The Book of Stations
المواقف
Context: Whether trust in God requires abandoning means was an old dispute: some ascetics travelled without provisions and refused remedies; al-Ghazālī and Ibn al-Jawzī insisted on means. The Emir takes the second view but excuses one ruled by a state or set in tajrīd. That reason 'allows' God not to provide reflects the Ashʿarite view that nothing is obligatory on God.AI
قَالَ تَعَالَى: «وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَتَوَكَّلُوا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ».
God Most High has said: “And in God put your trust, if you are believers” (Q 5:23).
In briefAI
The Emir defines trust in God (tawakkul) as the heart's confidence and tranquillity that the servant's pre-eternal allotment will reach him. That confidence comes from faith in God's promise, not from reason alone. Trust does not mean abandoning means: that would forbid even chewing. The Prophet used every means. The Sufis gave up means only to gain this confidence, then returned to them. Only one whom God has stripped of means is excused. Renunciation (zuhd) is likewise inward. A meal he had vowed not to eat proved the point.
See the print: Damascus 1966, p. 369 ↗, Damascus 1966, p. 370 ↗, Damascus 1966, p. 371 ↗, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 350 ↗, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 351 ↗, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 352 ↗ (archive.org)
أَكْثَرَ النَّاسُ الْكَلَامَ فِي التَّوَكُّلُ.
People have said a great deal about trust in God.
وَأَسَدُّهَا أَنَّهُ ثِقَةُ الْقَلْبِ، وَحُصُولُ الطُّمَأْنِينَةِ بِوُصُولِ الْقِسْمَةِ الْأَزَلِيَّةِ لِلْعَبْدِ، بِحَرَكَةٍ أَوْسُكُونٍ، مِنْ خَيْرٍ وَشَرٍّ وَنَفْعٍ وَضَرٍّ، دِيناً وَدُنْيَا وَآخِرَةً، قَلِيلاً أَوْ كَثِيراً، مُؤَقَّتاً مَحْدُوداً بِزَمَانِهِ وَمَكَانِهِ،
The most accurate of these sayings is that it is the confidence of the heart and the coming of tranquillity about the arrival of the servant's pre-eternal allotment, whether by movement or by stillness: of good and evil, benefit and harm, in religion, in this world and in the hereafter, little or much, fixed in time and bounded by its time and its place.
وَلَيْسَ هَذَا اِلَاّ مِنْ مَقَامِ الْاِيمَانِ بِأَنَّهُ ـ تَعَالَى ـ لَايُخْلِفُ وَعْدَهُ فِي قَوْلِهِ: «وَمَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا». وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ.
And this comes only from the station of faith that He, Most High, does not break His promise in His words: “There is no creature on the earth but that its provision rests upon God” (Q 11:6), and the like.
وَأَمَّا الْعَقْلُ مُجَرَّداً عَنِ الْاِيمَانِ فَاِنَّهُ لَا يُعْطِي التَّوَكُّلَ، بَلْ يُجَوِّزُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَرْزُقُ عَبْدَهُ وَأَنْ لَا يَرْزُقَهُ، مِنْ حَيْثُ أَنَّهُ ـ تَعَالَى ـ لَا يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ لِأَحَدٍ.
As for reason stripped of faith, it does not yield trust; rather it allows that God may provide for His servant and that He may not provide for him, since He, Most High, owes nothing to anyone.
فَلَيْسَ التَّوَكُّلُ اِلَاّ الثِّقَةَ وَالطُّمَأْنِينَةَ، لَاتَرْكَ الْأَسْبَابِ، مَعَ الشَّكِّ وَالِاضْطِرَابِ، فَلَيْسَ هَذَا مِنَ التَّوَكُّلِ الْمَطْلُوبِ فِي شَيْءٍ،
Trust, then, is nothing but confidence and tranquillity, not the abandoning of means amid doubt and agitation; that is no part at all of the trust that is sought.
وَلَوْ كَانَ تَرْكُ السَّبَبِ وَالْحَرَكَةِ تَوَكُّلاً لَلَزِمَ اِذَا وُضِعَ الْخُبْزُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ هَذَا الْمُتَوَكِّلِ أَنْ لَا يَتَنَاوَلَهُ وَيَرْفَعَهُ اِلَى فِيهِ، فَاِنَّ هَذَا سَبَبٌ وَحَرَكَةٌ لِوُصُولِ الْخُبْزِ اِلَى بَطْنِهِ،
If abandoning means and movement were trust, it would follow that when bread is placed before this man who trusts, he should not take it and raise it to his mouth, for that is a means and a movement for the bread to reach his stomach;
وَاِذَا وُضِعَ الْخُبْزُ فِي فِيهِ يَلْزَمُهُ أَنْ لَا يَمْضَغَهُ وَلَا يُحَرِّكَ لِسَاناً وَلَا غَيْرَهُ، فَاِنَّهَا كُلُّهَا أَسْبَابٌ لِوُصُولِ الرِّزْقِ اِلَى الْبَطْنِ،
and when the bread is put into his mouth, he would be bound not to chew it, nor move a tongue or anything else, for all of these are means for provision to reach the stomach.
