Provision is an actual attribute of Allah, He is The Ever Providing. The meaning of Provision is whatever the human needs. Allah has two names have this meaning; Ar-Razzaq and Ar-Raziq as He said,” Indeed, it is Allah Who is the ‘continual’ Provider, the firm possessor of strength.”
Provision is divided into two types: the first; is providing bodies with food, drinks and whatever they need to live, as Allah is the one who provides every small or large organ what it needs and for all creatures such as Jinn, mankind or animals. “So blessed is Allah, the best of creators”.
The second type of provision; is providing the souls with knowledge and education which is the best type, because our hearts lack this kind and through it we can recognize Allah. Thus, every Muslim when he supplicates; O Allah! Provide me! He has to intend gaining the two kinds of provisions that one of the body and the other of hearts.
Oh servants of Allah! Allah had made a reason for everything, so His sustenance has many means that the Muslim has to work to gain it: the first reason is ‘Tawakul’ which means relying upon Allah, as our Prophet said,” If you all depend on Allah with due reliance, He would certainly give you provision as He gives it to birds who go forth hungry in the morning and return with full belly at dusk.” However, relying upon Allah needs the other reason to be completed that representing in; hard working and making efforts as Allah says,” It is He who made the earth tame for you, so walk among its slopes and eat of His provision and to Him is the resurrection.”
Hence, the real ‘Tawakul’ and want of Him with hard working to seek provision and every work needs ‘Taqwah’ which represents the third reason and means fearing Allah secretly and in public, obeying His orders and avoiding His prohibitions as our Lord said,” And whoever fears Allah He’ll make for him a way out and will provide for him where he does not expect.” Allah had promised his servants that if they fear him, he’ll provide for them blessing from many ways as in following Ayah, “And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied [the messengers], so We seized them for what they were earning.” Think carefully of that Ayah, where Allah promises whoever believe or fear Him that He’ll open many blessings not only one, and from two ways; heaven and earth not from only one place. So, are you one of those? Or are you one the doubters whom disobey Allah and commit sins?
The fourth reason: “Istighfar” seeking Allah’s forgiveness”
Allah said, “And O my people, ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him. He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in showers and increase you in strength [added] to your strength. And do not turn away, [being] criminals.” How many times you ask forgiveness during your day or even feel that word of seeking forgiveness from your creator? How many times did you feel in need of Allah? Did you direct to Allah for forgiveness and repentance or you just go to excess in disobeying?
The fifth reason: Being grateful for ‘Ar-Razzaq’ The Provider
Allah mentioned in His Book,” And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, my punishment is severe”. Show your feeling of grateful for Allah in everywhere you go, confess His blessing; all these little things are kinds of thanking. Unfortunately, there are some people who do not satisfy with what they have of many blessings, they always desire more and more; the way that lead them to ingratitude and denial the blessing of Allah.
Moreover, many Muslims are ingratitude for their Lord; thinking they had owned these blessings by their own skills and hard work, feeling no kind of grateful for Allah that He is the provider.
O servants of Allah, Here is another way of getting provision; it’s the charity and spending money for the sake of Allah as he said, “But whatever thing you spend ‘in His cause’ He will compensate it; and He is the best Provider” In addition to a Qudusi Hadith where Allah mentioned that “O son of Adam, spend ‘on charity’, and I shall spend on you.” On the other hand, fearing of spending doubting in poverty is from Satan as Allah told us, “Thus, spend for the sake of Allah and Allah will spend on you.”
I say these words and seek forgiveness of Allah for me and for you all.
Praise be to Allah and peace be upon His Prophet then; one more reason for having provision is to dedicate yourself to worship Allah as he ordered. It does not mean that you have to keep yourself in Masjid worship Allah; but to make a ‘niyyah’ or intention that every single action comes out of you as a kind of worship, for example; talking honestly, no lies adhering to the Sunnah in your deeds, deal and behave such as our Prophet and his companions were dealing. This kind of worship just like in the Qudusi Hadith mentioned, “O son of Adam, dedicate yourself to my worship, and I shall make you satisfied with all what you have and prevent your poverty. But if you do not, I shall make your hands busy and never prevent your poverty.” So, ask yourself which one am I?
The eighth reason: ‘Kinship’
The Prophet said, “He whoever desires to have more provision full of blessings or to live longer and blessed life; so, keep kinship” Think of how many of those who have low experience and work little, however, they gain huge provision in comparison with others. If you searched for the reasons behind you’ll find that they keep the relation of kinship. “The Prophet ‘peace be upon him’ said, “The most quick reward of an obedience; is that reward of kinship, even if those owners of that home are wicked, their money and they increase in numbers if they keep the relation of kinship.”
The ninth reason: ‘To inquire about the pure income and to avoid the prohibited one’
The Prophet said, “The Holy Spirit inspired me to say that no person dies until his sustenance is completed; therefore, fear Allah and take it easy in earning your sustenance. Don’t let the slowness of your sustenance urge you to seek the bounty of Allah by His disobedience, because Allah’s bounty is gained through obedience to Him.” O servants of Allah! I swear by Allah that no one will die until he fulfills his provision which Allah had written. So, why do we ask for our sustenance with Allah’s disobedience? Why in our society we have that one who steals, robs or paying a bribe and accepting usury? Why some Muslims participate in such competitions based on gamble? Why some of us work as a singer or an actor and gain prohibited money and some others mixing with women which is unlawful?
The answer is because they do not truly believe that Allah is the only Provider, the Firm Possessor of strength: so, they depend on their own strength, knowledge and experience even if they disobey their Lord. Hence, Allah let them feeling pride but they will face severe punishment.
Finally, fear Allah and ask for provision in a Halal way, so, Allah will bless it and increase. And do not deal with unlawful ways, so, you’ll get Allah’s anger where He’ll wipe off those blessings.
O Allah! make what is lawful enough for me, as opposed to what is unlawful and spare me by your grace, of need of othersand provide for us where we do not expect.