Meaning :
The Provider.
In Quran :
“Surely Allah is the One Who bestows sustenance, the Lord of Power, the Strong One.“ (Qur‘an, 51:58).
Description :
“Al-Razzaq“ is derived from rizq, sustenance, or anything of any benefit to man, animals, plants, etc., whereby the latter are sustained or are helped in their growth. Rain is also called rizq; it helps sustain every living being on our planet.
In 51:58, we read: “Surely Allah is the One Who bestows sustenance, the Lord of Power, the Strong One.“
Another verse referring to our sustenance is this:
“And in the heavens is your sustenance and what you are threatened with“ (Qur‘an, 51:22).
“In the heavens is your sustenance“ may be a reference to the rain that descends from the heavens, the sky. As to the phrase “and what you are threatened with,“ this may be a clue that the end of life on this earth will be terminated by a collision of an asteroid or a large size cosmic debri with the earth, but this is not the place to discuss such interpretations or speculations.
If Allah so wills, I intend to write a complete tafsr, an exegesis, of the Holy Qur‘an that will contain such interpretations and speculations the like of which has never been written in English before. If the reader wishes to see such a book published, he is requested to pray the Almighty to make it happen. Prayers go a long way, had people only known. Allah listens to each and every supplication no matter who the supplicant is so long as the latter is a true believer in Him.
The word rizq may be used for means of income, livelihood, sustenance, money, wealth…, or for the earning of something good, be it during the life of this world or in the life to come, or it may be applied to one‘s lot or fortune, or even to anything eaten.
“Al-Razzaq“ is a superlative of “al-Raziq,“ the One Who provides rizq. Al- Razzaq is applied to none other than Allah. There are two types of rizq: one sustains the body, such as food and drink, while the other sustains the soul, which is knowledge and true inspiration. The latter is the best type of sustenance simply because what sustains the soul lasts forever, while what sustains the body has a temporary duration.
Al-Razzaq is the One Who creates all types of sustenance, Who extends His favor to cover making such sustenance attainable to His creatures, Who provides means for getting them to attain their sustenance. He sustains all His creation by whatever means needed to keep them alive. He sustains the minds with knowledge, the hearts with understanding, the souls with manifestations, the bodies with food, and so on. Only He can do so. Anyone who realizes this fact will recognize the fact that his own sustenance, and that of everyone and everything else, is controlled by none other than Allah.
References to rizq have been made in several Qur‘anic verses such as these:
… Allah provides means of subsistence to whomsoever He pleases without a measure. (2:212) Allah is Benignant to His servants; He gives sustenance to whomsoever He pleases, and He is the Strong, the Mighty One. (42:19) … and whoever fears Allah, He will make an outlet for him and give him sustenance from whence he does not expect. (65:2-3) … these are the believers truly; they shall have forgiveness and an honorable provision. (8:74) … and the sustenance (provided) by your Lord is better and more abiding. (20:131) Most surely this is Our sustenance: it shall never deplete. (38:54)>
Say: The (blessing) from the presence of Allah is better than any amusement or bargain. (62:11) … surely the things you worship besides Allah cannot sustain you. (29:17)
There is no creature moving on earth except that its sustenance depends on Allah. (11:6)
One of the Islamic manners inspired by the Attribute “al-Razzaq“ is that a servant of Allah becomes convinced that there is no partner with his Lord in providing sustenance, just as He has no partner in creating everything. He, therefore, pleads to Him for anything small or big. He also feels satisfied with what al-Razzaq has allotted for him, just as He has said, “And they are the ones who, when spending, are neither extravagant nor parsimonious but keep the just means between these [extremes]“ (Qur‘an, 25:67), and also, “Those who, when spending, are neither extravagant nor niggardly but hold a just (balance) between these (extremes)“ (Qur‘an, 17:29).
The abundance of Allah‘s sustenance is without a limit. He is the One Who says the following in Surat Hud:
“There is no creature moving on earth except that its sustenance depends on Allah: He knows the time and place of its definite abode and its temporary deposit: all is in a clear record“ (Qur‘an, 11:6).
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Junaid Tahir Program Manager, Blogger, Author
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