The Bestower of Provision

Allah, the Almighty says:

﴾Surely Allah is the Bestower of provision, Lord of Power, the Almighty﴿. Holy Quran (52:58)

People, birds, fish, animals, insects and reptiles are all creatures, which need food, air and water. Allah has bestowed His sustenance on each and every creature on earth and all must work and search for their provision.

Allah, the Most High says: "And He set firm mountains, on the earth, standing above its surface, and He blessed the earth and measured therein nourishment for all things, in four periods: in accordance with the needs of the seekers". Holy Qur'an (41:10)

People are the seekers of sustenance, for food, water and money, on this earth. In our organized society we get them through working in different fields such as: agriculture, industry, cattle-rearing, commerce and other kinds of employment such as carpentry, science, medicine, engineering, tailoring, etc.

Consider the food which you eat at every meal and think from where it came?

The vegetables, grain, fruit, meat, fish, poultry, milk, eggs or dairy products and so on.

Who brought forth the crops which farmers grow to be processed into delicious food?

Who created animals whose flesh may be cooked to give us sustenance, or from which milk is obtained?

Only our Creator is the Maker of provisions for us on this earth. And surely, to gain these we need to work. Indeed prophets themselves have striven for the sake of obtaining sustenance.

Prophet Moses [a]1 used to graze cattle and so did Prophet David [a]. Prophet Noah [a] worked as a carpenter, as did Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him and his household], who also used to graze cattle, and who worked in commerce in Mecca for a certain time.

The acquisition of provision needs supplies, demand and surety. Allah has provided such basic requirements as oxygen, sunlight and rain in order that land can be irrigated, plants cultivated and animals reared. For man to survive and be healthy and strong in both body and mind he needs to think, work and to organize his life around him.

Those Deprived

Allah's blessings upon us are numerous and uncountable. He provides basic provisions and favors for all mankind. So why, it can be asked, do we see that some poor people starve, and have no material benefits or dwellings? Verily the reason behind this can be seen very clearly.

At one end of the scale, some people are lazy and have no inclination to work for the sake of earning their provision. And indeed Allah dislikes them.

At the other end of the scale, some people behave as oppressors and tyrants, amassing fortunes out of their own greed and not for the good of society. They use the poor and needy for their own ends and neglect their welfare.

This is despite the fact that Allah has made it obligatory to help the poor so that no one remains in need.

Therefore, the real reason for people's poverty in most cases is the deprivation of their rights by the rich, upon whom Allah has placed responsibility to alleviate their burden.

Surely Allah is the Bestower of Provision, the Lord of Power, the Almighty.

* Islamic Doctrines Simplified. Published by: Al Balagh Foundation. P.O. Box 1977/19395, Tehran. Islamic Republic of Iran

^{1- [a] is an abbreviation for the Arabic phrase "aleihi/aleiha/ aleihim salam" meaning "peace be upon him/her/them". It is recommended for all Muslims to invoke this salutation when mentioning the names of the fourteen members of the Ahlul Bayt [a] or any of the prophets, messengers or pure saints [a].}