الحمد لله، الحمد لله الذي يرزق جميع أهل الأرض والسماوات، حتى الذي يكفر به ويعبد العزى واللات، ويفعل السيئات، ونشكره تعالى ونستغفره ونستغيثه، نعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيئات أعمالنا، من يهد الله فهو المهتد ومن يضلل فلن تجد له وليا مرشدا، ونشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك و له الحمد، يحيي ويميت، بيده الخير، وهو على كل شيء قدير،  ونشهد أن سيدنا و مولانا محمداً عبده ورسوله، وحبيبه وصفيه، بلغ الرسالة وأدى الأمانة ونصح الأمة، النبي الأمي الذي أرسله الله بالهدى والدين الحق، بشيرا ونذيرا بين يدي الساعة، صلى الله عليه وسلم وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.

أما بعد! فيا عباد الله اتقوا الله حق تقاته ولا تموتن إلا وأنتم مسلمون. يأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله وقولوا قولا سديدا يصلح لكم أعمالكم ويغفر لكم ذنوبكم. ومن يطع 

الله ورسوله فقد فاز فوزا عظيما. اتقوا الله فيما أمر وانتهوا عما نها عنه وزجر.

 

Muslims, today we live in an age dominated by love of money, infatuation with wealth, and fear and anxiety for provision. The dominant topic of conversation on the news, in the coffee shops, round the dinner tables is money. Human aspiration is today measured in terms of economic goals. Throughout school, we are groomed for careers and taught that the only thing that matters is our future employment. People are no longer encouraged to go to university to acquire knowledge, but rather to better their job prospects. Society is geared around the economic imperative - it is the deen of the modern age. A human being's success or lack of it is defined by the job that he gets and the wealth that he acquires. Today, more than ever, wealth equals status and power - indeed, the system/ the millat al-kufr, is built around it. Indeed, the most prominent buildings in any city are the banks, a constant reminder to everyone of the importance of finance. And nearly everyone is in thrall to this system - rich and poor, Muslim and non-Muslim, almost all living in the delusion that their livelihood is dependent in some way upon the system as it is set up. And almost all worrying about their future financial stability and ability to maintain or improve their lifestyle. Indeed that is all that some think and worry about.

And yet there is nothing in life that is less worth worrying about. For provision is not something that is in any of our hands. Rather it is solely in the hands of our Lord. Allah says,

 

وَمَا مِن دَابَّةٍ فِي ٱلأرْضِ إِلاَّ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا

 

the translation of which is, "There is no creature on the earth except that Allah undertakes to provide for it." Allah has taken it upon himself to provide for everyone and everything on this earth, no matter how lowly and no matter whether they believe in him or not. When Abu Musa al-Ash'ari and his people emigrated to Madina, they arrived with their stores and provisions having been completely exhausted, so they sent a man from among them to the Prophet to ask for some food. When the man came to the door of the Prophet and was about to knock, he heard the Prophet reciting the aya mentioned above,

 

 وَمَا مِن دَابَّةٍ فِي ٱلأرْضِ إِلاَّ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا

 

"There is no creature on the earth except that Allah undertakes to provide for it.", so he said to himself. "Surely our people are no lower in the eyes of Allah than the beasts", so he went back to them without having spoken to the Prophet and said, 

أبشروا أتاكم الغوث

 

“Good news! Help has come!" When they heard that, they thought he must have spoken to the Prophet and the Prophet had promised him something. And while they were speaking with him, two men appeared bearing a huge platter of bread and meat which they set before them. So they ate their fill and then, seeing that so much food was left, they said, 

 

لو أنا رددنا هذا الطعام إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ليقضي به حاجته

 

‘We must send this food back to the messenger of Allah so he can also eat his fill.’ So they instructed the two men to take it back to the Messenger of Allah. Then, when they came to the Messenger of Allah, thy said to him, 

 

 يا رسول الله ما رأينا طعاماً أكثر ولا أطيب من طعام أرسلت به

 

