What is the meaning of: {And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision}?
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Q: The brother Ibrahim A. Z. from Baniyas on the coast in Syria says in his question: Allah the Exalted said: [Hud: 6]. This means that He, Glorified and Exalted is He, obligated Himself to feed everything that moves on this earth, whether human, animal, or insects, etc. So how do we explain the famine that is sweeping through the countries of the African continent?
A: The verse is to be understood by its apparent meaning. The disasters and famines that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, decrees do not harm except those whose time has come and whose provision has been cut off. As for the one who still has life or provision remaining, Allah directs his provision to him through many ways, some of which he may know and some of which he may not know. This is based on His saying, Glorified and Exalted is He: [Al-Talaq: 2-3] and His saying: [Al-'Ankabut: 60] and the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): .
A person may be punished with poverty and deprivation of sustenance for reasons he has brought upon himself, such as laziness and neglecting the means he is capable of, or for committing the sins that Allah has forbidden him, as Allah the Exalted said:[An-Nisa 4:79] the verse [al-Nisa:79] and He said: [Ash-Shuraa 42:30] the verse [al-Shura:30] and it is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sunan Ibn Majah 4022Da’if (Darussalam) narrated by Imam Ahmad, al-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah with a good chain of transmission.
A servant may be tested with poverty, illness, and other calamities to test his gratitude and patience, as Allah the Exalted said:[al-Baqarah:155-156] and His saying: [al-A'raf:168] and what is meant by "good deeds" in this verse are blessings, and by "evil deeds" are calamities.
And the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): narrated by Imam Muslim in his Sahih. The verses and hadiths in this meaning are numerous. And success is from Allah.
And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision
وَمَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلا عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَاA: The verse is to be understood by its apparent meaning. The disasters and famines that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, decrees do not harm except those whose time has come and whose provision has been cut off. As for the one who still has life or provision remaining, Allah directs his provision to him through many ways, some of which he may know and some of which he may not know. This is based on His saying, Glorified and Exalted is He:
And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out (3) And will provide for him from where he does not expect.
وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مَخْرَجًا وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لا يَحْتَسِبُAnd how many a creature carries not its [own] provision. Allah provides for it and for you
وَكَأَيِّنْ مِنْ دَابَّةٍ لا تَحْمِلُ رِزْقَهَا اللَّهُ يَرْزُقُهَا وَإِيَّاكُمْNo soul dies until it has completed its provision and its term
لا تموت نفس حتى تستكمل رزقها وأجلهاA person may be punished with poverty and deprivation of sustenance for reasons he has brought upon himself, such as laziness and neglecting the means he is capable of, or for committing the sins that Allah has forbidden him, as Allah the Exalted said:
What comes to you of good is from Allah, but what comes to you of evil, [O man], is from yourself
مَا أَصَابَكَ مِنْ حَسَنَةٍ فَمِنَ اللَّهِ وَمَا أَصَابَكَ مِنْ سَيِّئَةٍ فَمِنْ نَفْسِكَAnd whatever strikes you of disaster - it is for what your hands have earned; but He pardons much.
وَمَا أَصَابَكُمْ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو عَنْ كَثِيرٍand a man may be deprived of provision by a sin that he commits
إن العبد ليحرم الرزق بالذنب يصيبهA servant may be tested with poverty, illness, and other calamities to test his gratitude and patience, as Allah the Exalted said:
(155) And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, (156) Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return."
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنْفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَAnd We tested them with good [times] and bad that perhaps they would return [to obedience].
وَبَلَوْنَاهُمْ بِالْحَسَنَاتِ وَالسَّيِّئَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَAnd the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Astonishing is the affair of the believer, for all his affairs are good for him. If he is struck by hardship, he is patient, and that is good for him. And if he is struck by ease, he is grateful, and that is good for him. And that is not for anyone except the believer
عجبًا لأمر المؤمن إن أمره كله له خير، إن أصابته ضراء صبر فكان خيرا له، وإن أصابته سراء شكر فكان خيرا له، وليس ذلك لأحد إلا للمؤمن
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.