Prayers for Seeking Sustenance
Divine sustenance is predetermined, measured, and wisely distributed among people by His will. Every individual will not face their end until they have received the sustenance that Allah has allotted for them. This is supported by the saying of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): “The Spirit of Revelation inspired me to be assured that no soul will die until it exhausts its allotted term and consumes its provision.” Sustenance manifests in various forms such as wealth, a righteous spouse, good offspring, health, and more. The Islamic tradition offers numerous avenues for seeking sustenance, including increasing supplications and turning to Allah, in addition to putting forth effort to obtain it. This article presents some prayers that can be recited to Allah for attracting sustenance.
Recommended Prayers
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) regularly recited a set of prayers to seek refuge from poverty and implored Allah to clear his debts. Although there isn’t a specific supplication exclusively for requesting sustenance mentioned in his traditions, here are some of those prayers:
- “O Allah, suffice me with what is lawful and keep me away from what is unlawful, and enrich me with Your bounty from others.”
- “O Allah, Lord of the seven heavens and the Lord of the mighty Throne, our Lord and the Lord of all things—He who revealed the Torah, the Gospel, and the Quran, the One who splits the seed and the date stone. I seek refuge in You from the evil of everything that You hold by its forelock. You are the First with nothing before You, and You are the Last with nothing after You. You are the Most Exalted with nothing above You, and You are the Most Hidden with nothing beneath You. Clear my debts and enrich me from poverty.”
- “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, from incapacity and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness; and I seek refuge in You from the burden of debt and the oppression of men.”
- “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from poverty, scarcity, and humiliation, and I seek refuge in You from wronging others or being wronged.”
Prayers Without Specific Text
A Muslim can invoke their Lord in any manner they desire when seeking an increase in sustenance. In this section, we will present some of those expressions:
- “O Allah, I ask You by Your most magnificent name to grant me vast, lawful, and good sustenance, by Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful.”
- “O Allah, bless us with lawful, good, and abundant sustenance as You love and are pleased with, O Lord of the Worlds.”
- “O Allah, if my sustenance is in the heavens, bring it down; if it is on the earth, extract it; if it is far away, bring it near; if it is near, make it easy; if it is little, increase it; and if it is much, bless it for me.”
- “O You who relieve hardships, O You who fulfill needs, grant me my request, alleviate my distress, and provide for me from where I least expect.”
- “O Allah, provide me with good, lawful, and blessed wealth.”
- “O Allah, grant me wealth without my effort or strength.”
- “O Allah, make me among those for whom it is said, ‘Blessed is the good wealth in the hands of a righteous servant.’
- “O Allah, rectify me and provide me with wealth that becomes a means of my righteousness.”
- “O Allah, grant me wealth that serves as proof for me, not against me, and that brings happiness in this world and the Hereafter.”
- “O Allah, grant me blessings in my wealth and let it be a proof for me, not against me.”
- “O Allah, grant me beneficial knowledge, vast sustenance, and healing from every disease and ailment, O You who provide for whom You will without account, O Most Merciful in this world and the Hereafter.”
- “O Allah, grant me mercy that suffices me from reliance on others. I call upon You, a desperate supplicant in dire need, just like a drowning person seeking help when they can find none but You. O You who relieves distress, assist me, assist me, assist me.”
- “O Allah, provide me with vast, lawful, and good sustenance without effort, and respond to my supplications without rejection. I seek refuge in You from poverty and debt. O Provider of the needy, O Merciful to the poor, O Mighty One, O Best of Helpers, O Guardian of the believers, O Rescuer of the beseechers, You alone we worship and You alone we seek help.”