We Do Not Ask You for Provision, We Provide for You

لا نسألك رزقًا نحن نرزقك

We Do Not Ask You for Provision, We Provide for You

Translated by: Reza Ervani bin Asmanu

This article “We Do Not Ask You for Provision, We Provide for You” is included in the Tadabbur al Quran in English Category

خطاب القرآن خطاب صدق وعدل، وإخباره إخبار حق وفصل، إذ هو الجد ليس بالهزل:

The khithab (address) of the al Qur’an is an address of honesty and justice, and its news is the news of truth and firm determination, for it is earnestness and not a jest:

{لَا يَأْتِيهِ الْبَاطِلُ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَلَا مِنْ خَلْفِهِ تَنْزِيلٌ مِنْ حَكِيمٍ حَمِيدٍ} [فصلت: 42]

“Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or from behind it; [it is] a revelation from a [Lord who is] Wise and Praiseworthy.” [Fushshilat: 42]

{وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِنْدِ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَوجَدُوا فِيهِ اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا} [النساء: 82]

“If it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction.” [an Nisaa: 82]

وحديثنا – في مقالنا هذا – يدور حول آية مفتاحية من آيات الكتاب الكريم، وهي قوله جلَّ وعلا:

Our discussion in this article revolves around a key verse from the verses of the Noble Book, namely the words of Jalla wa ‘Alaa:

{وَأْمُرْ أَهْلَكَ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَاصْطَبِرْ عَلَيْهَا لَا نَسْأَلُكَ رِزْقًا نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُكَ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلتَّقْوَى} [طه: 132]

“And enjoin prayer upon your family [and people] and be steadfast therein. We ask you not for provision; We provide for you. And the [best] outcome is for [those of] righteousness.” [Thaha: 132]

والآية وإن جاءت خطابًا لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، إلا إنها خطاب لأمته من بعده؛ تأمر الأهل خاصة، وولاة الأمور عامة، بأمر مَنْ كان تحت ولايتهم وعهدهم بالصلاة، إقامة لها ومحافظة عليها. الشريعة طافحة بالأدلة الحاثة على الصلاة إقامة وحفظًا، إذ هي عمود الدين ودعامته، فبإقامتها إقامة الدين، وبالإعراض عنها فلا قائمة له.

This verse, although it came as an address to the Messenger of Allah shallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, is also an address to his ummah after him; commanding families in particular, and leaders (guardians) in general, to command whoever is under their guardianship and responsibility to perform shalaah, to establish it, and to maintain it. The Syari’ah is abundant with evidence urging the establishment and preservation of shalaah, as it is the pillar of religion and its support; by establishing it, the religion is established, and by turning away from it, the religion will not stand.

غير أن الأمر المهم في الآية توجيه الخطاب إلى أولياء الأمور بتعهد أبناءهم ومن كان تحت رعايتهم، بإقامة الصلاة والمحافظة عليها، تهيئة لهم إليها، وتعويدًا عليها، وفي الحديث الصحيح:

However, an important matter in this verse is the direction of the khithab to guardians to attend to their children and whoever is under their care to establish shalaah and maintain it, as a form of preparation and habituation for them. In an authentic hadith, it is mentioned:

(مروا أولادكم بالصلاة وهم أبناء سبع سنين واضربوهم عليها وهم أبناء عشر)

“Command your children to perform shalaah when they are seven years old, and strike them for [leaving] it when they are ten years old.” (Narrated by Abu Dawuud)

روي أن عمر رضي الله عنه كان إذا استيقظ من الليل أيقظ أهله، وقرأ قوله تعالى: {وَأْمُرْ أَهْلَكَ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَاصْطَبِرْ عَلَيْهَا}.

It is narrated that ‘Umar radhiyallaahu ‘anhu, when he woke up at night, would wake his family and recite the words of Allah the Almighty: {And enjoin prayer upon your family and be steadfast therein}.

ولما كانت النفوس ميَّالة إلى طلب الراحة، ومتثاقلة عن أداء ما كُلِّفت به، جاء الأمر الإلهي بالاصطبار على تحمل أداء الصلاة {وَاصْطَبِرْ عَلَيْهَا} والضمير يعود إلى الصلاة، والمعنى: تزود بالصبر للقيام بما كُلِّفت به؛ من أداء للصلاة، وأمرٍ لأهلك بها، ولا تتثاقل عما كُلِّفت به؛ والاصطبار فيه معنى الانحباس لأمر مهم، وذي شأن، ومستمر.

