How can self-exertion (jihad al-nafs) and reliance on Allah (tawakkul) be reconciled, considering that reliance on Allah means disavowing one's own power and strength, and that a servant should not rely on himself due to his weakness, as stated in the Hadith: "And do not leave me to myself even for the blink of an eye," and the supplication of Yusuf (peace be upon him): "And unless You avert their cunning from me, I might incline toward them"?

There is no contradiction between striving against the self (mujahadat al-nafs) and relying upon Allah (tawakkul ala Allah). Striving against the self is the fight against the self that incites evil, compelling it to obey Allah and to adhere to the morals of the Book and the Sunnah, and it is among the most difficult of endeavors. As for reliance upon Allah, it is depending on Allah and entrusting all matters to Him; it is an act of the heart and does not contradict work and struggle. Rather, the one who strives must remain reliant upon Allah.