(tawakkul) and taking measures; the trust of some of the righteous is
like that of Maryam, to whom summer fruits used to come in the winter
and vice versa without her taking any measures; rather she focused
completely on worship. Please advise us about that, may Allah bless
you.
Praise be to Allaah.
Putting one's trust in Allah involves two things:
(i)Depending on Allah and believing that He is the One Who causes
measures to be effective; His decree comes to pass; He has decreed all
things, counted them out and ordained them, may He be glorified and
exalted.
(ii)Taking appropriate measures; putting one's trust in Allah does not
mean refraining from taking measures; rather part of putting one's
trust in Allah is taking appropriate measures and striving to do so.
The one who refrains from doing so has gone against the laws and
decree of Allah. Allah has commanded us to take appropriate measures
and He encourages us to do so; He commanded His Messenger (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) to do that.
So it is not permissible for the believer to refrain from taking
appropriate measures; in fact he is not truly putting his trust in
Allah unless he takes appropriate measures. Hence it is prescribed to
get married in order to have a child, and it is enjoined to have
intercourse. If someone were to say: I shall not get married and I
shall wait to have a child without getting married, he would be
regarded as insane; this is not the way of those who are wise and
rational. Similarly, he should not sit in his house or in the mosque
seeking charity and waiting for provision to come to him; rather he
should strive hard and work to seek to earn halaal provision.
Maryam (may Allah have mercy on her) did not forgo taking measures.
Allah said to her (interpretation of the meaning):"And shake the trunk
of date-palm towards you, it will let fall fresh ripe-dates upon you"
[Maryam 19:25]. So she shook the palm tree and took appropriate
measures until the dates fell. Her action is not contrary to taking
measures and the fact that she found provision with her and that Allah
honoured her and gave her some provision does not indicate that she
refrained from taking appropriate measures; rather she devoted herself
to worship and also took appropriate measures.
If Allah bestows upon some of His close friends some miracles
(karaamaat), this is by His grace and bounty, but that does not
indicate that we should forgo taking appropriate measures. It is
proven that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: "Strive to do that which will benefit you and seek the help of
Allaah, and do not feel helpless." Narrated by Muslim, 2664. And
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):"You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for
each and everything)" [al-Faatihah 1:5].
