Poems About Sustenance
Numerous poets have composed verses addressing the theme of sustenance. Among the Arab poets who have written on this important topic are:
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib reflects on sustenance with the following lines:
Embrace the piety of God if you find yourself oblivious,
For sustenance will arrive unexpectedly.
How can you fear poverty when God is the Provider?
He has given sustenance to birds and fish in the sea.
Those who think sustenance comes solely through strength
Are mistaken; the sparrow eats nothing alongside the eagle.
Be mindful of your time, for you do not know
If you will live until dawn.
How many a healthy person has passed away without ailment,
While many ailing individuals have lived for ages?
How many a youth has come and gone laughing,
While his burial shroud is woven, unbeknownst to him?
For someone who has lived for a thousand years or two,
There must come a day when they walk toward the grave.
In another poem, he states:
If a rock were to reside deep in the sea,
God would ensure that sustenance reaches the servant, even from its depths.
Or if it were beneath seven layers, He would make the path easy for her,
So that what is destined reaches its mark.
He also expressed:
Do not succumb to a creature out of greed,
For such a stance shows weakness in faith.
Seek sustenance from God, who holds boundless treasures,
For matters rest between “Be” and “It is.”
Indeed, that which you hope for and yearn for,
Is merely the plight of one beggar seeking another’s aid.
How beautiful is generosity in both this world and the next,
And how dreadful is miserliness in beings formed from clay.
How harmonious are faith and this world when they unite,
For may God not bless a world devoid of faith.
If possessing a sound mind could yield wealth,
Then all wise individuals would be akin to Qarun.
Rather, sustenance is weighed by a wise judge,
Granting both the wise and the foolish their share.
Ibn Abi Al-Dunya
Ibn Abi Al-Dunya shares his insights on sustenance:
Those who believe sustenance arrives through cunning,
Have deceived themselves and stand guilty.
Wealth eludes those who remain idle in sleepless nights,
While others find sustenance while in sleep.
Poverty does not stem from an inadequate plot,
Nor does wealth arise from toil; sustenance among people has a divider.
I shall remain patient even as fate weighs down upon me,
Content with God’s decree, for He is the ruler.
For I have lived through times of hardship,
And shared in ease while my dignity remains intact.
Ibn Al-A’rabi
Ibn Al-A’rabi expresses his sentiments regarding sustenance:
All praise be to God; sustenance is not obtained through mere solicitation,
Nor are gifts offered to those with intellect or etiquette.
When God has destined something for you, you will find a means,
And should He refuse what you desire, no effort will alter that lack.
I might speak to myself in its constriction,
But even as time bears down with amazement.
Patience through the narrow days will lead to relief,
For patience flourishes only within the realm of the wise.
God will open the doors of provision,
Wherein lie your comforts from toil.
If my words were to be articulated from pure silver,
Silence would indeed be as precious as gold.
Nur Al-Din Al-Salimi
Nur Al-Din Al-Salimi elucidates his thoughts on sustenance:
Simplify your heart, for sustenance is predetermined,
And lifespan written, clearly delineated.
It will not exceed what is inscribed, and cowardice will not deter
What is unavoidable in the unseen.
Exerting effort to seek wealth is ignorant folly,
And protecting your soul from untimely death is crucial.
The question remains, have you hastened toward your fate,
While a coward lingers, uncertain of his shell?
Neither hastening nor delaying serves you, for
In bravery lies the attainment of all glory.
In bravery exists an indestructible fortress,
While cowardice only yields disgrace and surrender.
Whoever strides boldly may find honor in time,
Yet a timid soul finds ruin in both worlds.
Choose wisely, which state do you prefer?
For the generous are immune to humiliation.
Know that should you face an adversary with steadfastness,
You will encounter from his eyes, nothing but respect.
Imam Al-Shafi’i
Imam Al-Shafi’i provides his perspective on sustenance:
I place my trust for sustenance in God, my Creator,
And I am certain that He is indeed the Provider.
What is meant for me will undoubtedly reach me,
Even if it lies deep within the ocean’s depths.
God will bring it forth through His grace,
Even without my tongue uttering a single syllable.
What can a soul achieve by lamenting,
When Allah, the Merciful, has allocated sustenance for all beings?
Diverse Verses on Sustenance
- How many strong have faced adversity in their pursuit,
Yet fail to find sustenance that eludes them.
And how many weak ones grasp wealth,
As if drawing from the ocean’s endless bounty.
- Trust in the Merciful in every need,
And do not choose negligence over effort.
Have you not seen that God instructed Mary,
To shake the tree and the ripe dates to fall?
- O traveler amidst calamities and demise,
Do not hasten, for sustenance does not come in haste.
Without your Lord, no one reigns over the heavens,
And the one who orbits remains bound without strength.
Have you seen the fisherman, struggling against the waves,
While the stars of night become interconnected?
He trails his line as the waves beat him down,
Yet through it all, he seeks fortune without care.
By the grace of God, he catches while others watch,
Desiring what he holds in hand.
- Indeed, in patience and contentment lies the wealth of time,
While the greedy suffer eternal poverty.
For people are like animals in their quest for sustenance,
Whether unaware or those who discern.
The resolve of a brave person does not secure sustenance,
Nor does a timid soul gather the wealth it craves.
- I see you sitting there, anticipating my arrival,
And I realize that burdens accompany you.
Take heart and have faith in your Lord,
For one who trusts finds solace in hardship.
They shed burdens from their souls, knowing sustenance is ensured,
As they become aware that it is written.