Allah’s Guarantee of Sustenance and Its Relationship to Causes

Question:
The Shaykh: It is established that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has guaranteed the sustenance of His servants. Is this sustenance that Allah has guaranteed conditional upon causes, such that the sustenance would not be realized without them?

Answer:
Yes, there is no sustenance except through causes. If you were to sit idle and neglect the causes, you would not receive any sustenance. Nothing happens except through causes. This is part of the wisdom of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, so that the servants work and engage in activity, rather than sitting idle and useless, accomplishing nothing. Entering Paradise is not achieved except through the causes of righteous deeds. If a person did not work and said, “If Allah has written me among the people of Paradise, I will enter it,” we would say, “No, you are mistaken. You will not enter Paradise except by performing the causes: righteous deeds and sincerity to Allah, Mighty and Majestic. You will not enter Paradise without a cause. Allah, Exalted and Majestic, says: meaning, because of what you used to do. Yes.