In every hardship of the journey, tawakkul is no longer an abstract idea; it becomes the traveller’s daily lifeline. When sleep is broken, plans unravel, or safety feels uncertain, the believer learns to lean not on timetables, vehicles or people, but on the Rabb Who controls all means. Fatigue, delays and fear each become occasions to say with the heart as well as the tongue:

“Hasbiyallāhu wa ni‘mal‑wakīl”– Allah is sufficient for me and is the best Disposer of affairs. (3:174)

The traveler’s prayers, in that state, is colored by three things: confession of weakness, recognition of God’s power, and acceptance of whatever He decrees. This is true tawakkul: not abandonment of effort, but tying the camel, doing one’s best, and then surrendering the outcome to Allah with contentment. In such moments, every cancelled connection, missed turn, or unexpected help on the road becomes a sign that the real Companion of the journey is not the driver, airline or caravan-but the Living God Who hears the supplication of the traveler and guides him through both the outer road and the inner path of the heart.

Allah’s special nearness to the traveler’s prayer is part of His Mercy

Why the traveler is singled out

The Holy Prophet^(sa) said:

“Three supplications are answered without a doubt: the supplication of the oppressed, the supplication of the traveler, and the supplication of the parent for his child.”

In all three cases the heart is deeply softened: the oppressed has no helper, the parent is utterly sincere, and the traveler is away from home and support, exposed to danger, and more keenly aware of his need for Allah. It is this inner state-not the physical act of moving-that makes the traveler’s  prayer especially receptive.

Allah says:

Or, Who responds to the afflicted person when he calls upon Him, and removes the affliction, and will make you inheritors of the earth? Then, is there a god beside Allah? Little is it that you heed. (Al‑Naml 27:63)

Amman yujeebul‑muḍṭarra idhā da‘āhu wa yakshifu s‑sū’a wa yaj‘alukum khulafā’a l‑arḍ, a‑ilāhun ma‘a Allāh? Qalīlan mā tadhakkarūn.

The sincere traveler often is this “distressed person”: uncertain of what lies ahead, separated from family, and thrown back onto pure tawakkul. The Qur’an here makes “Istarrar’ (desperate need) the real cause for acceptance; the hadith then highlights the traveler as one of the clearest examples of that state.

This and other verses show that Allah commands prayer, declares Himself near, and ties His mercy to a humble, hopeful, God‑fearing heart, the very qualities heightened in genuine travel.

Promised Messiah^(as): hardship and living prayers

The Promised Messiah^(as), emphasized that Allah has placed a special power in prayers that arise from pain, humility and utter dependence, and that hardships are often a mercy to awaken such living prayers. The Promised Messiah^(as) explained that cold, formal words have little effect, whereas a broken, yearning heart draws divine grace and becomes a means of nearness to God.

The sincere traveller—lonely, uncertain yet hopeful—embodies this broken‑hearted turning. His outward journey often becomes an inward migration from reliance on means to reliance on the Rabb Who hears every whispered plea on every lonely road.