TRUST AND RELIANCE
ON GOD

The Quran states: “when you have decided upon a course of action, place your trust in God.” (3:159)

This means that making a strong, committed decision is the responsibility of the individual—while the outcome should be entrusted to God. A narration reports that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab said: “I heard the Prophet of Islam say: If you rely on God as you truly should, He will surely provide for you just as He provides for the bird. It leaves its nest in the morning with an empty stomach and returns in the evening full.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2344)

The bird leaves its nest in search of food—that action is its own effort. The sustenance it receives after that is provided by God. Seeking provision is the bird’s responsibility; the result of that search is in God’s hands.

In Sunan al-Tirmidhi (Kitab al-Qiyamah), another narration describes a man asking the Prophet:

“O Messenger of God, should I tie my camel and then rely on God, or leave it untied and rely on God?”

The Prophet replied: “Tie it, and then rely on God.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2517)

This means that tying the camel is your responsibility; whether it remains tied or escapes after that is left to God’s management. This principle can be summarized as: “The effort is mine; the result is from God.”

Every task has two parts: effort and its result. Trust in God (tawakkul) relates not to the effort itself but to its outcome. A true believer undertakes a task with full resolve and gives their best effort. However, when it comes to the result, they leave it to God. If someone avoids personal effort and relies only on God, it can lead to laziness and inaction. But if they do not trust in God regarding the outcome, they may fall into despair and disappointment.