How to Build Tawakkul and Trust Allah During Hardships

After writing an article on tawakkul last week. I realize that it was not enough to help Muslims that are going through challenging times. They need practical step by step guide to build tawakkul.

You must go through my earlier article on Tawakkul where I cleared the basic. It will set up a base to continue with this guide.

Must Read: Tawakkul Explained: How Trusting Allah Can Change Your Life

Tawakkul is all about doing your best and then trusting Allah (SWT) to handle the rest. It’s like saying, “I’ve done my part, now I trust Allah to take care of what happens next.”

We are being tested by Allah with trials to know who is best in deed. No one can escape this truth and must face hardships. This is purpose of our creation.

He who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed—and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving.

Quran (67:2)

And everyone is being tested according to what He can bear. Everything in this universe is in perfect balance.

Allāh does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.

Quran (2:286)

If the trial feels heavier than your capacity, then maybe you are not in best state of IMAN. You have to strive and improve your connection with Allah.

So, if your level of Iman is Higher. You will be tested with greater trial. So, the reward of that trial will also be great if you successfully go through it.

Indeed greater reward comes with greater trial. And indeed, when Allah loves a people He subjects them to trials, so whoever is content, then for him is pleasure, and whoever is discontent, then for him is wrath.

Jami at Tirmidhi 2396

Whatever hardship is written for you. It will come to you. Your only duty is to still be calm in dealing with hardship and have tawakkul in Allah. This is the only way to be successful in both dunya and akhirah.

Do you think you will be admitted into Paradise without being tested like those before you? They were afflicted with suffering and adversity and were so ˹violently˺ shaken that ˹even˺ the Messenger and the believers with him cried out, “When will Allah’s help come?” Indeed, Allah’s help is ˹always˺ near.

Quran (2:214)

So how can we master Tawakkul? How to tackle any Hardship with Strong belief in Allah? I am Gonna discuss following 6 steps to Build Tawakkul in Challenging Times:

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During daily trials, if we keep our brain busy with sinful acts and have poor connection with Allah. We will be lost in delusion of this world

So how can we get rid of it?

Allah made it easy for us to manage our day in a productive manner. We are blessed with Five Obligatory Prayers which comes with uncountable benefits.

Must Read: Never Miss Salah: How I Transformed My Prayer Routine

Lets go through some hadith narration to understand the advantages of Prayer:

(Allah Said) I have divided the prayer into two halves between Me and My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks.

Sahih Muslim 395a

Whenever anyone of you stands for the prayer, he is speaking in private to his Lord.

Sahih al-Bukhari 405

The nearest a servant comes to his Lord is when he is prostrating himself, so make supplication.

Sahih Muslim 482

So, Prayers are cornerstone of your life if you have strong habit. You are speaking to Allah in private, Recieve what you ask, share your problems with Allah and ask for solution.

While building your connection with Allah. You must know what Allah wants from you. Alot of people don’t even know their creator the correct way. They are completely unaware with purpose life. So how can we know it?

Read Quran and Understand it Through translation. Go through Tafseer to better understand the circumstances under which surah was revealed.

Remember: Tafseer may include some personal thoughts which can be partially incorrect, don’t rely on only one tafseer.

Going this way. You will start relating your life according to Quran. You will start finding answers and will stay motivated by understanding Quran.

Now you have covered most parts of your day when you are connected with Allah through prayers and reading Quran.

But what if we forget offering prayer or making dua due to extreme busy schedule and worldly distractions?

Here comes “Dhikr”. It means remembering Allah by saying special phrases, like “SubhanAllah,” “Alhamdulillah,” and “Allahu Akbar.” You can find more over the internet.

You can say these phrases while doing everyday activities, like walking to school or waiting in line. It keeps Allah in your thoughts and helps you feel peaceful throughout the day.

So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me.

Quran (2:152)

This will be a never ending journey. You will face ups and downs in your Iman while going through it. To improve this connection, we can Reflect on Allah’s Wisdom and Past Blessings.

There can be two stages in a day. Sometimes your faith is strong, you have good mental health and capability to complete tasks at peak performance.

But there is also a stage when you feel blocked, weighed down, lose interest in everything and are in weak stage.

Both of these stages can be understood like day and night. During the day, we’re active and things are moving, and at night, everything slows down and we get the rest we need.

Both are necessary, right? Just like that, we go through different emotional and spiritual phases.

Once Prophet (PBUH) was also in that down phase because revelation was stopped for some time and disbelievers started mocking him.

Allah Revealed Surah Ad-Duhaa and reminded the Prophet of his past — how he was an orphan and Allah provided him with protection, and how, when the Prophet was searching for truth, Allah guided him.

(Must Read Tafseer of Surah Duhaa by Dr Israr Ahmed)

So, during your weak-faith stage. You don’t need to panic. Just remember how Allah helped you previously in past from extreme conditions.

Past Blessings can beautifully show wisdom of Allah. Imagine a person missed his Flight. He started complaining to Allah and almost lost hope in everything. But after 2 hours, news came out that airplane has been crashed. He is shocked for a moment that how Allah saved him.

