Wealth & charityFrom the masjid's own video, Jul 25, 2026.
Rely on Allah while using the means
“Tawakul is incorrect except if you act on the means.”
In one sentence
True tawakkul, the heart's complete reliance on Allah alone while still acting on the means He provides, is a condition of genuine faith and the key to Allah's provision.
The khutbah in 8 steps
- Opening adhan, Quran verses on taqwa, and standard khutbah introduction
- Anecdotal quote, 'even your shadow leaves you in the darkness', framed as relying on Allah, not creation
- Story of the mukatib slave and Ali ibn Abi Talib teaching the dua for sufficiency through halal
- Hadiths on self-reliance: Awf ibn Malik's pledge not to ask people, and Ibn Abbas taught to ask only Allah
- Tawakkul as a condition of faith: Imam Ahmad, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, Surah al-Ma'idah and Surah Yunus
- Second half: the opposite of tawakkul, Ibn Taymiyyah on hearts enslaved to love, status, and the dinar
- How to build tawakkul: tawheed, knowing Allah's names, good thoughts of Him, reading the Quran
- Provision of the birds, hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakeel of Ibrahim and Muhammad, then salah
Try this week
Memorize and recite the dua Ali taught: 'Allahumma ikfini bihalalika an haramik, wa aghnini bifadlika amman siwak', especially when in debt or financial difficulty
Refuse haram income even when bills are pressing; ask Allah to make the halal sufficient
Strengthen tawheed by learning Allah's names and attributes and reading the stories of His righteous servants
Read the Quran regularly rather than leaving it collecting dust on the shelf
Act on the means (work, effort) while keeping the heart unattached to them and reliant on Allah alone
Examine yourself: is anything besides Allah acting as your moral compass, a person, money, or status?
Sources the khateeb cited
Quran 5:23The two God-fearing men told the Israelites 'upon Allah place your trust if you are believers', tawakkul as a condition of faith
Quran 10:84Musa told his people: if you truly believe in Allah, put your trust in Him if you are Muslims
Quran 47:19'Know that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah', knowledge of Allah as the foundation of tawheed and tawakkul
Quran 3:102Standard khutbah opening on taqwa
Quran 4:1Standard khutbah opening on taqwa
Quran 33:70-71Standard khutbah opening on taqwa
Jami` at-Tirmidhi'O Allah, suffice me with Your halal against Your haram, and enrich me by Your bounty from all besides You', for debt and avoiding haram income
Sahih MuslimThe Prophet's condition 'do not ask people for anything', companions wouldn't ask even for a dropped whip
Jami` at-TirmidhiWhen you ask, ask only Allah, exclusive dependence on Him
Sahih al-BukhariWarning against the heart becoming enslaved to money
Jami` at-TirmidhiIf you trusted Allah as He deserves, He would provide for you as He provides for birds who leave hungry and return full
Sahih al-BukhariSaid by Ibrahim when thrown into the fire and by Muhammad when threatened by gathered enemies, reliance in apparent weakness
Quotes
In the khateeb's words
“Tawakul is incorrect except if you act on the means and that's the second aspect of Tawakul is to act on the means but your heart is not attached to those means”
“that the imprisonment of the heart is greater than the imprisonment of the body”
Talk about it at home
For the dinner table
Today the khateeb reminded us that real trust belongs to Allah alone. He opened by saying that even our shadow leaves us in the dark, so our hearts should not depend too much on people or things. He taught us the beautiful dua Ali ibn Abi Talib shared: ask Allah to make what is halal enough for you and to keep you away from what is haram. True tawakkul means using our hands and minds to do what we can, while keeping our hearts calm and attached only to Allah. And when we trust Him the way He deserves, Allah takes care of us, just like He feeds the birds that leave their nests hungry and come home full.
- Is there something you are worried about right now? How would it feel to hand that worry to Allah while still doing your part?
- The Prophet said Allah feeds birds even though they do not know where their food is. What does that teach us about trusting Allah with our needs?
- Can you think of anything, money, likes, games, or a friend, that we might rely on too much instead of Allah?
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