Tawakkul Or Qanaat

Book Name:Tawakkul Or Qanaat

Means of sustenance

It is narrated that there was a pious person [who worshipped very much] in Masjid-ul-Haraam (Makkah Mukarramah). He would worship the whole night and observe Sawm during the day. Every evening a man brought him two loaves of bread. He would break his Sawm [i.e. do Iftar] with them and would get busy with worship until the next day again. One day a thought crossed his mind: ‘How is this trust in Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ that I am relying on the bread given to me by a human and did not trust Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, the Provider of sustenance to all creation.

That evening when the man brought the loaves of bread, the worshipper returned them. Three days passed. When his hunger intensified, he pleaded with Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ. That night he had a dream in which he saw that he was present in the Divine court of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ Who asked him: ‘Why did you return what I sent to you through My bondman?’ The worshipper humbly replied:      ‘A thought came to me that I have relied on a man instead of relying on         You.’ Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ said, ‘Who kept on sending you the loaves of bread?’ The worshipper humbly replied, ‘Ya Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! Only You are the Provider.’ Then that worshipper was ordered: ‘Now, do not return when I send you.’

In the same dream he also saw that the man [who used to bring the bread] was also present in the Divine court and was asked, ‘Why did you stop giving loaves of bread to this worshipper?’ He humbly replied, ‘Ya Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! You know it well.’ Then Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ asked him, ‘O bondman! To whom did you give those loaves of breads?’ The bondman humbly replied, ‘I would give You (that is, I used to give in Your path).’ He was then ordered, ‘You carry on with your deed. Paradise is your reward in return [for this deed].’

(Raud-ur-Riyaheen, pp. 68)

Dear Islamic brothers! From this parable, we came to know that not only the Sadaqah given to please Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, leads a person to Paradise, it has also been understood that the righteous and pious bondmen of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ attain the high status of placing absolute trust in Him. The worshipper used to worship the whole night and observe Sawm during the day, that is, he used to spend the day and night in worship. He had a firm belief that the One