Tawakkul and its Dimensions: A Thematic Analysis of Quranic Verses on Tawakkul

The present research examined the Islamic concept of tawakkul by exploring its potential dimensions through thematic analysis of verses of the Holy Quran on tawakkul. The thematic analysis of these verses was undertaken in accordance with Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-step procedure and the findings depicted the significance of tawakkul as a fundamental belief in the religion of Islam. Major themes extracted from the analysis were (i) need and significance of tawakkul in prophets’ lives; (ii) tawakkul as the cornerstone of faith; (iii) optimism and fearlessness; (iv) tawakkul as the absolute right of Allah; (v) tawakkul as a distinguished and praiseworthy characteristic of the believers; (vi) role of putting efforts and then leaving the consequences on Allah; and (vii) being satisfied with and having unconditional acceptance of Allah’s will. All the themes were explained and discussed with reference to the Holy verses. In the light of the extracted themes, the present study defined tawakkul as “a Muslim’s cardinal belief of relying absolutely on Allah while being optimistic about the outcomes of one’s endeavour, andunconditionally accepting Allah’s will without any regret or dissatisfaction”.