Quranic Verses on Sustenance

Verses Discussing the Source of Sustenance

There are several verses that clarify Allah – Glorified and Exalted – ensures the distribution of sustenance among all His creatures, as indicated below:

(And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision, and He knows its place of dwelling and its repository; all is in a clear record).
(Allah is the One who created the heavens and the earth and sent down rain from the sky, and brought forth thereby fruits as provision for you, and made the ships subservient to you to sail through the sea by His command, and made the rivers subservient to you).
(He causes the night to enter the day, and He causes the day to enter the night; and He brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living; and He provides for whom He wills without account).
(He it is who has made the earth subservient to you; so walk in its slopes and eat of the sustenance He has provided, and to Him will you be resurrected).
(Indeed, Allah is the Provider, the Strong, the Firm).

Verses Discussing Causes of Sustenance

Numerous verses explain the reasons behind Allah’s provision for His servants, emphasizing that sustenance is linked to various actions, including:

God-consciousness (taqwa); as indicated in His saying: (And if the people of those cities had believed and been fearful [of Allah], We would have opened up to them blessings from the heavens and the earth; but they denied [the truth], so We seized them for what they were earning).

And His saying: (And when their terms are reached, either keep them with kindness or part with them in kindness, and bring in to witness two just men among you, and establish the testimony for Allah. This is advised to whoever should believe in Allah and the Last Day; and whoever fears Allah – He will make for him a way out* and will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a decreed extent).

Seeking forgiveness; as mentioned in His saying: (Say, ‘Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is Forgiving* He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers).
Righteous deeds which are considered among the causes of sustenance, evidenced by the following:
- Allah – The Exalted – stated: (O messengers, eat from the good things and work righteousness; indeed, I, of what you do, am Knowing).
- Allah – The Exalted – declared: (And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me* I do not want from them any provision, nor do I want them to feed Me. Indeed, Allah is the Provider, the Firm).
- Allah – The Exalted – articulated: (Whoever does a righteous deed, whether male or female, while he is a believer, We will surely give him a good life, and We will surely give them their reward according to the best of what they used to do).
- Allah – The Exalted – spoke of His Prophet Ibrahim: (And We gave him Ishaq and Yaqub, and each one We guided, and Nuh We guided before; and among his descendants were Dawud, Sulayman, Ayyub, Yusuf, Musa, and Harun. And thus do We reward the doers of good).

Forms of Sustenance in This World and the Hereafter

Forms of Sustenance in This World

Allah – The Exalted – has divided sustenance among His servants in various forms, which includes:

Provision of food, evidenced by the following:
- Allah – The Exalted – stated: (O you who have believed, eat from the good things which We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah if it is [indeed] Him that you worship).
- Allah – The Exalted – commented: (So her Lord accepted her with good acceptance and caused her to grow in a good manner, and entrusted her to Zakaria. Every time Zakariya entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found with her provision. He said, ‘O Mary, from where is this coming to you?’ She said, ‘It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without account.’)
- Allah – The Exalted – also stated: (And [recall] when Moses prayed for water for his people, so We said, ‘Strike with your staff the stone.’ And there gushed forth from it twelve springs, and every people knew its watering place. ‘Eat and drink from the provision of Allah, and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption).
Provision of rain; as stated by Allah – The Exalted -: (He is the One who shows you His signs and sends down from the sky provision for you. But none will remember except one who turns back [to Allah]).
Provision of righteous offspring; as mentioned in His saying – The Exalted -: (And He will provide you with wealth and children and will make for you gardens and will make for you rivers).
Expansion of sustenance with the arrival of offspring; as per Allah’s address in Surah Al-Isra: (And do not kill your children for fear of poverty; We provide for them and for you. Indeed, killing them is a great sin). And also His statement: (Say, ‘Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited to you: that you not associate anything with Him, and to parents, good treatment. And do not kill your children out of poverty; We provide for them and for you’).

Forms of Sustenance in the Hereafter

Allah – The Exalted – stated: (Whoever commits a wrongdoing will not be recompensed except by that which is similar, and whoever does righteousness, whether male or female while being a believer, those will enter Paradise, where they will be provided therein without account), and He also stated: (And give good tidings to those who have believed and done righteous deeds that they will have Gardens in which rivers flow, and every time they are provided with a provision from therein, they will say, ‘This is what was given to us before.’ And they will be given similar to it; and they will have therein purified spouses, and they will abide therein eternally).

Hadith on Sustenance

There are several hadiths that mention sustenance, including:

From Anas bin Malik – may Allah be pleased with him – he said: The Messenger of Allah – peace be upon him – said: (Whoever loves that his provision be expanded and his life be prolonged, let him maintain his ties of kinship).
From Umar bin Al-Khattab – may Allah be pleased with him – he said: The Messenger of Allah – peace be upon him – said: (If you were to rely upon Allah with the reliance that is due to Him, you would be provided for just as the birds are provided for. They leave in the morning empty and return in the evening full).