Commentary

Mentioned in the previous verse was the all-encompassing knowledge of Allah Ta` ala from whom nothing is hidden, nothing from the tiniest particle of the universe down to the secrets of the hearts. It is in consonance with it that the first verse (6) mentions a great favor be-stowed on human beings - that Allah Ta` ala has Himself taken the responsibility of providing their sustenance. Then, this is not restricted to human beings alone. It extends to every living form that walks over the earth. Its sustenance reaches it where it lives or goes to. That being the state of affairs, the intentions and efforts of disbelievers and hypocrites to hide things from Allah Ta` ala are nothing but ignorance and senselessness. Then, taken in a general sense, it would include all beasts, birds, insects and all animals of the land and the sea. To intensify this generality, the word: مِن (min) has been added and the text reads: وَمَا مِن دَابَّةٍ (and there is no creature). Dabbah is any creature that moves on earth. Birds are also included there because their nests are also located somewhere on the land. That creatures living in water have also a connection with the surface of the earth is no secret. Allah Ta` ala has taken the responsibility of providing sustenance for all these life forms and has put it in words which give the impression of a duty imposed on someone. It was said: عَلَى اللَّـهِ رِ‌زْقُهَا (its sustenance is on Allah). It is obvious that there is no power that could put a liability on Allah Ta` ala. What really happened is that Allah Ta` ala himself has made this promise out of his grace and mercy. But, this promise comes from One who is True and Merciful. There is no probability of things happening otherwise, counter to the promise. This is a matter of certitude. It is to express this element of certitude that the word: علی (` ala: on) has been introduced at this place - a word used to describe duties, although, Allah Ta` ala takes no orders from anyone, nor is He responsible for something as obligated or necessary.

Lexically, رِزِق rizq (sustenance, provision or livelihood) means something from which a creature procures its food and through which the body grows and the soul survives.

According to the lexical meaning of the word رِزِق 'rizq', it is not necessary that whoever has it should also be its owner - because, رِزِق rizq is given to all animals, but they are not its owners. They are not cut out for ownership. Similarly, infants are not the owners of their رِزِق rizq, but it is given to them.

In terms of this general sense of رِزِق rizq, ` Ulama' have said that رِزِق rizq could be halal (lawful) and it could also be Haram (unlawful), because for a person who eats up what belongs to the other person, that property, no doubt, becomes his food, but so it becomes only unlawfully. Had this person not used unfair means blinded by his greed, he would have received the halal حلال (lawful) رِزِق rizq reserved and appointed for him.

Removal of a doubt against the Divine Responsibility of Rizq رِزِق

A question arises at this stage. When Allah Ta` ala has taken the responsibility of providing food for every creature, why is it that there are many animals and human beings who die of hunger and thirst for the reason that they do not get food or water? The ` Ulama' have given several answers.

One possible answer is that the responsibility of rizq is there until comes the appointed time, that is, until comes the end of the years of life. When these years are over, one has to die, pass away from this world, the common causes of which are diseases, or accidents like burning, drowning, injury and wounds. Similarly, there could also be the reason that the رِزِق rizq for the incumbent was stopped and which caused death.

Imam al-Qurtubi, under his comments on this verse, has mentioned an event related to Abu Musa, Abu Malik and some others from their tribe of Banu al-Ash'ar. When these people reached the blessed city of Madinah after their Hijrah, the wherewithal of their journey was all used up. They sent one of their men to the Holy Prophet ﷺ in the hope that he would make some arrangement for their meals. When this person reached his door, he heard the Holy Prophet ﷺ reciting the verse: وَمَا مِن دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّـهِ رِ‌زْقُهَا (And there is no creature on earth whose sustenance is not on Allah - 6). Hearing this verse, the person, thought that Allah has Himself taken the responsibility of providing رِزِق rizq for all life forms, human or non-human, then, we Ash'arites too would not be any worse than the animals in the sight of Allah. He shall, most certainly, give us our رِزِق rizq. With this thought in his mind, he turned from the door and left. He simply said nothing to the Holy Prophet ﷺ about why he was there. After having returned to his tribe, he said, ` Rejoice, my friends. The help of Allah is coming for you.' His Ash'ari companions took his words in a different sense. They thought that their emissary sent to the Holy Prophet ﷺ was talking about the success of his visit and that the Holy Prophet ﷺ had promised to make arrangements for what they needed. Naturally, they found the news good and felt satisfied. Hardly had they sat down when they saw two men bringing a trencher, a large wooden tray, full of meat and bread. The carriers gave all this food to the Ash'arites who ate it to their fill. When food was still left, they thought it would be nice to send the rest of the food to the Holy Prophet ﷺ that he could use it as he deemed fit. They had two of their men carry this food to the Holy Prophet ﷺ .

