LESSONS FROM SURAH AL-MULK: HOW THE BEES AND BIRDS TEACH US ABOUT TAWAKKUL

Surah Al-Mulk opens with a powerful reminder: “Blessed is the One in whose hand is all dominion…” It is the declaration that everything  life, death, provision, protection  is ultimately in the hands of Allah. The surah teaches us to look at the world around us and notice how every creature survives through His care.

And among the countless signs woven into creation, bees and birds stand out as teachers of tawakkul  trust in Allah.

The Birds: Trust That Moves With Wings

The Prophet ﷺ once told us, “If you were to rely upon Allah with true reliance, He would provide for you just as He provides for the birds: they leave their nests hungry in the morning and return full in the evening.”

Birds don’t sit in their nests expecting food to appear. They fly out, exposed to heat, wind, predators, uncertainty — but they fly with certainty that their Lord will not abandon them. Their wings move, but their hearts rest on Allah.

Surah Al-Mulk echoes this lesson:
“Do they not see the birds above them with wings outspread? None holds them up except the Most Merciful.”
Every flap, every glide, every landing is sustained by Him.

Birds teach us that tawakkul is not passivity. It is effort tied to trust. You work, but you know the outcome is not because of your strength  it is because of Allah’s mercy.

The Bees: Discipline, Purpose, And Divine Guidance

Bees are mentioned in the Qur’an with a kind of honour:
“And your Lord inspired the bee…”
Bees are guided, organised, purposeful creatures. They move with remarkable precision. They travel long distances, collect sustenance, build homes, and return with a product Allah calls “a healing for mankind.”

They are small, but their reliance on Allah produces something rich, sweet, and beneficial.

Surah Al-Mulk calls us to reflect on creation so that our hearts recognise this truth: every creature has a path set for it by Allah. The bee follows its inspired path with humility and consistency. Not once does it worry whether the flowers will bloom tomorrow  it simply obeys, trusts, and gathers what Allah provides.

This is tawakkul lived in silent obedience.

Tawakkul Is A Balance: Movement + Trust

When you look at these creatures, you realise how often humans overthink what Allah has already guaranteed. A bird does not delay its flight out of fear. A bee does not abandon its work out of worry. Yet a human being, made nobler than both, often hesitates at the door of opportunity or collapses under the weight of uncertainty.

Surah Al-Mulk reminds us that the One who sustains the heavens and the earth is the same One who sustains you. Provision, guidance, safety all flow from Him.

Tawakkul is not laziness disguised as piety. Nor is it anxiety disguised as planning. It is a balanced posture of the heart:
Do your part. Trust His decree. Accept what comes. Know that He never leaves you alone.

Reflecting On The Signs Makes Faith Steadier

Every morning when birds take flight, they testify that Allah is Al-Razzaq the Provider.
Every time a bee returns to its hive with nectar, it testifies that Allah is Al-Hadi  the One who guides.

And every time you step into a new task, a new day, or a new phase of life, you are invited to do the same.

Surah Al-Mulk wasn’t revealed just to be recited at night. It was revealed to awaken the heart. To make us see creation through the lens of trust. To remind us that the One who holds the dominion of the skies also holds the details of our lives.

A Heart That Trusts Lives Lightly

Worry makes life heavy. Tawakkul makes life soft.

To trust Allah the way the birds trust Him is to move through the day without panic. To trust Allah the way the bees trust Him is to work with sincerity and leave the results to Him.

These creatures don’t know tomorrow. They don’t know how long they will live. But they know enough — that Allah provides, Allah protects, and Allah never disappoints those who rely on Him.

And that is enough for the believer too.

Surah Al-Mulk calls us not just to read the world, but to read our own hearts. To see how Allah cares for even the smallest creature, and to remember that you are far more beloved to Him.

Wherever you turn in the sky or in the garden  the signs are there.
Trust is not impossible.
Tawakkul is not distant.
It is already written into the world around you, waiting for your heart to follow.