He may thereby fulfil some need of yours. The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—appointed deputies to carry out certain tasks on his behalf, so delegation (taw kīl) is not the same as reliance (tawakkul). Tawakkul is an act of worship that may be directed to none but Allah. You must not say, “I put my trust in so-and-so”; rather, you should say, “I appoint so-and-so as my agent.”

Even then, you are commissioning him; you are not relying on him. Your reliance is upon Allah alone. Observe, therefore, the difference between the two concepts: tawakkul and tawkīl.

Among the qualities of the believers is what Allah the Exalted has said: “The true believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts tremble; when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith, and upon their Lord they place their trust.” (Al-Anfal 8:2) Such are the traits of the believers. Tawakkul is a mighty act of worship that belongs exclusively to Allah, for He is capable of all things, He owns all things, and He alone can bring about what you seek. A created being, by contrast, may be unable to fulfil your request. You may appoint him to handle some matter, yet you place your reliance upon Allah for the attainment of that matter.

We must also realise that tawakkul in no way contradicts taking the available means. A Muslim combines reliance upon Allah with utilising the prescribed means; there is no contradiction between them. You employ the means you have been commanded to employ, but—