Mutawakkil
Definition
The mutawakkil is the spiritual type al-Ghazali holds up as an exemplar in this book — the person who has genuinely internalized trust in God and lives from that trust in daily affairs. What distinguishes the mutawakkil from the merely pious is not outward behavior but inner state: the mutawakkil's heart does not flutter with anxiety when plans fail, wealth decreases, or opposition arises, because the heart is anchored in something deeper than circumstances. Al-Ghazali traces the characteristics of the mutawakkil with care: they work diligently, they plan wisely, they use all lawful means — but their inner peace is not contingent on the success of those efforts.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
Appears in
1 book in the library
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Every book above uses Mutawakkil the way the classical scholars meant it. Listen with the full Study Kit in the app.