Working is a Duty of Servitude
In Islam, reliance (tawakkul) isn’t about passively sitting and saying, “God will send my provision anyway.” There’s an established order (sunnah of God) in the world, and working within that order is obligatory. Geylani (q.s.) explains that the first step of tawakkul is to engage with means in legitimate ways, providing examples from the lives of the prophets: “The prophets worked, borrowed, adhered to means… They combined work with reliance.” The servant is obligated to plow his field, open his shop, and seek his livelihood. However, this work should not be done with greed or by idolizing the world, but solely with the intention of obeying God’s command (sunnah).
Seeing the Power Behind the Means
The place where authentic reliance is tested is in the inner state of the servant after he has worked. If someone believes that his provision comes from his boss, customer, or his own intellect, then he has deified the means (fallen into polytheism). “The true meaning of reliance is not to be preoccupied with the means… in good and bad fortune, no one’s word prevails except for God’s power.” The means are merely veils or lifeless instruments before the power of God. The person who entrusts their affairs to God knows that He alone gives and takes provision.
Liberating Oneself from Anxiety About Sustenance
The believer whose heart is filled with reliance is freed from the slavery of what is called anxiety about sustenance. Geylani (may Allah be pleased with him) says, “He asks for his needs with his tongue from Him and continues to ask and expect a response as long as he does so, and He, Exalted and Majestic, will continue to give to him,” thus giving the good news that God never abandons a servant who trusts in Him. While living in the world of means, connecting one’s heart completely to the Creator of those means is like boarding an unshakeable ship in a stormy sea. The monotheist servant sweats with his body among the people while his heart dwells in eternal tranquility and security in the presence of the Creator.