‘Messenger of Allah, we have never seen food more plentiful or more delicious than the food you sent us.' The Messenger replied that he had not sent them any food, so they told him they had sent a man from among them to ask him for it. So the Messenger of Allah spoke to the man and when he heard his story, said,

ذلك شيء رزقكموه الله

 

‘That is something Allah provided you with.’ There is no point worrying about rizq, because your rizq is coming to you regardless of what you say and do. Indeed, you could not even escape from it were you to want to. The Prophet said,

 

لو أن أحدكم فرّ من رزقه لتبعه كما يتبعه الموت

 

‘If you were to try to run away from your provision, your provision would come after you just like death.’ There is no point chasing after it, because it is chasing after you. Your provision is waiting for you from before the day you were born, and you will receive it in full in the course of your life. The Prophet said,

إن نفساً لن تموت حتى تستكمل رزقها،

 

“No human being will die until he has received his provision in full.” This is a promise and a guarantee from Allah,

ولا يخلف الله الميعاد

 

“Allah never breaks his covenant.” So why worry over something over which you have no control. Sayiddina Isa is narrated as having said, 

 

عجَباً لكم تَعْملُون لِلدُّنيا وأنتم تُرزقون فيها بلا عَمل ولا تَعملون للآخرة وأنتم لا تُرْزَقون فيها إلا بعمل‏

 

“It is amazing that you work so hard for this world when you are provided for in it without action, and do not work for the Next World when you are provided for in it on the basis of action."

It is not your strength, skill or knowledge that brings you your provision, just as it is not your incapacity that prevents you getting it. And if you think it is, then you are guilty of minor shirk and are deluded, just like Qarun - to whom Allah had granted so much treasure that a company of men could scarcely lift the keys to the boxes in which it was stored - when he said,

 

إِنَّمَا أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ عِنْدِي

 

the translation of which is, “I have only been given it because of knowledge I have.” And the proof of that is clear. Just look at the world and see the number of knowledgeable people who are poor and the number of ignorant people who are rich. Rizq comes from one source and that is Allah, and He, in His infinite wisdom, chooses who obtains wealth in this world and who does not. 

وَاللَّهُ فَضَّلَ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ فِي الرِّزْقِ

 

the translation of which is, “Allah has favoured some of you over others in provision.” And the degree of wealth possessed by someone in this world is not a sign of Allah's love for or contentment with that person - indeed it can be just the opposite, as is shown by the many ayats in which He describes how He leads the unbelievers on and gives them wealth in this world.

But that is not to say that wealth is blameworthy, or even working hard to acquire it, for many of the great Companions were men of wealth, including Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and most famously, Abdar-Rahman ibn Awf, but rather that making it the focus of your life and the motivation for your actions clearly is. For if you do so, then it gradually takes you over, until it becomes the most important thing in your life to you, more than your deen and more than your family. 

This is illustrated by a hadith, transmitted by Qurtubi in his tafsir, and narrated by Abu Umamah. He relates that one of the Ansar, whom he names but whose name is the subject of disagreement, came to the Prophet and asked him to make dua to Allah that He provide him with wealth. But the Prophet replied by saying, ‘Beware of what you ask for. It is better to have a little for which you can be grateful to Allah than to have a lot for which you are incapable of being grateful.’ So the man went away. Then he came back with the same request, so again the Prophet tried to dissuade him, saying, ‘Are you not content to be like the Prophet of Allah? If I were to have wished to have had mountains of gold, I would have had it.’ But the man insisted, saying, ‘By Allah, if you make dua for me, I will give every one who has a right their right.‘ so the Prophet made dua for him. So the man bought a sheep which swiftly grew into a  flock so that soon the city became too small for them, so he had to go away from the city to find pasture. And it became his habit to pray dhuhr and asr with the Messenger of Allah and the rest with his flock. Then the flock grew so big that he started only coming to Jumua, and continued growing until he stopped coming to the mosque at all. 

