back full. (Our translation.)
1AuthenticJami' at-Tirmidhi 2344
Every verdict in the record accepts it, so it is graded hasan or sahih. In Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2344, al-Tirmidhi adds that the report is known to him only through this route. This page counts it as a remark about the route, not as a grade.
The report says birds go out and come back. It names no income, sale, job or date, and it does not say what a person should do about work. Ibn Rajab calls this hadith a basis for tawakkul (source 4). Read it for what its words say, not as a prediction about any decision.
Does tawakkul mean giving up effort?
Ibn Rajab addresses this in the same commentary. He writes that realising tawakkul does not contradict striving in the means, al-asbab (source 3).
Jami' al-'Ulum wa-l-Hikam, vol. 3, p. 1267 (the sentence continues; this page quotes the first part)
واعلم أن تحقيق التوكل لا ينافي السَّعْيَ في الأسباب
wa-ʿlam anna taḥqīqa t-tawakkuli lā yunāfī s-saʿya fī l-asbāb
Know that realising tawakkul does not contradict striving in the means. (Our translation.)
He then sets the two side by side in his own words (source 3). The table layout is ours.
| Where | In his words | Our translation |
|---|---|---|
| With the limbs (p. 1268) | فالسعي في الأسباب بالجوارح طاعة له | Striving in the means is obedience to Him. |
| With the heart | والتوكل بالقلب عليه إيمانٌ به | Tawakkul is faith in Him. |
On the birds, Ibn Rajab writes that their provision reaches them by merely going out and returning, and that this is a kind of seeking and striving, but a light striving; he says this of those who realise tawakkul in their hearts (source 4).
His discussion goes on to sort actions into three kinds and to speak of exceptions. This page does not summarise them, so it does not say he requires every means in every case. It gives no medical or financial advice: for those, speak to a doctor or an adviser.
Is the "tie it and rely" report authentic?
It is graded differently, so this page calls it neither authentic nor weak. Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that a man said to the Messenger of Allah: shall I tie it and rely, or release it and rely? The answer was: tie it and rely.
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2517, graded differently
أَعْقِلُهَا وَأَتَوَكَّلُ أَوْ أُطْلِقُهَا وَأَتَوَكَّلُ قَالَ " اعْقِلْهَا وَتَوَكَّلْ "
aʿqiluhā wa-atawakkalu aw uṭliquhā wa-atawakkalu? qāla: iʿqilhā wa-tawakkal
Shall I tie it and rely, or release it and rely? He said: tie it and rely. (Our translation.)
2Graded differently Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2517
The Arabic names no animal. It says only "it", with a feminine pronoun. This page does not add an animal the text does not name.
Three graders in the record accept it, as hasan or sahih. At least three others weaken it: one reports the word munkar (rejected), one names a narrator in the chain as unknown, and one grades it weak as the hadith of Anas. Other entries are remarks, and one comment says it is strengthened by another report. The record counts munkar with the weak verdicts. Who said what is in the sources list below.
In Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2517, 'Amr ibn 'Ali reports that his teacher Yahya said "this, in my view, is a munkar hadith". Al-Tirmidhi himself calls it gharib as the hadith of Anas and says he knows it only through this route. The word gharib is a remark about the route. This page counts it as neither acceptance nor rejection.
Al-Tirmidhi adds that a report like it has been narrated from 'Amr ibn Umayyah al-Damri, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet. That is a separate narration and this page does not grade it.
What this page reports from Ibn Rajab does not rest on this report: the Quran passages and the commentary above are separate sources.
What might taking action look like?
Here is an everyday picture. It is ours, not a report. Someone is preparing for a job interview: checking the address, practising answers aloud, planning to arrive early. Those are steps a person can take. The employer's decision is outside their control.
As an illustration of ours, in Ibn Rajab's terms the preparing falls under the limbs and the reliance under the heart. The commentary does not mention interviews, and the picture promises no result.
If a health, money or family situation raises a religious question about what to do, ask a scholar you trust.
I used to think tawakkul meant not worrying. Reading what the scholars and the reports actually say showed me it sits beside doing the work, not instead of it.
Try it: four questions
Pick an answer; each one explains itself.
