✏️ A Letter to God
Recently I came across a story that made me think about what it means to trust in God. Here’s a Sufi Comics animation of the story:
The story takes place in 1850s Tehran. a scholar named Nazar Ali Taleghani was starving. Hadn't eaten in days.
He thought about asking his peers for help. But sense of dignity stopped him. He thought about asking the Shah. But his conscience stopped him.
Then he had a different thought altogether.
"Why not write directly to God?"
His reasoning was clear. God says in the Quran: "There is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision." God promised. And God doesn't break His promise.
So he wrote a letter. Not a vague prayer. A specific list: a wife, a house, a servant, a carriage, a garden, money for trade. He addressed it to God, cited the verses, and gave his address: Marvi School, Room 16.
At dawn, he placed it between the doors of the Shah Mosque and went back to sleep. Trusting.
What moves me isn't just the miracle of what happened next. You can see that unfold in a Sufi Comics animation.
What moves me is this: Here was a man so hungry he could barely stand. And even in that desperation, he refused to go to people first. He believed God was the actual source. So that's where he went directly.
That kind of confidence in God made me think about trust (Tawakkul). And why it's so hard for many of us (including me) to hold onto it.
When Trust Feels Impossible
Maybe you know this feeling.
You're praying for something that matters deeply. You're doing everything you know to do. Being patient. Being faithful. Being consistent.
And nothing changes.
Then someone tells you, "Just trust God more."
But here's the thing. You're already trying to trust. That advice feels empty when you're wondering if God even hears you.
"Am I doing something wrong? Why does this work for others but not me? Maybe I'm not worthy enough."
These questions don't come from lack of faith. They come from a specific kind of trust that sets us up for disappointment.
We've Made Trust Transactional
Without realizing it, many of us approach our relationship with God like a transaction.
"If I pray regularly and do good deeds, God should give me what I need."
We keep score. "I've been faithful, so why am I still struggling?"
Our faith goes up and down with circumstances. When life goes well, trust feels strong. When it doesn't, everything shakes.
We treat prayer like deposits in a bank account. We expect specific withdrawals later.
The relationship becomes conditional. I give devotion, You give results.
And when the results don't come? We feel betrayed. The whole foundation crumbles because our trust was built on outcomes, not on who God actually is.
Tawakkul isn't about trusting God to give you what you want.
It's about maintaining connection to the source regardless of what happens.
This isn't about being passive. You still do your part. You try your best in your circumstances.
But you also recognize the limits of what you can control. You have humility that you're not the master planner. God is.
And here's what changes when you maintain that connection. You start asking different questions.
Two Questions, Two Different Paths
Without trust, pain makes you ask: "Why is this happening TO me?"
This question leads us to isolation and meaninglessness. Your identity gets crushed by circumstances. You feel like a victim. You disconnect from God.
With trust, pain makes you ask: "What am I meant to learn here?"
This question opens up a sense of meaning, purpose and connection to the divine.
To go deeper, you can ask: What qualities of God do I need to reflect in this situation?
In times of difficulty, you develop patience.
In times of stress, you practice compassion.
In times of challenge, you discover courage.
The connection to God transforms difficulty. It goes from something that overwhelms you to something that grows you spiritually.
When you stop making trust conditional on outcomes, you protect something more valuable than any specific answer.
You protect your connection to God itself.
The connection itself becomes more valuable than any particular result. It's what carries you through all circumstances.