Then, one day, the Prophet noted his absence and asked after him, and when told his story said, ‘Woe be to him’ three times. Then the aya commanding the taking of zakat was revealed, so the Prophet sent someone to collect his zakat, but the man refused to pay it, calling it jizya. And when the zakat collectors came back to the Prophet, he said, ‘woe be to him!’ and then the ayats of Quran was revealed:

 

وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ عَاهَدَ اللَّهَ لَئِنْ آَتَانَا مِنْ فَضْلِهِ لَنَصَّدَّقَنَّ وَلَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ فَلَمَّا آَتَاهُمْ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ بَخِلُوا بِهِ وَتَوَلَّوْا وَهُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ فَأَعْقَبَهُمْ نِفَاقًا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ

 

the translation of which is, “Among them there were some who made an agreement with Allah: ‘If He gives us of His bounty we will definitely give sadaqa and be among the salihun.’ But when He does give them of His bounty they are tight-fisted with it and turn away, so He has punished them by putting hypocrisy in their hearts.” When the news reached the man, he rushed to the Prophet in consternation and tried to give him his zakat then, but the Prophet said,

إن الله منعني أن أقبل منك صدقتك

 

“Allah has forbidden me from accepting your sadaqa.” And the man lived the rest of his life in isolation and his zakat was not accepted by any of the khalifas until he died in the khalifate of Uthman.

So, beware of work that pulls you away from Allah and pulls you away from the people of Allah. And beware of making your career your life’s goal. Instead, view it as a means to an ends, and an act of gratitude to Allah by making use of the skills and talents with which He provided you. 

 

أقول قولي هذا و أستغفر الله لي و لكم و لسائر المسلمين من كل ذنب فاستغفروه إنه هو الغفور الرَّحيم.الحمد لله الحمد لله رب العالمين، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أن محمداً عبده ورسوله، صلى الله وسلم وبارك عليه وعلى آله وصحبه، والتابعين وتابعي التابعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.

أما بعد! فيأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله ما استطعتم واسمعوا وأطيعوا وأنفقوا خيرا لأنفسكم. يا عباد الله أوصيكم وإياي بتقوى الله وطاعته وأحذركم وإياي عن معصيته ومخالفته. قال الله عز وجل في كتابه الكريم: لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ

 

Allah says in His Noble Book, the translation of which is, “If you are grateful, I will certainly give you increase,”

There are a number of avenues through which a Muslim can obtain increase and ease in his rizq. The first of those is istighfar. The Prophet said, 

 

من لزم الاستغفار جعل الله له من كل ضيق مخرجا، ومن كل هم فرجا، ورزقه من حيث لا يحتسب

 

“If anyone keeps to istighfar, Allah will give a way out of every predicament, relief from every worry, and will give him provision from where he least expects it.” A man came to Hasan al-Basri complaining about the drought and lack of water, so he told him to say ‘astaghfiru Allah’. then another came complaining of poverty, so he again said, ‘say astaghfiru Allah. Then another came asking him to make dua for a son, so he again said, ‘say astaghfiru Allah. So one of those sitting with him said, ‘These people all came with different complaints, and yet you told all of them to say astaghfiru Allah. Hasan replied, ’I was not voicing my own opinion. Rather Allah says,

 

{فقلت استغفروا ربكم إنه كان غفاراً يرسل السماء عليكم مدراراً ويمددكم بأموال وبنين ويجعل لكم جنات ويجعل لكم أنهارا}ً.

 

the translation of which is, “Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Truly He is Endlessly Forgiving. He will send heaven down on you in abundant rain and reinforce you with more wealth and sons, and grant you gardens and grant you waterways.”

Then there is taqwa - fearful awareness of Allah. Allah says,

 

ومن يتق الله يجعل له مخرجاً ويرزقه من حيث لا يحتسب

 

the translation of which is, “Whoever has taqwa of Allah - He will give him a way out and provide for him from where he does not expect.” This was referred to as the most joyous ayat of the Quran by Ibn Masud.