1In the commentary this page reads, does realising tawakkul contradict striving in the means?
Answer: No, the commentary says it does not. The commentary writes that realising tawakkul does not contradict striving in the means (source 3). Its discussion goes further than this page reports.
2In Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2344, graded hasan or sahih, what do the birds do?
Answer: They go out hungry and come back full. The report compares the provision of those who rely on Allah as He should be relied upon with the birds, which go out hungry and come back full. It names no income, job or result. Source 1
3Does the Arabic of Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2517, graded differently, name an animal?
Answer: No, it says only "it". The man asks whether to tie it and rely or release it and rely. The pronoun is feminine and the text names no animal. Source 2
4What grade label does this page give Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2517?
Answer: Graded differently. The record holds hasan and sahih verdicts and also munkar, weak and unknown-narrator verdicts. Gharib is a remark about the route, so it counts for neither side. Source 2
Sources
Every claim on this page comes from one of these. Gradings are reported with the scholar's name; we do not grade hadith ourselves.
- 1
'Umar ibn al-Khattab relates that the Prophet said: if you relied on Allah with the reliance due to Him, you would be provided for as the birds are provided for, which go out hungry and come back full.
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2344 Book 36, Hadith 41
Authentic: hasan sahih; known only through this route (Al-Tirmidhi); Hasan (Darussalam); sahih (Al-Albani); its chain indicated as sahih in his introduction; the brackets are dorar.net's (Abd al-Haqq al-Ishbili). Remarks: narrators Abu Tamim and 'Abdullah ibn Hubayrah: Muslim narrated from them, and more than one authority declared them reliable (Ibn Rajab)
- 2
Anas ibn Malik relates that a man asked the Prophet whether to tie it and rely or to leave it loose and rely, and the answer was 'tie it and rely'. The text names no animal.
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2517 Book 37, Hadith 103
Graded differently. Here is who graded it which way:
- SoundDarussalam, Al-Albani, Al-Suyuti
- Weak chain, strengthenedZayn al-Din al-Munawi
- WeakYahya ibn Sa'id al-Qattan, Abu Hafs 'Amr al-Fallas, Yahya ibn Ma'in, Ibn al-Qattan, Al-Zurqani
- Other remarksIbn al-Qattan, Al-Tirmidhi, Ibn al-'Arabi, Zayn al-Din al-Munawi
See each grading in full, with its wording and where it was given
Scholars disagree about this hadith. Here is how each graded it, so you can follow the scholar you trust.
- Hasan (hasan): Darussalam, as shown on sunnah.com
- حسن (hasan): Al-Albani, Sahih al-Tirmidhi 2517 (as listed on dorar.net)
- حسن (hasan): Al-Albani, Sahih al-Jami' 1068 (as listed on dorar.net)
- حسن (hasan; dorar.net gives a short paraphrase of the report here): Al-Albani, Takhrij Mushkilat al-Faqr 22 (as listed on dorar.net)
- صحيح (sahih): Al-Suyuti, al-Jami' al-Saghir 1186 (as listed on dorar.net; the book itself was not opened)
- وهذا عندي حديث منكر (graded munkar, in his view): Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Qattan, as reported by 'Amr ibn 'Ali in Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2517 (read on sunnah.com)
- منكر (graded munkar; the same remark that dorar.net lists under Tahdhib al-Tahdhib 10/268, al-Maqasid al-Hasanah 89 and Fayd al-Qadir 2/8): Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Qattan, Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2517 as quoted in later works (as listed on dorar.net)
- منكر (graded munkar; listed by dorar.net under Abu Hafs 'Amr al-Fallas, Fayd al-Qadir 2/8; in the isnad 'Amr ibn 'Ali, called Abu Hafs, is the narrator who reports Yahya's remark): Abu Hafs 'Amr al-Fallas, Fayd al-Qadir 2/8 (as listed on dorar.net)