Since souls tend to seek comfort and feel heavy in fulfilling what they are assigned, the Divine command came to perform istishbaar (to be patiently constant) in bearing the burden of performing shalaah: {and be steadfast therein}. The dhamir (pronoun) here refers to the shalaah, and its meaning is: Equip yourself with patience to carry out what has been assigned to you, both in performing shalaah and in commanding your family to do so, and do not feel burdened. The word istishbaar carries the meaning of restraining oneself for a matter that is important, noble, and continuous.

حيث إن الخطاب القرآني قد يُتبادر منه أن طلب العبادة والتوجه إليها يكون عائقًا أو مانعًا من تحصيل الرزق، أبان الخطاب أن أمر الرزق موكول إلى رب العباد ومدبر الأرزاق، فقال: {لَا نَسْأَلُكَ رِزْقًا نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُكَ} أي: لا نسألك أن ترزق نفسك وإياهم، وتشتغل عن الصلاة بسبب الرزق، بل نحن نتكفل برزقك وإياهم، وقريب من هذا المعنى قوله تعالى:

Since the khithab al Qur’ani might be understood at first glance as implying that the demand for worship could be an obstacle to obtaining provision, the khithab explains that the matter of provision is entrusted to the Lord of the servants and the Disposer of all provision. He says: {We ask you not for provision; We provide for you}; meaning: We do not ask you to provide for yourself or them, such that you become occupied away from shalaah due to the reason of provision, rather it is We who guarantee your provision and their provision. Similar to this meaning is the word of Allah the Almighty:

{وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ * مَا أُرِيدُ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ رِزْقٍ وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ يُطْعِمُونِ * إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينُ} [الذاريات: 56-58]

“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, it is Allah who is the [continual] Provider, the firm possessor of strength.” [adz Dzaariyaat: 56-58]

وإياك – أخي الكريم – أن تفهم من هذا الخطاب القرآني التقاعد عن طلب الرزق، وترك الأسباب، طلبًا لتحصيل أسباب الحياة؛ فليس ذلك بمراد وهو فهم قاصر لهذه الآية؛ ويكفيك في هذا المقام قوله تعالى:

And do not—O my noble brother—understand from this address of the al Qur’an to stop seeking provision or to abandon the means in achieving the necessities of life; for that is not the intention and is a shallow understanding of this verse. Sufficient for you in this regard is the word of Allah the Almighty:

{هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ ذَلُولًا فَامْشُوا فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا وَكُلُوا مِنْ رِزْقِهِ} [الملك: 15]

“It is He who made the earth tame for you – so walk among its slopes and eat of His provision.” [al Mulk: 15]

والآيات المقررة لهذا المعنى ليست قليلة، فلا يلتبس الأمر عليك؛ فالمحظور إنما الانشغال بأسباب الرزق عن عبادة الله سبحانه، وخاصة الصلاة، إذ هي أكثر العبادات تكررًا في حياة المسلم، فإذا قام الإنسان بالأسباب المتاحة فقد حصل المطلوب، أما إن انشغل بالأسباب، وشُغل بتحصيل الرزق، وترك أو قصَّر فيما كُلِّفه من واجبات فقد وقع فيما هو محظور وممنوع.

The verses establishing this meaning are not few, so do not let this matter confuse you. What is prohibited is only the preoccupation with seeking provision that neglects the worship of Allah Subhaanahu, especially shalaah, as it is the most frequently repeated worship in the life of a Muslim. If a person has strived through the available means, then the requirement has been fulfilled. However, if he is too busy with the means and the pursuit of provision that he leaves or neglects the duties assigned to him, then he has fallen into what is prohibited and forbidden.

وإذ تقرر هذا، كان معنى الآية: إذا أقمت الصلاة – في نفسك وأهلك – وعملت بأسباب الرزق الميسرة دون تكلف، أتاك الرزق من حيث لا تحتسب، كما قال تعالى:

Once this is established, the meaning of the verse is: If you establish shalaah—within yourself and your family—and strive for the means of provision that are made easy without excessive burden, then provision will come to you from where you do not expect, as Allah the Almighty said:

{وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مَخْرَجًا * وَيَرْزُقُهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ} [الطلاق: 2-3]

“And whoever fears Allah – He will make for him a way out, and will provide for him from where he does not expect.” [at Thalaaq: 2-3]

