sustenance
The issue of sustenance is one of the primary concerns that occupies people’s minds and dominates their thoughts. It is well-known that when Allah – the Most High – created mankind, He distributed their sustenance among them without neglecting anyone, not even the fetus in its mother’s womb, for whom He has provided means of sustenance. It is essential for individuals to ensure that they do not let this matter overshadow their lives, leading them to pursue wealth through permissible and impermissible means. Such a mindset can result in materialism overtaking their moral values, ethics, and faith, making them forget the virtues and commendable characteristics that Allah has instructed them to uphold. Thus, it is the duty of every Muslim to exert their efforts, seek the necessary means, and then place their trust in Allah, showcasing their vulnerability and reliance on Him as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stated: “If you were to truly place your trust in Allah, He would provide for you just as He provides for the birds, which depart in the morning empty and return full.”
Factors for Increasing Sustenance
It is widely understood that an increase in sustenance is a goal that every individual strives to achieve, attainable only through the grace of Allah. The pursuit of wealth is a part of the adornments of worldly life, as Allah states: “Wealth and children are but adornment of worldly life.” Allah has established certain causes for the increase and expansion of sustenance that yield both reward and abundant sustenance. Below are some of these factors explained in detail:
- Piety (Taqwa): This is the gateway to every good, preventing individuals from falling into any prohibitions. It is one of the reasons that alleviates distress and brings sustenance, as Allah says: “And whoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way out and will provide for him from where he does not expect.” Piety, as defined by Ali ibn Abi Talib, includes being fearful of the Exalted, acting in accordance with the revelation, being content with little, and preparing for the Day of Departure. Those who live by piety need not fear for their sustenance.
- Seeking Forgiveness (Istighfar): It yields tremendous benefits, is easy to utter, and is permissible at all times. Allah commands it, saying: “Say, ‘Seek forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is Forgiving; He will send rain from the sky upon you in showers and give you increase in wealth and children and provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers.’
- Supplication (Dua): This is the means through which a servant communicates with their Lord, asking for relief from distress, healing from illness, or an increase in sustenance. A Muslim should supplicate earnestly to their Lord, seeking an expansion of their livelihood.
- Glorification (Tasbih): The believer praises Allah at all times, thereby increasing their good deeds, and perhaps Allah will reward them with abundant sustenance in return.
- Reliance on Allah (Tawakkul): A Muslim should firmly believe that Allah – the Most High – is the provider and restrictor of sustenance. No one can diminish the sustenance designated for another. They should strive to obtain the means, then fully place their trust in Allah, assured that He is the true giver, provider, and restrictor.
- Duha Prayer: This prayer is filled with blessings, as indicated in the sacred hadith: “O son of Adam, pray four rak’ahs for Me at the start of your day, and I will suffice you for the rest of it.”
- Marriage: Allah has promised richness for the poor who marry.
- Children: They are a source of sustenance, and Allah has prohibited refraining from having children due to fear of poverty. Every newborn is accompanied by its sustenance.
- Maintaining Kinship (Silat al-Rahm): This is one of the greatest causes of the expansion of sustenance, as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever wants their sustenance to be expanded and their lifespan to be prolonged should maintain ties with their kin.”
- Charity (Sadaqah): It embodies communal solidarity and cooperation, regardless of the amount spent. Allah – the Exalted – amplifies wealth through spending, and spending does not reduce wealth but rather increases it.
Principles and Regulations of Sustenance
Belief in the concept of sustenance is a crucial aspect of faith in Allah – the Most High. Allah, who guarantees sustenance, has set its regulations and marked its boundaries in His Book. He expands sustenance for His servants or limits it according to a wisdom known only to Him for their betterment. Below are some of these regulations explained in detail:
- Provision is in Allah’s Hands: Allah has established this principle in His Holy Book; there is no provider but Him, just as there is no creator besides Him. He created humanity and provided for them without diminishing anything from His dominion or experiencing effort or hardship. If all creation were to gather at one moment in one place and each asked for their needs, granting each request would not reduce anything from His kingdom.
- Resilience in Sustenance: Allah reminds us: “And in the heaven is your provision and what you are promised.” Thus, no one has the right to harm their children out of fear of poverty because the One who created them is responsible for their sustenance.
- Abundance Does Not Imply Divine Favor: Allah may grant abundantly to misguided individuals, while restricting provisions for the faithful. This disparity is not a clear marker of Allah’s love for the misguided or His disdain for the faithful. Allah gives worldly sustenance to whom He wishes and withholds faith from whom He wills.
- Allah Regulates Provisions: He makes whom He wills wealthy and whom He wills poor, with wisdom in His decisions.
- Blessing in Sustenance Comes from Obedience: Abundant sustenance is blessed through piety and diminished by sin.
- What Is Preordained Will Inevitably Come: The sustenance that Allah has decreed for each servant will certainly reach them. Even if all the people of the earth conspired to decrease the sustenance predetermined for someone, they would not succeed in doing so. What Allah has ordained will undoubtedly come.