- حديث منكر (graded munkar hadith; dorar.net names Yahya ibn Ma'in here, which looks like a mix-up with Yahya al-Qattan and was not checked in the book): Yahya ibn Ma'in, al-Ahadith al-Mukhtarah 2658 (as listed on dorar.net)
- علته المغيرة بن أبي قرة مجهول (its defect is al-Mughirah ibn Abi Qurrah, who is unknown): Ibn al-Qattan, al-Wahm wa-l-Iham 3/118 (as listed on dorar.net)
- علته المغيرة بن قرة ولا تعرف حاله (its defect is al-Mughirah ibn Qurrah, whose state is not known): Ibn al-Qattan, al-Wahm wa-l-Iham 3/267 (as listed on dorar.net)
- [فيه] من لا تعرف حاله (a narrator whose state is not known is in it; the brackets are dorar.net's, and no narrator is named): Ibn al-Qattan, al-Wahm wa-l-Iham 5/826 (as listed on dorar.net)
- صحيح من حديث عمرو بن أمية الضمري . ضعيف من حديث أنس (sahih as the hadith of 'Amr ibn Umayyah al-Damri, weak as the hadith of Anas): Al-Zurqani, Mukhtasar al-Maqasid 113 (as listed on dorar.net)
- غريب من حديث أنس لا نعرفه إلا من هذا الوجه (gharib as the hadith of Anas; we know it only through this route): Al-Tirmidhi, Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2517 (read on sunnah.com and dorar.net)
- ورد صحيحا بقريب من هذا المعنى صحيح (a sahih report has come with nearly this meaning): Ibn al-'Arabi, 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 5/240 (as listed on dorar.net)
- [ورد] من حديثِ عمرو بن أمية الضمري بلفظ قيدها وتوكل وبه يتقوى (it also came from 'Amr ibn Umayyah al-Damri with the words qayyidha wa-tawakkal, and is strengthened by it; the brackets are dorar.net's): Zayn al-Din al-Munawi, Fayd al-Qadir 2/8 (as listed on dorar.net)
- [قيل] فيه المغيرة بن أبي قرة السدوسي مجهول فهو معلول (a report that al-Mughirah ibn Abi Qurrah al-Sadusi in it is unknown, so it is defective; the brackets are dorar.net's): Zayn al-Din al-Munawi, Fayd al-Qadir 2/8 (as listed on dorar.net)
- 3
Ibn Rajab, in his commentary on the hadith of the birds (hadith 49 in Jami' al-'Ulum wa-l-Hikam), gives the reality of tawakkul as sidq i'timad al-qalb 'ala Allah (the sincere reliance of the heart on Allah) in drawing what is beneficial and warding off what is harmful, in all the affairs of this world and the next; and says that realising tawakkul does not contradict striving in the means, since striving in the means with the limbs is obedience to Allah and tawakkul with the heart is faith in Him.
Zayn al-Din Abu al-Faraj 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Shihab al-Din Ahmad ibn Rajab al-Hanbali al-Baghdadi (d. 795 AH), Jami' al-'Ulum wa-l-Hikam, vol. 3, pp. 1266 to 1268 Read on shamela.ws on 24 October 2026 (ed. Muhammad al-Ahmadi Abu al-Nur, Dar al-Salam, 2004). Record: scholarly-ibnrajab-jami-ulum-49-tawakkul-reliance. Not collated against a printed facsimile.
- 4
Ibn Rajab, in the same commentary, calls the hadith of the birds an asl (a basis) for tawakkul and quotes At-Talaq 65:2 to 3 beside it; later he says that the birds' provision comes to them by merely going out and returning, which he calls a kind of seeking and striving, but a light striving.
Zayn al-Din Abu al-Faraj 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Shihab al-Din Ahmad ibn Rajab al-Hanbali al-Baghdadi (d. 795 AH), Jami' al-'Ulum wa-l-Hikam, vol. 3, pp. 1266 and 1271 Same edition, read on 24 October 2026. Record: scholarly-ibnrajab-jami-ulum-49-tawakkul-birds.
- Q
Quran Arabic and English for Al Imran 3:159 and At-Talaq 65:2 to 3 in full; the lines cut from 3:159 and 65:3; and the words fa-tawakkal, al-mutawakkilīn and yatawakkal from 3:159 and 65:3.
Tanzil Project Uthmani text, CC BY 3.0. English: adapted from Marmaduke Pickthall's translation (1930), modernised and checked against modern translations.
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