Shaykh al-Islām Taqī ad-Dīn Aḥmad bn Taymiyyah al-Ḥarrānī (d. 728) said:
Verily, Allāh has guaranteed for the pious that He will make a way out for them from (situations) that are tight for (other) people. And that He will provide for them, from ways they could never imagine. So He removes from them what harms them and He fetches what they need for them.
So, when that does not occur (to the servant), it indicates that there is a flaw in (his) piety (taqwá), so he should seek for Allāh’s forgiveness and he should repent to him.
And due to this, it was narrated in the Ḥadīth al-Marfūʿ¹ to the Prophet ﷺ, which was reported by at-Tirmidhī, that he said:
“Whoever seeks forgiveness alot, Allāh will provide a solution to every sorrow for him, and from every constriction a way out, and he will provide for him through sources he could never imagine.”
The meaning is that Allāh did not only order with at-Tawakkul (relying upon Him). Rather, alongside at-Tawakkul, he also ordered with worshipping Him and keeping one’s duty to Him – which comprises of doing what He commanded and abandoning what He prohibited. So whoever thinks that he is making his Lord pleased by relying upon Him (alone) without doing what He commanded is misguided, just as whoever thinks he is carrying out what Allāh is pleased with without relying upon Him is also misguided.
Infact, performing the acts of worship that Allāh commanded with is an obligation. And when the statement; acts of worship (al-ʿIbādah) is solely mentioned, at-Tawakkul is included in it. And when both of them are combined, at-Tawakkul has a specific meaning and similar to that is at-Taqwá (piety) and obeying the Messenger.
Because when at-Taqwá is solely mentioned, obeying the Messenger is included in it. And both of them might be combined.
Like the statement of Nūḥ -peace be upon him-: ﴾Worship Allah!﴿¹ And likewise His statement: ﴾Keep your duty to Allah and fear Him, and speak (always) the truth.﴿² and it’s likes.
And Allāh combined between [ordering with] His worship and at-Tawakkul in some places, like His statement (which means): ﴾Say: “He is my Lord! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He)! In Him is my trust, and to Him will be my return with repentance.”﴿³ And the statement of Shuʿayb: ﴾In Him I trust and unto Him I repent.﴿⁴
For indeed, al-Inābah (turning back in repentance) to Allāh and al-Matāb (repentance) is to return back to Him with His worship, His obedience and obedience to His Messenger. And the servant will not be obedient to Allāh and His Messenger, let alone being among His (Allāh’s) special pious friends, except by doing what He ordered with and abandoning what He forbade. And at-Tawakkul is included in that (i.e what Allāh ordered with).
Source: Majmūʿ al-Fatāwá (8/526)
1. al-Aʿrāf:59
2. al-Aḥzāb:70
3. ar-Raʾd:30
4. Hūd:88
