During this Friday's sermon, we shall speak about an issue that concerns every one of us! Actually, you and I may come to the masjid to attend the khutbah or the prayer and our minds might be busy thinking about such issue! It is our need for provisions and sustenance (Rizq).
Brothers in Islam, Allah has given us keys to increase our wealth and attain our livelihood. So do you want to have a better life enjoying healthy provisions and rizq, let us together have a quick journey to learn these keys that we find in the book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger Sallal Allahu Alihi Wa Sallam!
To begin with, let's remember two essential concepts: First, Allah is the One who provides! He is The Provider! He is the Sustainer! Allah Azza Wajall Says:
(إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينُ) الذَّارِيَاتِ 58
"Verily, Allah is the All-Provider, Owner of Power, the Most Strong"
It is not the people! Not the company! Not the husband! Not the parent! etc … Those are means Allah made them for people through which Rizq comes to us. So, attach your heart with Allah and seek His Support and Guidance and ask of Him to provide for you! and always remember that Allah is The Provider! The second essential fact to keep in mind, that your rizq will surely come to you! Allah has written and decided your provisions! So, no need to worry or panic! Rest assured that you will get whatsoever Allah has willed and written for you! If all people plotted against you to prevent what Allah has written for you to come your way, they won't be able to do it and it surely comes to you! Allah's Messenger (Allah's Peace and Blessing be upon him) said that no one will die till he will get its full provision and life (لن تموت نفس حتى تستكمل رزقها وأجلها)! Ironically, we worry so much about sustenance in our life despite the fact it has been guaranteed for us! So, calm down and seek rizq through Islamically lawful ways (فاتقوا الله وأجملوا في الطلب)
Brothers and Sisters in Islam, Allah willed means (أسباب) for everything to happen. And there are two kinds of means; materialistic (أسباب مادية) and religious means (أسباب دينية). We all know that to attain our rizq and earn our living, we need to work, we need to earn a degree, to get training and certifications, to act and so on. This is definitely needed and essential; whomever does what it takes to succeed in life whether a believer or a non believer he might attain wealth and high status. However, for the believing person there are more means for provisions; keys for attaining sustenance in abundance that we find in the book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet Mohammed Sallallahu Alihi Wassallam. Each one these keys is a whole subject in itself deserving a whole speech. In this sermon, we shall have a glance over them and Insha'Allah we shall speak about each and every key separately in the coming sermons By Allah's Leave.
The first of these keys is to attain Iman and Taqwa; truly have faith in Allah and obey Him in all your affairs hoping to attain His Jannah and Rewards and fearing His punishment and Hellfire. Allah azza Wajjal Says
(وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَى آمَنُواْ وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَاتٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاء وَالأَرْضِ وَلَكِن كَذَّبُواْ فَأَخَذْنَاهُم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكْسِبُونَ) الأعراف 96
(And if the people of the towns had believed and had the Taqwa (piety), certainly, We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth, but they belied (the Messengers). So We took them (with punishment) for what they used to earn (polytheism and crimes, etc.)
And Allah Says
(وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجًا * وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لا يَحْتَسِبُ) الطلاق 2-3
( And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty) * And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine)
So to have wealth and increase our sustenance we need first to fix our relationship with Allah Azza Wajjal. Do we really keep our duty with Allah? Do we pray the five daily prayers timely? Do we follow our religion in all our affairs? ... We need first and foremost to check on ourselves! For instance, if you pray three times a day (not five times) then how do expect your life to be!!! Ya Akhi, turn to Allah with repentance and Istighfaar (seeking forgiveness) so Allah will shower you with His Mercy and provide for you in ways beyond your imagination! And this is the second key to wealth and sustenance! Seeking Allah's Forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance.
