What the Quran says about provision (rizq), with the commentaries
Provision in the Quran — "upon God is its provision", "had God extended provision", "from where he does not expect", "We provide for them and for you", and Mary's provision in the sanctuary — read in al-Tafsir al-Muyassar, al-Safi and al-Mizan.
Words from the root of rizq, provision, occur 122 times in the Quran, in 108 verses across 44 surahs. This article gathers the main verses by what they say and, at each one, gives the Sunni reading of al-Tafsir al-Muyassar first, then the Shia readings of al-Safi (al-Fayd al-Kashani) and al-Mizan (al-Tabataba'i).
Quotations from the three commentaries are my renderings of the Arabic.
"Upon God is its provision"
And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision, and He knows its place of dwelling and place of storage. All is in a clear register.
(Hud 11:6)
Al-Muyassar: God has taken on, out of His bounty, the provision of everything that moves on the earth, and knows where it settles in life and after death. Al-Safi: its provision, because He has taken it on out of bounty and mercy; its dwelling is where it settles, and its place of storage is before that — the loins of fathers, the wombs of mothers, the egg. Al-Mizan: every creature of the earth is God's to provide for, and none is left without provision; He knows it and its state wherever it is — if it stays where it is, like the fish in the water, its provision is there; if it is away from its place, like the bird in the air, the traveller far from home or the unborn in the womb, its provision is there.
All three agree that provision is God's undertaking for every creature, and that "its dwelling and place of storage" speaks of His knowing it wherever it is. Al-Muyassar and al-Safi call the undertaking a bounty; al-Mizan gives examples of the two places: the fish in water, the bird in the air, the child in the womb.
"Had God extended provision"
And if Allah had extended [excessively] provision for His servants, they would have committed tyranny throughout the earth. But He sends [it] down in an amount which He wills. Indeed He is, of His servants, Acquainted and Seeing.
Al-Muyassar: had God widened provision for His servants, they would have transgressed in arrogance and wronged one another; but He sends down their provision in the measure He wills, for their sufficiency. Al-Safi relays from al-Sadiq: had He done so, they would have done it; but He made them need one another, and bound them to servanthood by it; had He made them all rich, they would have transgressed. It adds a sacred report: among My servants are some whom only wealth sets right, and poverty would ruin them; and some whom only poverty sets right, and wealth would ruin them; I arrange My servants by My knowledge of their hearts. Al-Mizan: had God given all of them plenty, they would have done wrong on the earth, since wide wealth breeds arrogance and excess; but He sends down provision in a set measure, knowing what each servant deserves and what sets him right, wealth or poverty.
All three agree that the measuring of provision is wisdom: plenty for all would lead to transgression, and God gives each servant what sets him right, whether wealth or poverty.
"From where he does not expect"
And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent.
Al-Muyassar: whoever fears God, doing what He commands and avoiding what He forbids, He makes a way out of every hardship for him and eases the means of provision from where it never crossed his mind. Al-Safi relays from al-Sadiq: "and provide for him from where he does not expect" means He blesses him in what he is given; and a second report: when this verse came down, some of the Prophet's companions shut their doors and gave themselves to worship, saying "we have been provided for"; the Prophet sent for them and said: whoever does that will not be answered — you must go out and seek. Al-Mizan: "provide for him" — a spouse, wealth and all he needs for a good and pure life — "from where he does not expect"; so the believer need not fear that keeping God's limits will cost him a good life, for provision is guaranteed.
Where they agree
All three agree that provision "from where he does not expect" is the reward of godwariness, and that it comes from a direction the servant does not foresee.
Where they differ
Al-Muyassar reads it as the means of provision being made easy; al-Safi's report reads it as blessing in what one already has, and another report has the Prophet telling those who stopped working on the strength of the verse to go out and seek; al-Mizan widens provision to a spouse, wealth and all that makes life good.
"We provide for them and for you"
And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you. Indeed, their killing is ever a great sin.
Al-Muyassar: since provision is in God's hand, do not kill your children for fear of poverty; He provides for the children as He provides for the fathers. Al-Safi relays from al-Qummi: for fear of poverty and hunger — the Arabs used to kill their children for that. Al-Mizan: do not kill your children for fear that poverty will drive them to the humiliation of begging, or your daughters to unsuitable marriages; you are not their providers, that you should lose their provision when you are poor — We provide for them and for you.
All three agree that the verse forbids killing children for fear of poverty, because provision is in God's hand. In Al-An'am 151 the fathers come first — "We provide for you and for them"; in Al-Isra 31 the children come first.
Mary's provision
So her Lord accepted her with good acceptance and caused her to grow in a good manner and put her in the care of Zechariah. Every time Zechariah entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found with her provision. He said, "O Mary, from where is this [coming] to you?" She said, "It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without account."
Al-Muyassar: whenever he entered her place of worship he found ready provision with her; he said: Mary, where does this good provision come from? She said: it is from God. Al-Safi: it is reported that no one but he entered her, and when he left he locked seven doors on her, and he would find with her winter fruit in summer, and the reverse. Al-Mizan: the indefinite "provision" hints that it was not ordinary provision, as has been said: he found winter fruit with her in summer and summer fruit in winter; and the provision showed, by being there at all, that it was an honour from God to the pure Mary.
All three agree that Mary's provision came from God and was not of the ordinary kind. Al-Safi and al-Mizan both relay the report of fruit out of season, and al-Mizan calls it an honour granted to her.
What the verses do not say
- They do not make wide provision a sign of God's pleasure, or narrow provision a sign of His anger.
- They do not say what form provision "from where he does not expect" takes.
- They do not say what Mary's provision was.
Counted on the mushaf
- The root of rizq: 122 times in 108 verses across 44 surahs.
- "The best of providers": five verses; al-Razzaq, "the Provider": once, Adh-Dhariyat 58.
- "From where he does not expect": once in the whole Quran.
- "Without account": seven verses.
Sources
- al-Tafsir al-Muyassar — King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran.
- Tafsir al-Safi — al-Fayd al-Kashani.
- al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Quran — al-Sayyid Muhammad Husayn al-Tabataba'i.
Read: