Introduction

In daily life, every person has goals, desires, and hopes they want to achieve. To reach them, people make efforts based on their abilities. However, in Islam, effort alone is not enough. It must be accompanied by tawakal, which means trusting and relying on Allah for the final outcome. Therefore, understanding the relationship between ikhtiar (effort) and tawakal is very important, especially in social life.

Definition of Tawakal and Ikhtiar

Ikhtiar refers to all kinds of effort or actions taken to achieve a goal. Meanwhile, tawakal means putting trust in Allah and believing that the final result is in His control. Tawakal does not mean giving up without trying, but rather trusting Allah after doing one’s best.

Balance Between Effort and Trust in God

In Islam, ikhtiar and tawakal cannot be separated. Effort without tawakal can make a person rely too much on themselves, while tawakal without effort can lead to laziness. Therefore, both must go together to create a balanced life.

Hadith as the Foundation of Tawakal and Ikhtiar

The importance of effort is clearly explained in a hadith narrated by Bukhari:

“Nobody has ever eaten a better meal than that which one has earned by working with one’s own hands. The Prophet (ﷺ) of Allah, David used to eat from the earnings of his manual labor.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari 2072)

This hadith shows that working and earning through one’s own effort is highly valued in Islam. The hadith is classified as sahih (authentic).

Meaning and Application in Daily Life

From these hadiths, it is clear that Islam encourages people to work hard while also trusting Allah. Working is not only about earning money but also about maintaining dignity and self-respect. A person who works hard is more honorable than someone who depends on others without effort.

In addition, working to support oneself and one’s family can be considered an act of worship. On the other hand, being lazy and relying on others without trying is not encouraged in Islam.

Conclusion

Tawakal and ikhtiar are two important concepts that complement each other. Ikhtiar represents human effort, while tawakal represents trust in Allah. Both must be practiced together to achieve balance in life.

By understanding this relationship, a person can stay motivated to work hard while also feeling calm and accepting of whatever results they receive. This is the true meaning of tawakal and ikhtiar in life based on hadith.

Reference:

Sajidah, K. (2022). Hubungan tawakal dan ikhtiar dalam kehidupan bermasyarakat perspektif hadis: Studi takhrij dan syarah hadis. Gunung Djati Conference Series, 16. https://conferences.uinsgd.ac.id/gdcs