Lesson 3 of 6 · Tie the camel, and what tawakkul does not cover
Tie it, and rely
Two reports, and notice that neither of them is a compromise between effort and reliance. The order is stated. The man is not told that tying the camel shows weak trust. He is told to tie it and then to rely, and there is no criticism in the answer for having asked. The second report is the one about the bird, and it is the more commonly misquoted of the two: the bird is described going out, and going out hungry, rather than waiting at home to be fed.
Qur’an and Sunnah
The first of the two, and the order is stated. He is not told that tying the camel shows weak trust. He is told to tie it and then to rely, and there is no criticism in the answer for having asked.
Anas bin Malik narrated that a man said:"O Messenger of Allah! Shall I tie it and rely(upon Allah), or leave it loose and rely(upon Allah)?" He said: "Tie it and rely(upon Allah)." Other chains report similar narrations
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2517graded sound, albanithe Arabic and its grading
The second, and the more commonly misquoted of the two. The bird is described going out, and going out hungry, rather than waiting at home to be fed.
‘Umar said:“I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘If you were to rely upon Allah with the reliance He is due, you would be given provision like the birds: They go out hungry in the morning and come back with full bellies in the evening.”
Sunan Ibn Majah 4164graded sound, albanithe Arabic and its grading
The birds report in a second collection, in near identical words: they go out empty in the morning and return full. It is shown twice because the argument rests entirely on the going out being inside the reliance rather than beside it.
Umar bin Al-Khattab narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said:"If you were to rely upon Allah with the required reliance, then He would provide for you just as a bird is provided for, it goes out in the morning empty, and returns full
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2344graded sound, albanithe Arabic and its grading