How to use “Tawakkul” in Relieving our Anxieties and Worries

Tawakkul refers to putting your trust in Allah – to believe that He alone can ward off the harms of this world, provide you blessings and sustenance, and to ease your challenges. Tawakkul is also about accepting the results that He decides regardless of how they may turn out to be.

To understand the concept of Tawakkul, consider how tense and worried you get at times about the challenges of this worldly life. Whether it’s you worrying about losing your job or sustenance, or general life problems that you may come to face, Tawakkul is your belief and the attitude that you have about putting your trust in Allah to take care of all your affairs.

Allah (swt ), says:

…And whoever places his trust in Allah, Sufficient is He for him, for Allah will surely accomplish His Purpose: For verily, Allah has appointed for all things a due proportion. (Qur’an 65:3)

The Quran makes it clear that Tawakkul is not an option but rather a requirement. Allah (may He be Exalted) says:

“…and put your trust in Allâh if you are believers indeed.(Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5: 23)

He also says in the Quran:

“….And in Allah let believers put their Trust” [Surah Ibrahim 14:11]

Don’t give up on Your Efforts

Tawakkul shouldn’t be mistaken with giving up your efforts thinking that somehow your challenges will get resolved. Rather striving and working with the attitude that Allah will take care of your affairs and will help you in getting through your trials is part of you having the Tawakkul on Allah.

Some scholars have stated that “Tawakkul in reality does not deny actually working and striving for provision, for Allah Almighty has decreed that we should work and it is from His ways that he gives people when they strive. In fact, Allah Almighty ordered us to both depend upon Him and to work, to take the necessary steps needed to achieve our goals, and so the act of striving for our sustenance is an act of physical worship while trusting and depending upon Allah is faith in Him.” (Permanent Committee for Research and Verdicts (Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 7, Pages 172-174)

Allah says:

“…So seek provision from Allah and worship Him (alone).” [Al-‘Ankaboot 29: 17]

Shaikh Saalih Al-Fawzaan stated about this verse, “Look for sustenance and do not sit around in the masaajid claiming that you are putting your trust in Allah. Do not sit in your homes and claim that your daily sustenance will come to you.” This is wrong and a true believer doesn’t say such things.” (Shaikh Saalih Al-Fawzaan Haqeeqat-ut-Tawakkul (pg. 15-25))

This obviously applies to not just seeking provisions but in striving to resolve other matters of our lives – just as long we remember and believe that His will is a prerequisite for our matters to get resolved and to accept what He ultimately decrees.

The scholars have also stated that, “other than our efforts that we put in, a Muslim should also combine Tawakkul with other means, whether they are acts of `Ibadah (worship) like Du`a’ (supplication), Salah (Prayer), Sadaqah (voluntary charity) or maintaining the ties of kinship, or other material means which Allah has predestined.” (source : alifta.net Fatwa no. 2798)

Allah (swt ), also says in the Quran:

[There were] those to whom people said: “The people are gathering against you, so fear them.“ But it only increased their faith; they said: “For us Allah is Sufficient and He is the best Disposer of affairs” (Qur’an 3:173)

Benefits of Tawakkul

One of the major benefits of Tawakkul is that it can relieve us from unnecessary anxiety, worry, and resulting depression from the challenges that we may be facing. By believing that all our affairs are in Allah’s hands and we can do only what is in our control, we leave the results to Allah and accept His decree whatever it may be. Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali said, “the fruit of tawakkul is the acceptance of Allah’s decree. Whoever leaves his affairs to Allah and then is accepting of what he is given has truly relied on Allah. Al-Hassan and others among the salaf defined tawakkul as ridhaa (acceptance).” (Jami’ Al-’Uloom wa Al-Hikam : A Commentary on 50 Major Hadith)

Let’s strive to understand the concept of Tawakkul and to make it part of our belief systems. We will notice that things will not only get resolved easier with His help, but Tawakkul will also relieve us from the day to day anxieties and worries associated with the challenges of this life.

