Today, it is necessary to study what is known as "future sciences," which forecast future prospects in light of the visible and hidden potentials of the present, and the nation's capacities and its relationships with its surroundings. This includes the predictions made by scientific studies, which provide insights into what can be expected, based on assumptions rather than certainty. This is sufficient for planning for the future on a scientific basis.
It is not permissible for Muslims to live in isolation from these evolving sciences, which are advancing day by day with the help of great minds and huge institutions around the world. This is not a matter of predicting the unseen, which only Allah knows. Instead, it is similar to meteorology, which predicts temperature, precipitation, and other weather conditions based on observable phenomena, in order to anticipate climate changes.
If statistics are considered indicative of the scientific method, then planning is even clearer evidence of it. Planning relies on statistics and aims to develop a plan to address future possibilities and achieve desired goals.
Some people mistakenly assume that religion conflicts with scientific planning for the future. This is a result of the old notion that science and faith are opposites, unable to coexist. However, the essence of religion is based on planning for the future, as one must plan their life according to their beliefs to reach the ultimate goal of pleasing Allah and gaining His reward.
In the Quran, the story of Prophet Joseph serves as a lesson for those with understanding. It details a fifteen-year agricultural economic plan proposed by Prophet Joseph, inspired by Allah, to overcome a general food crisis. This plan brought goodness and blessings to Egypt and its surrounding areas.
Some may think that planning for the future contradicts relying on Allah or having faith in His decree. They might reject the idea that religion supports planning, let alone encourages or urges it on.
The truth is that anyone who studies the book of Allah and the sunnah of His Messenger will realize that they both reject improvisation and randomness, leaving matters to run without control or system. The Prophet - peace be upon him - made it clear that relying on Allah does not mean abandoning the means or neglecting the traditions Allah established as the system of this existence. Hardly a Muslim is unaware of the story of the Bedouin who came to the Prophet - peace be upon him - and left his camel in front of the mosque, asking: "O Messenger of Allah, should I tie up my camel and then rely on Allah, or should I leave it untied and rely on Allah?" The Prophet replied: "Tie it and rely on Allah."
Imam al-Tabari responded to those who claimed that relying on means affects the completeness of trust by saying: Those who have trust in Allah and are certain that His decree is final do not diminish their reliance on Him by relying on the means, following his way and the way of His Messenger. The Prophet -peace be upon him- himself outwardly wore armor and a helmet on his head, stationed archers at strategic points, dug a trench around the city, and gave permission for migration to Abyssinia and then to Medina. He migrated, took the means of sustenance and provisions for his family, without waiting for provisions to come down from the heavens, even though he was the most deserving of all people to receive such provisions.
Anyone who reads his biography, peace and blessings be upon him, will find that he prepared for every matter, arranged its means and provisions, took precautions, and considered all possibilities, although he was the strongest in relying on Allah the Almighty.
So when he ordered his companions - after the persecution by the Quraysh intensified - to migrate to Abyssinia, this was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but the result of understanding the geographical, religious, and political circumstances of Abyssinia at that time. This indicates that the Prophet and his companions were not isolated from the world around them, despite the difficulty of communication between distant regions.
This is also evident in their stance towards the wars with the Persians and Romans, and the debate between the Muslims and polytheists in that context. It is clear in the beginning of Surah Ar-Rum (The Romans).
And thus...they were - in the early days of the call, despite weakness and persecution - connected to the global conflict between the two great powers of that time, or the two major camps, east and west, and who the future would favor, and whether the situation would remain as it is or change in favor of which side? This is clearer in his stance - peace be upon him - in his migration to Medina, where scientific planning and faith-based trust were intertwined.
The prophet (peace be upon him) prepared all that humans can prepare from means, precautions, and equipment. He felt reassured about the destination he would move to, after the believers of Aws and Khazraj pledged allegiance in the first and second Aqabah pledges, and he stipulated for himself that they protect him from what they protect themselves and their children from.
He felt reassured about the companion who would accompany him on his challenging journey, with all its dangers and surprises, and there was no better companion than Abu Bakr. He felt reassured about the sacrifice who would stay in his place, exposing himself to the dangers and traps of the enemies, and there was no better than Ali, his cousin and the horseman of Islam, for this mission.
He arranged for a trustworthy guide who would lead him on the path, with its turns and hiding places that the seekers might get lost in, so he was a reliable pagan, Abdullah ibn Ariqat, and that is what the scholars took from him as permissible to seek help from non-Islamic technical expertise, with reassurance and safety. They prepared the means they would ride with him, his companion, and guide in their long journey, and agreed on the promised place where they would mount their rides.
He chose the hiding place where they would disappear for a few days, until the intensity of the pursuit decreases, and the people lose hope, and he chose it outside the city, to confuse the people even more, so it was the Thawr cave. He prepared the service team that would bring the supplies and news during the days of disappearance, with Asma and Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr, and after them, Amer ibn Fuhayrah, the servant of Abu Bakr, who would bring his sheep so they could milk them and hide the traces of Asma and Abdullah.
A detailed and meticulous plan, leaving no gap unfilled, and no loophole unplugged, with every soldier in his appropriate role according to his circumstances and abilities, so Abu Bakr's role was different from Ali's, which was different from Asma's, each in their rightful position. Despite this precise planning, the plan almost failed, and the pagans managed to reach the cave, standing at its entrance. Just one of them looking under their feet would have revealed the prophet and his companion in the cave, which Abu Bakr feared, and he expressed it to the prophet when he said: "If one of them looked under his feet, he would have seen us." So the faithful believer said confidently: "What do you think, O Abu Bakr, of two when Allah is their third?" [Quran 9:40].
Here, the true role of "Tawakkul" (reliance on God) was manifested, after a person does all, they can and takes all the necessary precautions and plans, they leave what they cannot control of the surprises of fate to Allah alone. This is where "Verily, Allah is with us" takes its place and bears its fruits.