Later they all presented themselves before the Holy Prophet ﷺ and told him, ` Ya Rasulallah, the food you sent was very nice and very delicious.' He said, ` As for me, I never sent any food.'

Then, they told him the whole story that they had sent one of their men to him, the reply that he gave led them to believe that the food was sent by him. Hearing this, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, ` not by me, this was sent by the Most Sacred Being who has taken the responsibility of providing رِزِق rizq to every living creature.'

According to some Hadith reports, when Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) reached the Mount of Tur in search of fire, what he found there was not fire but Divine light. He was made a prophet and asked to go to Egypt so that the Pharaoh and his people could be brought on the right path. At that hour, it occurred to him that he had left his wife in a wilderness all alone - who would take care of her? To remove this scruple from his heart, Allah Ta` ala asked Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) to strike his rod at the rock in front of him. When he did what he was asked to do, the rock split and out came yet another rock. He was asked to strike his rod at that too. He did that, the rock split and out came the third rock from it. He was asked to strike his rod at that too. It split and coming out from it he saw a creature holding a green leaf in his mouth.

No doubt, Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) believed in the perfect power of Allah Ta` ala even before, but what one sees with one's eyes has an effect of its own. So, when Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) saw this, he took off for Egypt right from that spot. He did not even stop to tell his wife that he had been commanded to leave for Egypt and that he was going there.

Rizq رِزِق for All: The Divine System is Unique

After having made the promise in this verse that Allah Ta` ala has taken the responsibility of providing the rizq of every living creature, things have not been left at that. Instead, to put human beings further at ease, it was said: وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّ‌هَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا (and He knows its permanent and its temporary place - 6). Different explanations of the words: مُستقر (mustaqarr) and مُستودع (mustawda' ) have been reported but, lexically, what Tafsir al-Kashshaf carries is the closest. It says that mustaqarr is the place someone makes a permanent residence, or home; and mustawda' is a place where one stays temporarily to take care of some-thing (as it appears in the translation of the text).

The sense being driven home is that the responsibility of Allah Ta` ala should not be taken on the analogy of responsibilities as assumed by peoples and governments of the world of our experience. Here in this world, let us assume that there is a person or institution that would take the responsibility of delivering your رِزِق 'rizq' to you. In that case, if you were going somewhere, you would inform that individual or institution that you were leaving your permanent place to go somewhere else. Then, you will have to give a firm itinerary that you will be living in such and such city or village, from such and such date to such and such date, and that you wanted your provider to deliver your rizq there! But, when things are ` on Allah' and under His responsibility, you do not have to take even this much of trouble because He knows when you move and He knows when you do not and He knows what you are doing in this or that state. He knows where you live permanently and He knows where you live temporarily. He needs no application, or advice or address to take care of your رِزِق rizq. It is just delivered wherever you are.

In view of the all-encompassing knowledge and perfect power of Allah Ta` ala, only His will would have been sufficient to make everything come out right - without the need to maintain a log book or master file of work done. But, the only analogy weak man has is the analogy of the system he is used to, therefore, he could have apprehensions of possible errors and omissions. So, for his peace of mind, it was said: كُلٌّ فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِين (Everything is in a clear book). This ` clear book' means the Preserved Tablet (al-lawh al-mahfuz) which has a universal coverage with full details of the sustenance, age, deed and things like that and which are entrusted with concerned angels as and when needed.

As narrated by Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar ؓ and reported in the Sahih of Muslim, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, ` Allah Ta` ala had written the destinies of all His creation fifty thousand years even before the creation of the heavens and the earth.'

A lengthy Hadith narrated by Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Masud ؓ appearing in al-Bukhari and Muslim, reports the saying of the Holy Prophet ﷺ which is summarized as follows: ` Man goes through different stages before his birth. When the parts of his body are formed completely, Allah Ta` ala commands an angel who writes down four things about him. One: Deeds he will do. Two: Years of life. Even recorded there is the month, day, minute and breath count. Three: Death: Where would he die and where would he be buried? Four: Rizq: How much is his sustenance and how and where does it have to reach him?' (And that it stands written in the Preserved Tablet (al-lawh al-mahfuz) even before the creation of the heavens and the earth is not contrary to this).