When a man complained to Alhassan Albasri the drout, alhassan guided him to make Istighfaar, when another man complained to him that he does not have children, he adviced him to make Istighfaar, when a man complained to him poverty he advised him to make Istighfaar. Then Alhassan Albasri upon bing questioned about his responses he recited these wonderful Quraanic verses in Suraat Nooh:
(فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا * يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاء عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا * وَيُمْدِدْكُمْ بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ أَنْهَارًا) نوح 10-12
"I said (to them): 'Ask forgiveness from your Lord; Verily, He is Oft-Forgiving; * 'He will send rain to you in abundance; * 'And give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers.' "
Another key to wealth and rizq that goes hand in hand with that is to have Tawakul (to rely on Allah Subhanahu Wataala). In brief, atTawakul (reliance on Allah) means that we do the materialistic means that Allah made them reasons for things to happen and as we do so we make sure that our hearts are in total reliance on Allah who decreed these means and who made them effective to realize what is intended. Have faith in the Lord! The Owner! The King! Who Has the Power over everything! ... let's contemplate over this prophetic narration that draw an animated picture for this simple but important issue.
عن عمر رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال:" لو أنكم توكلون على الله حق توكله لرزقكم كما يرزق الطير تغدو خماصا وتروح بطانا "رواه الإمام أحمد والترمذي والنسائي وابن ماجه وابن حبان والحاكم, وقال الترمذي: حسن صحيح
'Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) had said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "If you were to rely on Allah as He should be relied on, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds. They go out in the morning hungry and return in the evening full." Narrated by Tirmidhi
So visualize this picture with me … the bird is not resting idle waiting for its rizq to come by itself! The bird is doing and acting (not lazy or inactive) .. leaving early morning ... going out early in the morning (brothers get up early and pray Fajr) in a state of hunger searching for food and keeps up searching and working ... by end of the day, it returns home satisfied and full. On one hand, do what it takes to earn your living; act and work! On the other hand, have faith and reliance on your Lord – Al-Rabb Azza Wajjal … and Always remember that when you truly have reliance on Allah after you have exhausted all the means and did whatever you can do within your reach, Allah is Sufficient for you. Allah says
(وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ) الطلاق 3
"And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him"
To increase your wealth and to live in abundance constantly, be grateful to Allah for all that He bestowed upon you; the money, the health, the car your drive, the wife and children, the house, the friends, etc Indeed, Allah has granted us a lot but are we not fully aware of these bounties; Are we truly thankful to Allah. Ikhawani, Allah Says in the Qura'an:
(ولئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ) إبراهيم 7
"And If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshipping none but Allah), I will give you more (of My Blessings)"
We need to adopt an attitude of gratitude; feel the bounties; attribute them to your Lord Azza wajjal; remember He is the Provider; Always utter the words of Alhamd and Ashokr; Use Allah's bounties in ways that are pleasing to him! Being grateful to Allah should show in your deeds and in your words! Allah Says
(اعْمَلُوا آلَ دَاوُودَ شُكْرًا وَقَلِيلٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُورُ) سبا 13
"Work you, O family of Dawud (David), with thanks!" But few of My slaves are grateful.
And one of these ways to show our gratitude to Allah is to be dutiful to our kinship. This is one of the great keys to wealth.
أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : من أحب أن يبسط له في رزقه ، وينسأ له في أثره ، فليصل رحمه . متفق عليه
the Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said as reported by Anas (Radhiyallahu Anhu)"He who desires that he be granted more provisions and his life be prolonged should maintain good ties with his kinship"
Visit them, call them, support them emotionally and financially … when you give to your relatives, this giving will be both wetting of your bonds and Sadaqah …
Brothers, adopt a giving attitude! Giving for the sake of Allah with sincerity and seeking Allah's reward will surely increase your wealth and bring more rizq to you. This is another key for your sustenance; especially when you give to support those who seek Islamic knowledge. And remember Allah's promise (Son of Adam! Spend and I shall spend on you) Narrated by Muslim
I beg of Allah Subhanahu Wataala to provide for us and to expand our sustenance.
Brothers in Islam, from among the keys to sustenance is to perform Hajj and Umara repeatedly. Allah's Messenger (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said
"Perform hajj and `umrah repeatedly, for they expel poverty and sins just as a bellows expels the scum of iron, gold and silver, and the righteous hajj has no reward other than Heaven.""[Narrated by Tirmidhi (who graded it hasan sahih), Ibn Khuzaymah and Ibn Hibban, as in Tahdhib al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib, p. 202]
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