al-Tawakkul
- Author died
- 458 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Maymān lil-Nashr wa-al-Tawzīʿ
al-Tawakkul (Reliance upon God) is a concise treatise by the Hanbali jurist and theologian al-Qadi Abu Ya'la Ibn al-Farra (380–458 AH / 990–1066 CE) addressing the reality of reliance on God, its relationship to pursuing material means, and related aspects of spiritual conduct .
Attribution and Subject Matter
The work's title and its attribution to Abu Ya'la are attested on the title leaf of its surviving manuscript, as well as in classical biographical compendia, including Tabaqat al-Hanabila by the author's son Abu al-Husayn Ibn Abi Ya'la and Tarikh al-Islam by al-Dhahabi . Abu Ya'la composed the treatise to clarify the theological and practical dimensions of tawakkul, defining it as a core station of worship while addressing widespread misunderstandings regarding the negation or necessity of taking worldly means (al-asbab) .
The text is organized around several discrete subjects and chapters:
- The foundations of reliance: Quranic verses and prophetic traditions establishing the obligation and virtues of tawakkul .
- Reliance regarding sustenance: Clarifying the reality of trust in God regarding provision (al-rizq) and harmonizing reliance with the engagement in material means .
- Avarice and stinginess: Separate discussions defining covetousness (al-shuhh) and miserliness (al-bukhl), examining their categories and textual dispraise .
- Anxiety and impatience: An analysis dividing anguish (al-jaza') into two main categories, detailing their subcategories and legal rulings .
- Carrying provisions during travel: Examining whether carrying provisions (al-khuruj bi-l-zad) on journeys contradicts reliance on God .
- Qualities of the spiritual aspirant: A detailed discussion on the traits required of the spiritual seeker (al-murid), centered on four core disciplines—hunger (al-ju'), night vigil (al-sahar), silence (al-samt), and seclusion (al-khalwah)—supported by traditions and reports, along with practices discouraged for the seeker .
- Categories of resolve: An examination of inner resolve (al-hamm) and intent, distinguishing blameworthy varieties, which forms the concluding topic of the book .
Method and Sources
Abu Ya'la adopted an abridged, accessible exposition, focusing on key selected issues rather than an exhaustive survey of the subject . His arguments rely primarily on scriptural texts and transmitted reports (athar) from the Companions and Successors .
In compiling the work, Abu Ya'la drew material from earlier scholarly sources, explicitly citing or utilizing:
- Kitab al-Tawakkul 'ala Allah by Ibn Abi al-Dunya
- Kitab al-Wara' by Abu Bakr al-Marrudhi
- Qut al-Qulub by Abu Talib al-Makki
- Kitab al-Wara' (also referred to as Kitab al-Wara' wa-l-Ikhlas) by Abu Bakr al-Khallal
- al-Mu'jam by Ibn Shahin
- al-Amali by Ibn Battah
Manuscript and Publication
The work survived in a single known manuscript held at the Juma al-Majid Center for Culture and Heritage in the United Arab Emirates (no. 1131), originally microfilmed from the collection of the Zahiriyya Library in Damascus (Majmu' 3249 'Amm, fols. 189b–196a) . The manuscript consists of eight folios (sixteen pages), written in a readable sixth-century AH Naskh hand with 23 to 27 lines per page, transcribed by Muzaffar ibn Faris ibn Karam al-Khabbaz .
The text was edited and studied by Yusuf ibn Ali al-Turayf and published by Dar al-Mayman in Riyadh (1434–1435 AH / 2014 CE) in a single volume .
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