A Demonstration of Tawakkul

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Wahhab ibn Ahmad ash-Sha’rani, (q.s.) was of the people of tawakkul, those who trust in their Lord totally.  He said, “Once I was travelling, and it was near maghrib.  I saw a dome and walked toward it.  When I entered it, I saw that there was a tomb in it, under the dome, in ruins.  After a short while, some peasants came and said, ‘O shaykh, you must not stay here.  Come with us.  Our village is nearby.  This is a terrible place, particularly at night.  So many snakes, big snakes, come out and if anyone sleeps here, in the morning we find only his body, nothing else.’” 

Shaykh ash-Sha’rani (q.s.) said to the peasants, “O my brothers, when you told me that, I cannot move even one step out of this place.  When you warned me about those big snakes, my ego was afraid of them, and I am ashamed before my Lord because my nafs is frightened of snakes, and not of Allah (s.w.t.).  I cannot accept your invitation.  I must sleep here this night; it is better for such an ego that I be killed by snakes.”  The peasants left. 

In the morning, they hurried back with shovels to bury Shaykh ash-Sha’rani (q.s.).  They found the Shaykh in dzikr, and the snakes were like wooden beams beside him.  If we know our Lord and trust in Him, He Protects us.  If we are familiar with our Lord, everything is familiar with us.  That is certainty.