How to Model Tawakkul When You Feel Worried 

Parenting Perspective 

Acknowledge Fear, but Choose Reliance 

Children learn trust in Allah not only from what they are told but also from how their parents respond in moments of uncertainty. It is natural for you to feel fear or worry when life feels unsettled. What matters most is how you show your children that those feelings can exist alongside faith. You do not need to deny your emotions or act as if you are never afraid. Instead, you can model that it is possible to acknowledge fear while still choosing to rely on Allah. 

Speak Honestly but With Reassurance 

One way to do this is by speaking honestly but with reassurance. You might say, ‘Yes, this situation feels hard, but we will ask Allah to help us and we will do what we can.’ This teaches your children that Tawakkul is not about never feeling worry, but about turning that worry into action and prayer. It allows them to see faith as a real-life tool, not a distant concept. 

Create Family Routines of Reliance 

It is also helpful to create small family routines of reliance, such as making Dua together before a change or reciting familiar supplications in the car or at bedtime. When your children see you returning to Allah in practice, even while holding your own fears, they will learn that true strength is found in reliance, not denial. Over time, they will associate uncertainty not with panic, but with a chance to draw closer to Allah as a family. 

Spiritual Insight 

Tawakkul Is Trust Combined with Effort 

Islamically, Tawakkul is about combining trust in Allah with effort, not about pretending hardship is easy. 

Put Your Trust in Allah 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Aalai Imran (3), Verse 159: 

‘…Then when you have decided (on any matter), then put your reliance upon Allah (Almighty); indeed, Allah (Almighty) loves those who are totally reliant on Him.’  

This Verse shows that reliance does not mean ignoring fear or doing nothing. Rather, it means making choices with awareness and then handing the outcome to Allah with confidence in His wisdom. 

Trust Is Not Passive 

It is recorded in Sunan Ibn Majah, Book 37, Hadith 65, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘If you were to rely upon Allah with the reliance He is due, you would be given provision as the birds are given. They go out hungry in the morning and return full in the evening.’  

The hadith highlights that trust is not passive. The birds leave their nests, but their return full is by Allah’s will. 

By showing your children that you can feel afraid yet still turn to Allah in Dua, still take steps forward, and still express gratitude, you give them a lived example of Tawakkul. This balance will reassure them that trust in Allah is not about never fearing, but about never letting fear disconnect us from Him.