Sermon's Title: The Sustainer, the One Who Gives Nourishment
Themes of the Sermon:
1- What is provision (rizq)?
2- Allah as al-Razzāq, the One truly deserving of worship.
3- The impact of believing that Allah alone is the Provider.
All praise is due to Allah, the Generous Provider (al-Razzāq al-Karīm), who expands provision for whom He wills and restricts it, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muḥammad is His servant and His Messenger. May Allah send abundant peace and blessings upon him.
To proceed: Fear Allah, O servants of Allah, with true fear of Him, and be mindful of Him in private and in secret. Allah the Exalted says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
“O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared, and do not die except in a state of Islam.” [Sūrat Āl ʿImrān: 102]
O servant of Allah:
Would you like to combine the provision of Allah with His forgiveness?
When Allah brings food to you—food that you think came through your own effort and hard work—it is in reality Allah who feeds you with it. So, say, as our Prophet ﷺ taught us:
“Whoever eats food and then says: al-ḥamdu lillāhi alladhī aṭʿamanī hādhā wa razaqanīhi min ghayri ḥawlin minnī wa lā quwwah (All praise is due to Allah who fed me this and provided it for me without any power or strength from myself), his past sins will be forgiven.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhī.
How generous Allah is, and how immense His favor! He is the Provider and the Forgiving.
Do you know what provision (rizq) truly is?
Provision is everything by which the lives of creation are sustained and from which they benefit—whether for their bodies, or for their hearts and souls.
Life span and life itself; water and food; light and air; strength and health; shelter and love; intellect and intelligence; a spouse and children; family and companionship; wealth and social standing.
Yes—and knowledge and faith, obedience and excellence, guidance, the Qurʾān, and then the ultimate bliss in Paradise.
All of this, and every gift that people hold in their hands and benefit from in this world and the Hereafter, is the provision of Allah—the Generous Provider.
Allah alone is the Provider who has guaranteed the provision of all His creation. There is no creature on earth except that its provision is upon Him. He knows it, creates it, and determines the means by which it reaches each one.
Have you not heard His saying, the Exalted:
وَمَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا كُلٌّ فِي كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍ
“There is no creature on earth except that upon Allah is its provision, and He knows its place of settlement and its place of storage; all is in a clear record.” [Sūrat Hūd: 6]
Do you see these worlds, containing billions upon billions of creatures? He alone—glorified be He—as He said:
وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُقِيتًا
“And Allah has always been, over all things, a Nourisher.” [Sūrat al-Nisāʾ: 85]
Al-Muqīt—the One who sustains them, who knows what nourishes them and preserves their very lives from all forms of sustenance. He delivers it to them through His subtle kindness, for He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty. Our Lord says:
اللَّهُ لَطِيفٌ بِعِبَادِهِ يَرْزُقُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ الْقَوِيُّ الْعَزِيزُ
“Allah is Gentle with His servants; He provides for whom He wills, and He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.” [Sūrat al-Shūrā: 19]
Reflect upon the expanse of the earth, and you will find within it the sustenance of creation, as He, glorified be He, said:
وَبَارَكَ فِيهَا وَقَدَّرَ فِيهَا أَقْوَاتَهَا
“And He placed blessings in it and determined therein its provisions.” [Sūrat Fuṣṣilat: 10]
He scattered that provision within it and upon it: He drives the clouds by His mercy, sends down the rain, causes crops to grow, and brings forth fruits.
Even those birds and weak creatures that store no provision at all—the Lord of the worlds knows them and carries their provision to them through His mercy. He says, the Exalted:
وَكَأَيِّنْ مِنْ دَابَّةٍ لَا تَحْمِلُ رِزْقَهَا اللَّهُ يَرْزُقُهَا وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
“How many a creature does not carry its own provision—Allah provides for it and for you, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.” [Sūrat al-ʿAnkabūt: 60]
He, glorified be He, provides for the believer and the disbeliever, the obedient and the disobedient alike, for He is the Lord of all worlds. And part of His lordship over His creation is that He has guaranteed their provision.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “No one is more patient with harm he hears than Allah. They attribute a son to Him, yet He grants them well-being and provides for them.” Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim.
How wretched is a person when his Lord provides for him, yet he responds with disbelief! He clings to an idol, or a grave, or a powerless created being, calling upon it besides Allah—while it possesses no provision for him at all.
You see him humbled and submissive before a superstition, or standing before a dead person like himself, asking him for provision. His condition is exactly as Allah, the Exalted, described:
وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ رِزْقًا مِنَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ
“They worship besides Allah that which does not possess for them any provision from the heavens or the earth at all, nor are they able.” [Sūrat al-Naḥl: 73]
Indeed, the close friend of Allah, Ibrāhīm, peace be upon him, stood calling out to his people with the call of a sincere adviser, saying:
إِنَّمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَوْثَانًا وَتَخْلُقُونَ إِفْكًا إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لَكُمْ رِزْقًا فَابْتَغُوا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ الرِّزْقَ وَاعْبُدُوهُ وَاشْكُرُوا لَهُ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
“You only worship idols besides Allah and fabricate falsehood. Indeed, those whom you worship besides Allah do not possess provision for you. So seek provision from Allah, worship Him, and be grateful to Him; to Him you will be returned.” [Sūrat al-ʿAnkabūt: 17]
And here is Yaḥyā, peace be upon him, standing among the Children of Israel, teaching them what Allah commanded him. The first of those commands was his saying:
“That you worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him. The example of one who does that is like a man who bought a servant with his own pure wealth, whether silver or gold, then the servant began to work and deliver his earnings to someone other than his master. Which of you would be pleased that his servant be like that? Indeed, Allah created you and provided for you, so worship Him and do not associate anything with Him.” Narrated by Aḥmad.
O servants of Allah:
Indeed, the believer who is certain that Allah is al-Razzāq al-Muqīt—the Sustainer, the One who gives nourishment—asks his Lord for provision and for blessing within it, just as our Prophet ﷺ used to do. He ﷺ would supplicate to his Lord in every prayer, between the two prostrations, saying:
“O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, mend my affairs, guide me, and provide for me.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhī.
Such a believer places his trust in none but his Lord. He is calm and reassured, relying on Him alone. You will not see him humbling himself before any created being for the sake of provision. Rather, he lives with dignity and honor, holding his head high, aspiring as high as the stars—because he knows that his provision is in the heaven, sent down to him by the Lord of the earth and the sky, who says:
وَفِي السَّمَاءِ رِزْقُكُمْ وَمَا تُوعَدُونَ * فَوَرَبِّ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ إِنَّهُ لَحَقٌّ مِثْلَ مَا أَنَّكُمْ تَنْطِقُونَ
“And in the heaven is your provision and whatever you are promised. So by the Lord of the heaven and the earth, it is surely the truth, just as surely as you speak.” [Sūrat al-Dhāriyāt: 22–23]
He keeps present in his heart the words of the Prophet ﷺ: “If the son of Ādam were to flee from his provision as he flees from death, his provision would still reach him just as death reaches him.” Narrated by Abū Nuʿaym.
With this, he draws a map of tranquility in his heart, so he neither panics nor becomes anxious.
You see him relying upon his Lord, while still taking the lawful means that Allah has prescribed. His heart is like that of a bird that moves among the branches—it does not return to its nest except carrying with it the abundant provision of Allah.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “If you were to rely upon Allah with true reliance, He would provide for you just as He provides for the birds: they leave in the morning hungry and return in the evening full.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhī.
He worships his Lord and upholds His law, for that is the purpose for which Allah created him. His pursuit of provision never leads him to abandon servitude to Allah, the Lord of all worlds. Allah says:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ * مَا أُرِيدُ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ رِزْقٍ وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ يُطْعِمُونِ * إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينُ
“I did not create the jinn and humankind except to worship Me. I do not want from them any provision, nor do I want them to feed Me. Indeed, Allah is al-Razzāq, the Possessor of strength, the Firm.” [Sūrat al-Dhāriyāt: 56–58]
When he hears the caller to prayer, he responds. He calls his family to it and does not fear that establishing the prayer will cause his provision to be lost. How could he fear, when Allah is the Provider? Allah the Exalted says:
وَأْمُرْ أَهْلَكَ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَاصْطَبِرْ عَلَيْهَا لَا نَسْأَلُكَ رِزْقًا نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُكَ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلتَّقْوَى
“And command your family to prayer and be steadfast in it. We do not ask you for provision; We provide for you. And the best outcome is for righteousness.” [Sūrat Ṭā Hā: 132]
If a means of provision that Allah has forbidden is presented to him, he turns away from it, firmly convinced that his provision has already been apportioned. He knows that if he obeys Allah and seeks provision through what is lawful, his provision will come to him pure and blessed. But if he disobeys Allah and takes it through unlawful means, what Allah has decreed for him will still reach him—yet it will come tainted, stripped of blessing, and burdened with sin.
Here is our Prophet ﷺ teaching us, saying: “Indeed, the Holy Spirit breathed into my heart that no soul will die until it has received its full provision. So fear Allah, and be balanced in seeking provision. Let not the delay of provision lead you to seek it through disobedience to Allah, for what is with Allah cannot be attained except through obedience to Him.” Narrated by Ibn Abī Shaybah.