Now the same person who was complaining before will start thanking Allah. This is because you don’t know the wisdom of Allah when you are in difficult situation.

To tackle that situation, you have to remember similar situation in your past and reflect on wisdom of Allah. This will improve your faith and gives you strength to stay motivated.

Step 3: Act, But Trust Allah with the Results

Now after building your connection with Allah and reflecting on Wisdom of Allah in Past. You will be productive throughout your day.

It will be easy for you to take actions and do hard work. Because you have basic understanding on how things work.

You have to put entire effort in your work and take proper measures. For example, after intermediate, you are studying for universities entry test and scoring for top universities.

Do whatever you can in preparation of test and stay connected with Allah. It’s like the advice the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) gave: “Tie your camel and trust in Allah.” You are currently in “Tie your Camel” stage, which teaches you to take necessary steps.

Now if you are unable to score enough and get admission in top universities, don’t start complaining or become depressed. You don’t know what’s good for you and what’s bad.

You don’t know about your Qualities but Allah Knows

Now you have to put “Trust in Allah“. Whatever He chooses for you is best for you. Even if things don’t turn out the way we hoped. Just say,

I trust that Allah knows what’s best for me, even if I don’t understand it right now.

You will eventually find the reason behind Allah’s Wisdom in Future. But for now, you have to trust the process.

Sometimes Allah puts you in difficult situation. This is not because he hates you! He wants to train you through tests and trials and make you strong for your future tasks.

Maybe the dua you made demands a stronger version of yourself. So, Allah wants to train you and push you towards success.

These tests and trials might feel very tough and overwhelmed. So, to tackle these situation, There is a thing called SABR!

Allah (SWT) says in the Quran:

O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allāh is with the patient.

Quran (2:153)

It’s important to remember that patience doesn’t mean just sitting back and doing nothing. Instead, it means choosing to stay calm and keep your faith strong, even when things aren’t going your way.

If something good happens to him (believer), he is thankful for it and that is good for him. If something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience and that is good for him.

Sahih Muslim 2999

This is exactly what it means to combine Sabr with Tawakkul—knowing that while life may be hard sometimes, Allah is always with those who are patient.

By embracing patience in everyday situations, you’ll find it easier to handle bigger challenges when they come. Trust that Allah is by your side, and remember that with patience and perseverance, you can face any difficulty.

The people we spend time with have a big impact on how we think and feel, especially when it comes to our faith. In Islam, having good friends and influences is important because they can either help us grow closer to Allah or pull us away.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said,

A man follows the religion of his friend; so each one should consider whom he makes his friend.

Sunan Abi Dawud 4833

To improve Tawakkul, we must choose friends who remind us of Allah when things get tough. This will make it easier to stay hopeful and connected to your faith. Here are few easy steps you can take:

1 – Join Islamic study groups, either in your community or online, to connect with others who can help you grow in your faith and strengthen your relationship with Allah.

2 – Follow uplifting Islamic content online, such as Quran recitations and motivational posts, to keep your focus on trusting Allah.

3 – Avoid negative influences that cause anxiety or material attachment, as they can make it harder to stay grounded in your faith. Surround yourself with positivity instead.

By choosing to be around positive, faith-filled people and avoiding things that weaken your faith, you’ll find it much easier to grow your trust in Allah.

One of the hardest things about building Tawakkul (trust in Allah) is our attachment to worldly things. We often lean on money, possessions, or even people for a sense of security and happiness.

It’s natural—we’re human, and these things give us comfort. But the more we depend on them, the harder it becomes to trust Allah completely.

The key is to shift our focus. Letting go of worldly attachments doesn’t mean giving up or living without comfort. It just means recognizing that all these things—our wealth, health, belongings—are temporary gifts from Allah.

Nothing here lasts forever. And if we place all our hope and security in these things, we’re setting ourselves up for disappointment because they can change or be taken away at any time.

Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children – like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allāh and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion.

Surah Hadid (57:20)

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also warned us about this.

“By Allah, it is not poverty I fear for you, but I fear that the world will be spread out for you… and it will destroy you as it destroyed those before you.”

Sahih Bukhari

It’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle for more money, more success, more possessions. But when we loosen that grip, we free our hearts to trust Allah.

We stop seeing these things as the source of our happiness and security, and instead, we start to believe in something much bigger—Allah’s perfect plan for us.

So, letting go of worldly attachments is really about freeing our hearts. When we stop relying so much on temporary things, we open ourselves up to something far greater—trusting that Allah will always provide, even in ways we can’t predict. And that’s where true peace comes from.

In conclusion, building Tawakkul in challenging times is a journey that strengthens our relationship with Allah (SWT) and brings peace to our hearts, even in the midst of trials.

To have Tawakkul, we need a connection with Allah through prayer and reflection, trusting His wisdom, acting, embracing patience, and letting go of worldly attachments.

Life’s tests are inevitable, but with strong Tawakkul, we can face them with hope, resilience, and unwavering faith. Ultimately, Tawakkul is not just about enduring hardships; it’s about growing closer to Allah and finding peace, knowing He is always with us.

What are your thoughts on this article? If you have any confusion or want to give me any suggestions, you can comment.