SOURCE: http://www.iqrasense.com/muslim-character/how-to-use-tawakkul-in-relieving-our-anxieties-and-worries.html

Study time!!! :D

My post this time is special because I'm going to show you what I eat during my study time :D

As you may know, we like to eat when we're stressed out. Well, probably not you guys, it only applies to me! Hahaha.
So, instead of chewing something unhealthy, why not switch to something healthier?!
The choices can vary, but I prefer fruits and veggies for my snack. Especially strawberries, raspberries, and apples. They're my favourite!

Soooo, here's my "study" snack.

And please don't eat too much of it because we'll develop toxicity. Too much of anything isn't a good thing. It's always good to balance it out!

As I mentioned to you guys earlier that I'm switching to a healthy diet. Therefore, I'm only going to eat healthy-foods from now on. Wish me luck guys :D


*Broccoli is a source of Calcium, vitamin C.
*Carrots is a source of vitamin A
*Strawberries is a source of vitamin C.

Spring semester 2013

Guess what guys?!! I have a midterm tomorrow, which I haven't prepared for! OMG, I'm freaking out now. Arrrrrrgggggh. Am I exaggerating it?! Of course, not! Well, a little bit :D

If you can see me right now, this is how I look like  . . .

Aaaaaand this is what I feel like doing . . .

I wish I could chew all this pencil out, and swallow the lead til my intestine absorbs it. I'm pretty sure this will not be a healthy-diet that I planned for myself, but it works when you're stressed out :D

Anywaaay, wish me luck guys. Aaand please please pray for me >.<


Few hours prior to exam . . .

I wonder if hoping to get 100% on your midterm, when you're not prepared, would be called unrealistic?

Then what does "hope for the best" mean?!

I wonder what being unrealistic really mean?!

If I were to recall all of this times,

I would've been called unrealistic then.

And all my dreams would have been called "unrealistic expectations".

But still, shouldn't we all hope for the best?!

Shouldn't we still expect positive outcomes even though the condition won't allow us?!

Are we being unrealistic for that?!

I wonder doing something would make a difference than not doing anything!

*Anyway, midterm is few hours away, and I'm sooooo not ready*

Aaaaarrrrrgggggghhhhh! LOL:P

Just what I needed to hear . . .

Allah withholds a portion of what is desired to keep you needy,
to keep you at His door.
To keep an empty place in your heart.
That only He can fill.
The slave keeps begging for what is desired,
not knowing that His Lord is preparing for him what is greater.
And then when Allah gives, there are different types of currencies.
And they are not equal.
There are lesser currencies and greater, more valuable currencies.
Some people are paid their recompense in Dunya currency.
And this is from among the favors of Allah.
But there are others who are paid in a different currency: the currency of Divine nearness.
The one who is paid in *that* currency can never be satisfied with only the lesser currency again.

(Yasmin Mogahed)

A message from your loving sister

Your Lord doesn't hate you,
nor does HE intent to torture you,
He knows what HE's doing,
all this pain is because HE's protecting you from something,
something really dangerous.

But you don't understand that,
for your knowledge is very limited,
all you have to do is to have complete trust in HIM,
that HE knows what HE's doing,
that He's doing this because HE loves you.

Just like the doctor who is performing surgery on you.
The procedure is no doubt very painful,
but all of that pain is so that he can cure your disease,
so that you can be healthy,
so that you can remain alive.

Healthy Diet

Helllllloooo guys . . . How are you doing?! I hope you guys are enjoying your weekends. I personally am having a lovely weekends so far! The weather is gorgeous! It's neither sunny, nor raining. It is perfect to me! (Since I'm a fan of cloudy weather) :D

Anyways, I'm supposed to study for my midterm which is on tuesday next week. But I went for grocery shopping instead :D Which is not a bad idea, considering that I also have to cook. And guess what, I love cooking now!!! Well, since I love to eat, why not love cooking? :D

Soooo, what did I buy?!

I bought some walnuts, bananas, strawberries, broccoli, and milk! Healthy stuff, eh?! Well, I am trying to be a healthy-freak:D

I'm taking Introduction to Nutrition class (as part of my electives) where I learned a lot about healthy diets. So, I try to put some theory into practise!

According to Canada's Food Guide, female age 19-50 should have vegetables and fruits around 7-8 per servings. The kinds of vegetables and fruits should be consumed are varied. We should have at least one dark green and one orange vegetable each day. It is better to consumed with little or no added fat, sugar or salt. It is also recommended to have vegetables and fruits more often than juice.

