26 - The reformer says:

"Muslim believes that what happens, whether be good or evil, has been predestined in eternity by Allah: 'We are human creatures. The creature cannot help it. Allah makes everything. The creature cannot change qadar. For example, the sustenance of everybody has been determined in eternity. Whatever we do, we cannot change it. A danger will harm us if Allah wills, and it will not if He does not will.' Besides having tawakkul there is no way out for Muslim." Thus, he wants to shock the basic beliefs of Islam.

All the Islamic beliefs stated in the last paragraph are correct. Like the ignorant people who misunderstand qada' and qadar, the reformer probably cannot understand these concepts. Nevertheless, all Muslims, even the ones who misunderstand them, like them, while the reformer dislikes them. If Muslims were lazy because of this belief, they would have to be lazy in worshiping, too; one who is lazy because of his belief that nothing is in his power, would be lazy not only in worldly affairs but also in duties pertaining to the next world. If Islam had tied man's hands, feet, option and will in worldly affairs, it would have kept them tied also in religious affairs. Do reformers believe that people with such a belief are lazy also in all their 'ibadat including salat and fast? If they do so, why don't they complain also about this kind of laziness? They do not mention or write about this laziness, is it because Muslims do not believe in qada' and qadar in their affairs pertaining to the next world, or is it because reformers slight the next world? As we all know, Muslims have become lazy also in performing their religious duties today. And this should not be out of their love for the religion, should it? If Muslims depended on the religion firmly, they would not be slack in their religious duties. Whence has this laziness come over Muslims? When it is observed minutely, it will be understood that sweetness of our life and comfort, that is, following our nafs, is the cause. Ignorance has been added to it. Our ignorance has prevented us from realizing the necessity of endeavor and self-sacrifice for ensuring sweeter life and continuous comfort in Paradise. Then, it is a very unjust, out of place slander to indicate the exalted and valuable realities of Islam as the cause of this laziness. And it is a very loathsome slander to impute evils, especially fawning, hypocricy, flattery and lie, to Islam. These evils are caused by self-seeking, that is, by abandoning Islam and clinging to the world and by giving up the rules of morals. In short, the main causes of immorality are irreligiousness and ignorance. The person who puts his trust in Allahu ta'ala, that is, who has tawakkul, and who believes in qadar does not condescend to fawning and lie, nor does he believe that advantages outside qadar can be obtained through these ways. A person who believes that profit and loss are from Allahu ta'ala simply does not humiliate himself in front of creatures. He will not flatter anybody. Whereas those who disbelieve qada' and qadar and rely only on intermediaries, especially on illegal, evil intermediaries, will do so. Also it is out of place to ask, "What demoralize Muslims are not tawakkul and belief in qadar, but isn't it misunderstanding them?" Evils and immoralities cannot result from any manner of understanding tawakkul and belief in qadar, for this belief and evils are opposite to each other. There is no relation between them. Even misunderstanding the teachings of tawakkul and qadar does not lead to evils. Shame on those mouths and pens who, instead of looking for these evils and immoralities in disbelief in tawakkul and qadar, search for a relation between evils and Muslims' belief! Do they diagnose the diseases of Muslims contrarywise like this? We should not complain about tawakkul and belief in qadar of the flatterers and liars who wish to attain their evil desires; instead, we should recommend that they have tawakkul and belief in qadar. See what our Master Fakhr al-'alam (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said in the Hadith ash-Sharif:

"Fear Allahu ta'ala and cling to good intermediaries in order that you may obtain the things you wish. Do not cling to evil intermediaries! I swear by Allahu ta'ala within Whose Omnipotence and Will I exist, that nobody goes from this world to the next world without completely taking his sustenance, which has been determined in eternity."

Another idea which the enemies of Islam frequently repeat is, "The scholars do not encourage Muslims to earn money. By saying that this world is transitory they alienate Muslims from this world." Whereas, the duty of religious scholars is not to teach Muslims their needs and advantages which they could know and understand through their instincts, that is, their natural actions such as looking for teat, as soon as they are born. "Earn money, do not become destitute stop your hunger, put the morsel into your mouth, rest when you get tired..."; it is not necessary to tell these not only to human beings but even to animals. The duty of religious scholars is to teach useful and luminous teachings such as not to forget about the next world while obtaining worldly advantages, to observe other's rights and justice, not to follow the nafs, to trust in Allahu ta'ala and not to be slack in working and thus to add a spiritual power to one's own power.

Question: "Having misunderstood qada', qadar and tawakkul, Muslims have become lazy and then their morality has been spoiled and they have dived into evils. Isn't that right?"

Answer: It may be right. When such evils as flattery and mendacity spring up in some Muslims, they will wholly forget about qada', qadar and tawakkul. Then what must be done is not to correct their understanding but to make them to believe again. If, instead of doing this, qadar and tawakkul are spoken ill of, they will be altogether alienated from these. We should not blame qada', qadar and tawakkul but condemn their bad behaviors.

Tawakkul is not a weakness but a power in Muslims, who practice tawakkul because it is ordered by Islam. Islam, while commanding tawakkul, prohibits laziness. The ayats, "Endeavor in the way of Allahu ta'ala, which is the righteous way", and, "The person who has the heaviest burden is Muslim who thinks of both this world and the next world and works for both," and the hadith, "Allahu ta'ala does not excuse incapacity, slackness. You should utilize your brains and intellect! Even if the difficulty of the job seems to overcome you, you should keep on working, saying, 'Allahu ta'ala's help is sufficient for me!' " are the evidences for this fact. The hadith, "Fasten your camel and put your trust in Allahu ta'ala!" openly declares that it is necessary both to have tawakkul and to work. Muslim scholars have told and written these commands of Islam in books in every country in every century.

Tawakkul does not mean not to work and become lazy. Tawakkul is done for beginning a job and accomplishing the job begun. It helps to remove the fear of failing in a difficult job. The proof of this is the ayat, "When you begin any work, have tawakkul in Allahu ta'ala, trust in Him!" This ayat points out that, besides tawakkul, not only labor but also determination, which is above labor, is necessary. Then every Muslim should work, be determined and then trust in Allah.

Religion reformers say that man should trust in himself, and Muslims say that he must put his trust in Allah only. Because the enemies of Islam do not believe in tawakkul and for replacing the power and courage granted by tawakkul, they are compelled to meet this need with the word self-reliance. It is seen that tawakkul is not unnecessary for Muslims. Some being to be trusted in is necessary.