على هذا، فلا عذر اليوم لمن قصَّر في إقام الصلاة في نفسه وأهله، بدعوى طلب الرزق، وتعدد مطالب الحياة، بحيث تجد أحدهم يلهث صباح مساء لتأمين مطالب الحياة، غافلاً أو متغافلا عن شؤون أبنائه، ثم تكون النتيجة لا أرضًا قطع ولا ظهرًا أبقى، ولات ساعة مندم. وينفع في هذا المقام، أن نذكر بما رواه أبو هريرة رضي الله عنه، قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: يقول الله تعالى:

Therefore, there is no excuse today for anyone who neglects to establish shalaah within himself and his family under the pretext of seeking provision or the numerous demands of life, where you find one of them panting morning and night to secure the demands of life, while being heedless or pretending to be heedless of the affairs of his children. The result is that he neither achieves what he pursues nor preserves what he should have guarded. It is very beneficial in this regard for us to mention what was narrated by Abu Hurairah radhiyallaahu ‘anhu, who said: The Messenger of Allah shallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: Allah the Almighty said:

(يا ابن آدم تفرَّغ لعبادتي أملأ صدرك غنى، وأسدُّ فقرك، وإن لم تفعل، ملأت صدرك شغلاً، ولم أسدَّ فقرك)

“O son of Adam, free yourself for My worship, I will fill your chest with riches and cover your poverty. If you do not do so, I will fill your chest with preoccupation and I will not cover your poverty.” (Narrated by at Tirmidziy and Ibnu Maajah)

وبما رواه ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه، قال: سمعت نبيكم صلى الله عليه وسلم، يقول:

And as narrated by Ibnu Mas’uud radhiyallaahu ‘anhu, who said: I heard your Prophet shallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam say:

(من جعل الهموم همًا واحداً، همَّ المعاد، كفاه الله هم دنياه، ومن تشعبت به الهموم في أحوال الدنيا لم يبالِ الله في أي أوديتها هلك)

“Whoever makes all his worries into one worry, which is the worry of the Hereafter, Allah will suffice his worldly worries. And whoever has his worries branched out in worldly affairs, Allah will not care in which valley he perishes.” (Narrated by Ibnu Maajah)

وبما روي أيضًا عن زيد بن ثابت رضي الله عنه، قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، يقول:

And also as narrated from Zaid bin Tsaabit radhiyallaahu ‘anhu, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah shallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam say:

(من كانت الدنيا همَّه فرَّق الله عليه أمره، وجعل فقره بين عينيه، ولم يأته من الدنيا إلا ما كتب له، ومن كانت الآخرة نيته، جمع له أمره، وجعل غناه في قلبه، وأتته الدنيا وهي راغمة)

“Whoever makes the world his goal, Allah will scatter his affairs, place poverty before his eyes, and he will not receive from the world except what has been decreed for him. And whoever makes the Hereafter his intention, Allah will gather his affairs, place richness in his heart, and the world will come to him in submission.” (Narrated by at Tirmidziy and Ahmad)

نخلص من قراءة هذه الآية الكريمة، أن أمر الأهل بأداء العبادات الشرعية عمومًا، والصلاة خصوصًا، ومتابعتهم على أدائها، واجب أساس من واجبات الأبوين، والأب على وجه الأخص؛ وأن هذا الواجب يحتاج إلى صبر ومصابرة ومتابعة وحكمة أيضًا، ينبغي أن يتحلى بها كل من الأبوين؛ ودلت الآية الكريمة أيضًا على أنه لا ينبغي للوالدين أن يقصرا في هذا الواجب بحجة تأمين الرزق لأبنائهم، فإن هذا أمر قد تكفل الله به، لكن مع الأخذ بالأسباب، والسعي في طلبها، والقيام بكل واجب وفق أهميته، ومكانته في سلم الواجبات الشرعية.

We conclude from the reading of this noble verse that commanding the family to perform syari’at acts of worship in general, and shalaah in particular, as well as monitoring their performance, is a fundamental duty of the parents, especially the father. This duty requires patience, perseverance, monitoring, and wisdom that must be possessed by the parents. This noble verse also indicates that parents should not neglect this duty under the pretext of securing provision for their children, as this is a matter that Allah has guaranteed, yet still while taking the means, striving to seek them, and fulfilling every duty according to its level of importance and position in the hierarchy of syari’at duties.

والله أعلم.

And Allah knows best.

Source: IslamWeb