Rizqi & Sustenance

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ad-Dabbagh (q.s.) said, “Means of livelihood such as agriculture, trade, and such, are on the level of begging bowls in the hands of beggars.  It has been Allah’s (s.w.t.) Sunnah not to send down sustenance directly to the bondsman by giving him sustenance in his hand without some device, but He Only Gives it to him when the bondsman begs Him with one of the begging bowls of his means.  So, if he extends the begging bowl before Him, Allah (s.w.t.), for his sake, Will Place in it what suits him and is of use for him.  Therefore, the one who makes use of a secondary cause must accord it its proper status, and his gaze when using it must be on Allah (s.w.t.), not on the means, just as someone undertaking begging looks at the people who give it to him and does not look at his begging bowl that is in his hand. 

If, when receiving means his gaze is on Allah (s.w.t.), he is attached to Allah (s.w.t.) on the occasion of the means, and his means is a connection between himself and Allah (s.w.t.).  Moreover, he does not rely on his means but on Allah (s.w.t.).  If his reliance is on Allah (s.w.t.), he will not engage in any means except what Allah (s.w.t.) Permits him.  In this case, there is no difference for him between Allah (s.w.t.) Bestowing means frequently or infrequently.  Indeed, the Giver is One, and He is Capable of Bestowing on him in a single means what He Bestows on others through numerous means.  Let him feel pious fear toward Allah (s.w.t.) and his seeking from Him be in a proper manner.  This, then, is the description of the means of those attached to Allah (s.w.t.).”