The choices are:

• Dark green vegetables: broccoli, romaine lettuce and spinach.
• Orange vegetables: carrots, sweet potatoes and winter squash.

It also says that we should have at least half of our grain products whole grain each day. The choices are:

• Whole grains: barley, brown rice, oats, quinoa, and wild rice.
• Whole grains bread, oatmeal or whole wheat pasta.

Unfortunately, white rice isn't recommended guys. Of course, if you come from Asia, it'll be hard to give up "white rice" (I love white rice!) :(

It is recommended that we also drink skim milk (1 or 2 %) daily, 2 cups per serving for adequate intake of vitamin D. Also, drink fortified soy beverages for some of you who have lactose intolerance. Yogurt, cheese, kefir are also recommended.

For milk and alternatives, the choices are:

• Fish: char, herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines and trout.
• Nuts: beans, peanut, shelled nuts and seeds 

And of course, don't forget to drink water and exercise!

It's been hard to keep up with healthy life-style if you're in school and have a part-time job like I do. But of course, we have to try our best. 


I also think that it is very important to eat healthy because it is our responsibility as human being to take care of our body. This is also another way of showing our gratitude toward our Lord, ALLAH azza wajalla.

Anyway, wish me luck guys, with keeping up a healthy life-style and midterm, of course! Duh! :D

Gratitude - 8 steps on how to be grateful

We spend most of our times comparing ourselves to others. For example, when others have many achievements, we want to achieve the same things. When others have cars or houses, we want to have the same property, etc.We forget to realize that ALLAH has blessed us with so many other great things. However, because we are too preoccupied with comparing ourselves to others, we don't realize that. We often take things for granted!

Sooooo, what's the solution to that?!

Being grateful is a way to solve our lack of gratitude issue toward ALLAH. It will also result in internal happiness. (Aha, no wonder why we don't feel happy when ALLAH has showered us with so many blessings!)

Why do we need to be grateful?!

There are so many psychological and health benefits to being grateful. But, I'm only going to tell you from spiritual benefit, since it is the most important part.

ALLAH will increase your blessings.

"And remember when your Lord proclaimed, "If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favour]; but if you deny, indeed My punishment is severe." (14:07)

Don't you want ALLAH to increase your blessings?!
I don't know about you, but I do! ;)

How to be grateful?

There are 8 steps on how to be grateful:

1. As soon as you wake up in the morning, ask yourself: "What am I most grateful about?!"
For example, you'll start by saying Alhamdulillah that you're still alive and get a chance to live for another day! List as many as you could think of.

2. Write down 10 things that you're most grateful on a poster board and stick it in your room. Please be specific!
Of course, you can write as many as you'd like to! This will help you remember of what are the things that you're grateful about. For example, you can write:
Alhamdulillah I'm still alive. Alhamdulillah I'm still healthy. I can see, I have two hands, my heart is still pumping, I can walk, etc. If you're busy counting ALLAH's blessings, then you won't have time to be ungrateful.

3. Shift your focus and reach out!
Whenever you find yourself ungrateful and start comparing yourself to others, shift your focus. Start by saying Alhamdulillah right away for the things that ALLAH has already given you.
Also, reach out! Help those who are in need. This is a great tool to remind you of ALLAH's blessings.

4. Be grateful, even for the pain!
ALLAH puts you a in any life-situations for reasons. If you're in a situation or meet people that you dislike, instead of being grumpy and hating the situation/people around you, ask these questions instead:"What can I learn from this situation? How will this situation make me a better person?". This will help you put things into perspective and be more grateful regardless of your conditions.

5. Get to know yourself!
We often compare ourselves to others because we don't really know what our values are. We tend to underestimate ourselves. The fact is, we are born with something! We just need to find what those things are. Remember, ALLAH created us perfectly! ;)
And ladies, please stand in the mirror and say, "I am beautiful because ALLAH has created me so"

6. Ask yourself, "What are 10 things I enjoy doing?"
These 10 things will be your hobbies! Write them down in a piece of paper. You don't have to be good at it, you just need to love doing it! Again, this is just minimum 10 things you enjoy doing. You're more than welcome to write as many as you like. And I'm sure you have more than 10 things! ;)

7. Try these simple exercises!
We don't appreciate what we have until we lose them. Also, we don't really know how it feels like until we experience it ourselves. Therefore, I challenge you to do these simple exercises :D

• Cover your both eyes with a scarf or a handkerchief, until things are not visible to you. Then try walking up and down the stairs for 30 minutes. See how you do without your precious eyes. Please don't try anything dangerous, because we don't want to lose them for real!