The Prophet also said, 

 

إن الله تعالى يقول: يا ابن آدم: تفرغ لعبادتي أملأ صدرك غنى، وأسد فقرك، وإن لا تفعل ملأت يديك شغلاً، ولم أسد فقرك

 

“O son of Adam, devote yourself to worshipping Me; and I will fill your breast with wealth and eliminate your poverty, but if you do not, I will make your hands busy with work and will not take you out of your poverty.” So, holding firm to the commands of Allah, and avoiding His prohibitions is one of the swiftest ways of guaranteeing our rizq. So the secret to a successful business, one that is successful both in this world and the next, is to make sure that all its transactions are halal and within the boundaries established by the deen.

And then there is spending in the way of Allah. The more you spend, the greater your own provision, because every time you give something, Allah gives you at least ten times in return. This is tried and tested and is something that every one of us can attest to, for we have examples of it in our own community. It is only when you are prepared to let it go that it comes running after you.

An acquaintance of my father’s, a Muslim businessman in London exemplifies this principle perfectly. In the early nineties, he was on the point of bankruptcy, but instead of saving his money or investing it, he borrowed more and used it to bring several busloads of refugees from Sarajevo and put them up in London, looking after their accommodation and food. He spent all that he had left in the way of Allah and the result? Today, he is a very wealthy man.

So we ask Allah to expand our provision, give it to us from where we know not, and remove from our hearts all fear and anxiety of where it will come from.

 

إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ، يَا أَيُهَا الذِينَ آمَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيماً. اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَبَارِكْ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ  أَجْمَعِينَ. 

وَارْضَ اللَّهُمَّ عَنِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ وَعَلِيٍّ، وَعَنْ سَائِرِ الصَّحَابَةِ أَجْمَعِينَ، خُصُوصاً اِلأَنْصَارَ مِنْهُمْ وَالمُهَاجِرِينَ، وَعَنِ التَّابِعِينَ وَتَابِعِي التَّابِعِينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ.

اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِ وُلَاةَ أُمُورِ المُسْلِمِينَ لِمَا يُرْضِيكَ وَلِاتِّبَاعِ سُنَّةِ نَبِيِّكَ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَهُمْ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ المُسْتَقِيمِ، وَأَصْلِحْهُمْ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ.

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى شَيْخِنَا، وَعَلَى أَمِيرِنَا، وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ أُمَرَاءِ وَزُعَمَاءِ المُسْلِمِينَ.  

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى المُسْلِمِينَ فِي هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ، وَوَفِّقْهُمْ لِمَا تُحِبُّهُ وَتَرْضَاهُ يَا أَكْرَمَ الأَكْرَمِينَ. 

اللَّهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الإِسْلَامَ وَالمُسِْلمِينَ (3) وَاخْذُلِ الْكُفْرَ وَالْكَافِرِينَ، وَانْصُرِ المُجَاهِدِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ. وَاجْعَلْ كَلِمََتَكَ هِيَ العُلْيَا وَكَلِمَةَ الْكُفْرِ هِيَ السُّفْلَى.

رَبَّنَا ءَاتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقَِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ. 

اللَّهُمَّ لاَ تَدَعْ فِي مَقَامِنَا هَذَا ذَنْباً إِلاَّ غَفَرْتَهُ، وَلاَ عَيْباً إِلاَّ سَتَرْتَهُ، وَلاَ مَرِيضاً إِلاَّ شَفَيْتَهُ وَعَافَيْتَهُ، وَلاَ مَسْجُوناً إِلاَّ طَلَقْتَ سَرَاحَهُ، وَلاَ مُسَافِراً فِي بَرِّكَ وَبَحْرِكَ إِلاَّ سَلِِمْتَهُ وَغَنِمْتَهُ.

إِنَّ اللهَ يَامُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى، وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ، يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَّكَّرُونَ، وَلَذِكْرُ اللهِ أَكْبَرُ وَاللهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ. وَقُومُواْ إِلَى صَلاتِكُمْ يَرْحَمُكُمُ اللهُ.