وَمَا اعْتَنَى الْقَوْمُ– رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ– بِمَقَامِ التَّوَكُّلِ وَعَدُّوهُ مِنْ رُؤُسِ الْمَقَامَاتِ، وَتَكَلَّفُوا تَرْكَ الْأَسْبَابِ اِلَاّ لِيَحْصُلُوا عَلَى الثِّقَةِ وَعَدَمِ الِاضْطِرَابِ عِنْدَ فَقْدِ الْأَسْبَابِ•
The Folk, may God be pleased with them, gave care to the station of trust, counted it among the chief stations, and took upon themselves the abandoning of means only in order to attain confidence and freedom from agitation when means are lacking.
وَهَذِهِ هِيَ الثَّمَرَةُ وَالنَّتِيجَةُ لِمَا تَكَلَّفُوهُ، اِذِ الْمَقَامَاتُ لَا فَائِدَةَ فِي أَعْيَانِهَا، وَاِنَّمَا الْفَائِدَةُ فِي ثَمَرَاتِهَا•
This is the fruit and outcome of what they took upon themselves, since the stations bring no benefit in themselves; the benefit lies only in their fruits.
فَاِذَا حَصَلُوا عَلَى الثَّمَرَةِ؛ رَجَعُوا اِلَى اسْتِعْمَالِ الْأَسْبَابِ الْعَادِيَّةِ وَالْحَرَكَاتِ الْمَعْهُودَةِ لِحُصُولِ مَا يَطْلُبُونَ، كَسَائِرِ النَّاسِ•
So when they have attained the fruit, they return to using the customary means and the familiar movements to obtain what they seek, like the rest of people.
فَطَلَبُوا وَأَجْمَلُوا فِي الطَّلَبِ، فَاِذَا لَمْ يَحْصُلِ الْمَطْلُوبُ قَالُوا: «لَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَكَانَ»
Quotes a hadith: Ibn Mājah 2144, part of it · graded al-Albānī: sahih; Muḥammad Fuʾād ʿAbd al-Bāqī: sahih; Shuʿayb al-Arnaʾūṭ: sahih; Zubayr ʿAlī Zaʾī: sahih (hadith-api open data) (grades ↗) · sunnah.com ↗
They sought, and were measured in their seeking, and when what was sought did not come about, they said: “Had God willed, it would have been.”
فَلَا يَقُولُ بِتَرْكِ الْأَسْبَابِ اِلَاّ صَاحِبُ حَالٍ أَوْ جَاهِلٌ بِالطَّرِيقِ وَبِالسُّنَّةِ،
So none holds to abandoning means except one in the grip of a state, or one ignorant of the path and of the Sunna;
فَتَارِكُ السَّبَبِ مَعَ التَّمَكُّنِ مِنْهُ مَأْزُورٌ بِتَرْكِ الْحِكْمَةِ وَتَعْطِيلِ صِفَةٍ مِنْ صِفَاتِهِ– تَعَالَى–•
for whoever abandons a means while able to use it is burdened with sin, for abandoning the wisdom and suspending one of the attributes of Him, Most High.
فَمَنْ نَظَرَ اِلَى بَاطِنِ الْعَارِفِ وَجَدَهُ جَبَلاً لَا يَتَحَرَّكُ ، ثَابِتاً لَا يَتَدَكْدَكُ ، لَيْسَ لَهُ نَظَرٌ اِلَى الْأَسْبَابِ وَلَا عِبْرَةَ لَهُ بِهَا •
وَمَنْ نَظَرَ اِلَى ظَاهِرِهِ رَآهُ كَالطَّائِرِ مِنْ غُصْنٍ اِلَى غُصْنٍ ، وَمِنْ شَجَرَةٍ اِلَى شَجَرَةٍ •
فَهَذَا سَيِّدُ الْعَارِفِينَ وَاِمَامُ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – جَنَّدَ الْأَجْنَادَ وَظَاهَرَ بَيْنَ دِرْعَيْنِ ، وَحَفَرَ الْخَنْدَقَ ، وَادَّخَرَ قُوتَ سَنَةٍ ، وَتَدَاوَى وَاحْتَجَمَ ، وَاكْتَوَى ، وَمَا تَرَكَ سَبَباً اِلَاّ فَعَلَهُ ،
Quotes a hadith: not found in the Six Books or the Muwaṭṭaʾ (sunnah.com data, 11 Nov 2026) · grade not yet checked by a person
قَالَ تَعَالَى :
« وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلاَّ إِنَّهُمْ لَيَأْكُلُونَ الطَّعَامَ. وَيَمْشُونَ فِي الْأَسْوَاقِ » . لِيَبِيعُوا وَيَشْتَرُوا
وَقَالَ : « وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلاً مِنْ قَبْلِكَ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ أَزْوَاجاً وَذُرِّيَّةً ».