And here is the Prophet ﷺ forbidding that woman whose husband took another wife, when she began striving to ruin the household of her co-wife, fearing for her own provision and that of her children. She asked her husband to divorce the other woman, so the Prophet ﷺ forbade her from asking for the divorce of her sister so that she might take what was in her dish, saying:“For indeed Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is her Provider.” Narrated by Muslim.
Among the most repulsive of those who have neglected this truth are those who sold their religion for worldly gain. They are the falsifiers and distorters of the religion—evil scholars who concealed the truth, mixed it with falsehood, and altered the faith in pursuit of imagined provision. They sold the verses of Allah for a small price.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Let not fear of people prevent any one of you from speaking the truth when he sees it or bears witness to it, for speaking the truth or reminding of something great does not bring one closer to death, nor does it drive provision further away.” Narrated by Aḥmad.
It is Satan who promises his followers poverty if they obey Allah. But Allah has promised His God-fearing servants, saying:
وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مَخْرَجًا * وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ
“And whoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way out, and will provide for him from where he does not expect.” [Sūrat al-Ṭalāq: 2–3]
And who is more faithful to his promise than Allah, O servants of Allah?
Indeed, when the Ummah as a whole submits to the command of Allah and implements His law in its economy—keeping away from usury (ribā), gambling (maysir), unjust levies (mukūs), and forbidden transactions—and conducts its trade, dealings, and earnings according to the rulings of the Sharīʿah, its provision will come to it abundantly from every direction. Blessings will descend upon it, and wholesome things will fill its life, as Allah says:
وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَى آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَرَكَاتٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَكِنْ كَذَّبُوا فَأَخَذْنَاهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ
“If only the people of the towns had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth. But they denied, so We seized them for what they used to earn.” [Sūrat al-Aʿrāf: 96]
But when the Ummah turns away from the law of Allah, the Provider removes the blessing from its provision, and hunger, poverty, and need appear—just as He, glorified be He, said:
وَضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا قَرْيَةً كَانَتْ آمِنَةً مُطْمَئِنَّةً يَأْتِيهَا رِزْقُهَا رَغَدًا مِنْ كُلِّ مَكَانٍ فَكَفَرَتْ بِأَنْعُمِ اللَّهِ فَأَذَاقَهَا اللَّهُ لِبَاسَ الْجُوعِ وَالْخَوْفِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَصْنَعُونَ
“And Allah presents an example: a town that was safe and secure, its provision coming to it abundantly from every place. But it denied the favors of Allah, so Allah made it taste the garment of hunger and fear for what they used to do.” [Sūrat al-Naḥl: 112]
May Allah bless me and you through the Mighty Qurʾān, and benefit me and you through its verses and wise reminder. I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness; indeed, He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
The Second Sermon:
All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, upon his family, his Companions, and all who follow his path. To proceed:
At a time when nations of every kind are searching for the most important element of civilization—the human being—you see them competing by every means to attract talent and capability.
At the same time, you see them plotting against the Muslims to weaken their future generations, under attractive and deceptive slogans. Among the greatest falsehoods that have misled many Muslim families is the claim that limiting the number of children is necessary because of provision. This has become a widespread conviction among large segments of society: that a family should suffice with two children so as not to fall into poverty.
Yet Allah the Exalted has promised provision for offspring, even when poverty is feared. He says:
وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ خَشْيَةَ إِمْلَاقٍ نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ
“And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you.” [Sūrat al-Isrāʾ: 31]
Our Prophet ﷺ also encouraged blessed offspring when he said: “Marry the loving and fertile woman, for I will boast of your numbers before the nations.” Narrated by Abū Dāwūd.
This is not a call for sheer increase in numbers without responsibility. Rather, it is a legislated call to increase righteous offspring—offspring by whom nations are upheld and civilizations are built—far removed from the empty claims of secularists and the negligence of those who rely on false notions of dependence.
O Allah, grant victory to Islam and honor the Muslims, and destroy the Zionist criminals. O Allah, send down tranquility into the hearts of those striving in Your path, rescue Your oppressed servants, and raise high the banner of the religion—by Your power, O All-Powerful, O Ever-Strong.
O Allah, forgive the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the living among them and the dead. O Allah, grant success to our leader in authority in that which You love and are pleased with, and guide him firmly to righteousness and God-consciousness. Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
O servants of Allah, remember Allah with much remembrance, and glorify Him morning and evening. And our final supplication is that all praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all worlds.