• Cover your nose, and try to breath. See how long you'd last!

• Imagine if you have no hands. And of course, you're more than welcome to try eating with your mouth :D

There are so many other simple exercises you can do. See how it feels like living without other parts of your body that ALLAH has given you.

8. Most importantly, ask ALLAH for help. 

There's a du'a that prophet Sulaiman made which is in surah An-Naml : 19

". . . My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for You Favours which You have bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may do righteous deeds that will please You, and admit me by Your Mercy among Your Righteous slaves."

I'm not saying that we shouldn't have dreams and ambitions. It is very important that we aim for bigger things in our life. However, it is also important that we appreciate and thank ALLAH for the things He's already given us.

I'm sure there are so many other great ways out there on how to be grateful. These are just some strategies that are mentioned by my favourite psychologists who have inspired and helped me in many ways. I've also added some strategies that I've used it myself. You're more than welcome to follow. If you have some things to add, or suggestions, feel free to inform me.

Good luck guys! Hopefully we will be among the righteous slaves as Prophet Sulaiman had mentioned! ;)

Gratefulness equals happiness

Saat ini yang saya rasakan adalah rasa bahagia yang tak terhingga. Bukan karna saya punya segalanya, bukan karna saya kaya-raya atau sudah mendapat gelar yang membahana, bukan karna semuanya berjalan sesuai dengan kehendak saya. Sungguh bukan, bukan karna itu.

Yang saya rasakan adalah rasa syukur yang tak terhingga terhadap Sang Khalik yang telah memberikan saya kesempatan untuk bisa bernafas hari ini, sehingga saya masih bisa beribadah dan memohon ampun atas dosa-dosa saya yang banyak nya bagai buih di lautan. ALLAH SWT juga masih memberikan saya kesempatan untuk bisa berkumpul bersama keluarga juga orang-orang yang saya cintai dan mencintai saya. Walau tidak sempurna, karna cinta yang sempurna itu hanya datang dari ALLAH SWT. Saya juga bersyukur karna ALLAH SWT masih memberi saya kesempatan untuk melanjutkan pendidikan di luar negeri, yang kata orang saya tergolong sangat-sangat beruntung. Karna banyak sekali mereka-mereka di luar sana yang berkeinginan untuk bisa kuliah di luar negeri, akan tetapi sampai sekarang cita-cita mereka belum tercapai juga.

Apakah saya merasa seberuntung yang orang-orang fikirkan?!

Tentu saja! Karna jika tidak, saya termasuk kedalam kategori orang-orang yang kufur nikmat. Saya merasa ini suatu nikmat yang tak terhingga dari Sang Khalik. Akan tetapi pada saat yang bersamaan, saya merasa hal ini juga merupakan suatu ujian agar saya tidak terpedaya sehingga menjadikan saya sombong dan lupa akan nikmat ALLAH SWT.

Saya juga mensyukuri atas adanya ujian dalam bentuk kesedihan, kekhawatiran, ketakutan, juga keadaan-keadaan pahit lainnya yang terkadang membuat saya ingin lari dari kehidupan. Saya bersyukur karna situasi inilah yang membuat saya lebih dekat dengan Sang pencipta, bisa mengenal Nya lebih jauh, dan hanya bergantung pada-Nya.

Tidak semua orang mampu bersyukur atas nikmat-nikmat yang telah ALLAH berikan. Dan saat ini hal yang paling saya syukuri adalah kenikmatan dari rasa bisa bersyukur itu sendiri. Karna, kebahagiaan sejati bukan terletak dari seberapa banyak harta kita, sehebat apa diri kita, akan tetapi kebahagiaan itu adalah bisa mensyukuri segala nikmat yang telah ALLAH SWT berikan.