اِلاَّ مَنْ أَقَامَهُ الْحَقُّ – تَعَالَى – فِي مَقَامِ التَّجْرِيدِ ، وَعَسَّرَ عَلَيْهِ الْأَسْبَابَ ، بِحَيْثُ أَنَّهُ لَا يَجِدُ اِلَيْهَا سَبِيلاً ، وَلَوْ سَعَى •
فَهَذَا كَامِلٌ ، وَلَوْ تَرَكَ الْأَسْبَابَ •
وَكَذَلِكَ الزُّهْدُ يَتَصَوَّرُهُ عَوَامُّ أَهْلِ الطَّرِيقِ عَلَى غَيْرِ وَجْهِهِ ، وَاِنَّمَا هُوَ صَرْفُ الْقَلْبِ عَنِ الرَّغْبَةِ فِيمَا سِوَاهُ – تَعَالَى – وَفِيمَا سِوَى مَا يُقَرِّبُ اِلَيْهِ لَا غَيْرُ ،
فَاِنَّ مَا يَزْهَدُ فِيهِ ، اِمَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ مِنْ نَصِيبِ الزَّاهِدِ وَقِسْمَتِهِ ، أَوْ لَا •
فَاِذَا كَانَ مِنْ قِسْمَتِهِ تَنَاوَلَهُ أَحَبَّ أَمْ كَرِهَ ، وَلَا يَنْدَفِعُ عَنْهُ ، وَلَوِ اسْتَعَانَ بِأَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ وَالسَّمَاءِ .
وَأَمَّا أَنْ لَايَكُونَ مَقْسُوماً لَهُ ، فَزُهِّدَ فِيمَا ذَا ؟!
أَيَزْهَدُ فِي قِسْمَةِغَيْرِهِ؟
فَمَا قُدِّرَ لِفَكَّيْكَ أَنْ يَمْضُغَاهُ ؛ لَابُدَّ أَنْ يَمْضُغَاهُ .
وَعِنْدَمَا وَرَدَ الْوَارِدُ بِهَذَا الْمَوْقِفِ تَرَدَّدْتُ فِي تَقْيِيدِهِ وَقُلْتُ فِي نَفْسِي : لَا كَبِيرَ فَائِدَةٍ فِيهِ لِاِخْوَانِي .
وَبَعْدَ زَمَانٍ يَسِيرٍ حَضَرَتْ لِي أَكْلَةٌ فِي غَيْرِ زَمَانِهَا وَمَكَانِهَا ، كُنْتُ عَزَمْتُ وَجَزَمْتُ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ اَنِّي لَا آكُلُهَا ،
وَحِينَ حَضَرَتْ حَصَلَ لِي يَقِينٌ بِأَنَّهَا مِنْ رِزْقِي ، بِقَرَائِنِ أَحْوَالٍ دَلَّتْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ .
فَقُلْتُ : صَدَقَ اللَّهُ وَكَذَبْتُ ، وَقَيَّدْتُ هَذَا الْمَوْقِفَ ،
وَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّ هَذَا تَأْدِيبٌ ، فَلْيَعْرِفِ الْعَبْدُ الْعَاجِزُ الْجَاهِلُ مَنْزِلَتَهُ .
وَيُفَوِّضْ أَمْرَهُ اِلَى مَنْ يَخْلُقُ ، مَا يَشَاءُ وَيَخْتَارُ ، وَيَتْرُكِ التَّدْبِيرَ مَعَهُ وَالِاخْتِيَارَ .
Translations, word glosses and term notes are AI-generated (Claude) and marked as such; no published translation is reproduced.Word analysis is automatic (CAMeL Tools), guided by the text's vowelling. How this text was established.