2015 11 20 Sheikh Rodwan Saleh

Khutbah: Trusting Allah for Rizq — Five Ways to Secure Your Provision

Opening — Khutbatul Hajah

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَهْدِيهِ، وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَسَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ. أَمَّا بَعْد.

ثُمَّ أَمَّا بَعْد: فَإِنَّ أَصْدَقَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ، وَأَحْسَنَ الْهَدْيِ هَدْيُ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَشَرَّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا، وَكُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ، وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ، وَكُلَّ ضَلَالَةٍ فِي النَّارِ.

Hardship Is Part of Life — No Escape

When Allah created the heavens and earth, He was declaring that man will be in turmoil — in hardship. There is no denying, nor will there ever be any escape. You and I, brothers and sisters, in our lives, shall and will go through hardship and turmoil. Allah created the heavens and earth this way.

In fact, al-anbiyā' ul-'uzm min al-anbiyā' — the most revered of the prophets: Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, 'Isa (alayhi salam), and Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) — each and every one of them was tested. They were tested financially. They were tested in their own selves. And they were tested in their families.

Regardless, brothers and sisters, we will always be tested. But the problem is that oftentimes we don't know why we are tested, nor do we welcome the test. SubhanAllah.

Allah says: "Certainly We have created man to be in distress." We don't welcome it. We don't like it. But brothers and sisters, whether we like it or not, we will always be tested. And subhanAllah, we never look at the goodness that we have within us — and that's why we never like to be tested. And oftentimes we have this element of arrogance: why should I be tested? What have I done to be tested?

And now I ask myself and all of us — for one single day, take my family and myself and go abroad to Europe, or to the desert between Syria, Jordan, and Turkey, and replace a family with myself and my own family, and live in their shoes for one day. So you see, brothers and sisters, we have to understand that when someone else is being tested, there is no denying that a day will come when we ourselves will be tested.

And subhanAllah, especially the wealthy people — we are tested knowing that we could lose the money that we have. And people who are now defeated because they don't have enough even to reach their daily goals — they are also afraid that this will continue and never end.

Rizq Is Ordained by Allah Alone

The only solution, brothers and sisters, is that we must believe wholeheartedly that whatever rizq I have gotten — whatever I have today — the ability to buy or to sell a commodity, whether I am on the receiving end or the giving end — we are both tested.

Therefore Allah tells us: there is not a single living being, brothers and sisters, whose rizq Allah does not know exactly — when, where, and how they will receive it. And so, brothers and sisters, to worry about this is absolutely a moot point. We do not need to worry about the rizq that Allah has already ordained for us, before we were even created or born on this earth.

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Book 12, Hadith 2144; also reported in related wording in Sahih al-Bukhari)

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said that there is not a single living being that will ever die unless they first receive the rizq that is written for them. And so to seek rizq — ask Allah, and He is the one who will give.

It was said that there was a farmer who always wondered why a certain bird would come to a hollow palm tree every day with a piece of meat in its beak, drop it in, and fly away. One day he got closer to the palm tree and found — subhanAllah — that there was a blind snake at the bottom of that hollow palm tree, and every day this bird would bring a piece of meat, drop it, and fly away.

And so, brothers and sisters, for us who have been tested and for those who worry about their rizq: know that Allah has already written our rizq for us, and we should absolutely not worry.

Rizq Has Nothing to Do with Lineage, Intelligence, or Connections

Often times, brothers and sisters — out of our own arrogance, as I said at the beginning — we don't want to be tested, particularly when it comes to rizq. We believe that it is because of our ability. One would say: "You don't understand — I have 5,000 contacts on my cell phone. At will I can call anyone and close a deal. I come from a lineage. We have always been merchants. We have never seen hardship in our lives. We have the ability to buy whatever we want at will."

But we have to believe, brothers and sisters, that rizq has nothing to do with lineage, nor with intellect or intelligence, nor with superiority, nor even with one's level of obedience or disobedience to Allah. It has nothing to do with where I come from, my smartness, my ability to close deals, or my connections in the world.

وَإِنَّمَا يُوَزِّعُ الرِّزْقَ جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ لِعِبَادِهِ لِحِكْمَةٍ هُوَ يَعْلَمُهَا — It is Allah, Majestic is His Glory, who distributes rizq to His servants according to a wisdom that only He knows.

Oftentimes we wonder: why is that person rich? They're not supposed to be. I have a PhD and this person barely could read and write — but look at the car he's driving, look at where his family lives. And I, with all my credentials, am not able to make ends meet.

وَلَوْ كَانَتِ الرِّزْقُ تَجْرِي عَلَى الْحِجَاءِ — If rizq were given according to ability and reason — هَلَكْنَ إِذًا مِنْ جَهْلِهِنَّ الْبَهَائِمُ — then all the animals and livestock, who cannot speak or reason, would perish, because they could not understand and go seek their rizq. وَلَمْ يَجْتَمَعْ شَرْقٌ وَغَرْبٌ لِقَاصِدٍ وَلَا الْمَجْدُ فِي كَفِّ امْرِئٍ وَلَا الدَّرَاهِمُ — And there will never be someone who remains absolutely the wealthiest person on this earth. Even Qarun — where is he today?

And this is why, subhanAllah, brothers and sisters, we only seek rizq from Allah.

And yet you would find someone who says: "Everything I have gotten is because of my ability to make deals, my connections." And Allah tells us:

Look up first and say: Ya Rabb, ya Allah — You are the one who gave me, and not because of my connections. Ya Allah, You are the one who enabled me, not because of my abilities. Ya Allah, You are the one who gave me what I have — not because of my family lineage.

Allah tells us: ask Me first before you ask anyone else. And if you are arrogant enough not to ask Me, then on the Day of Judgment you will be among those who are punished first — a real punishment because of the arrogance of not asking Allah and relying on means other than Him.

أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ. الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَكَفَى، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ.

Second Khutbah: Five Ways to Protect and Attract Rizq

Brothers and sisters, I stand before you proclaiming disbelief in — and rejection of — anyone who stands on the so-called financial studios of the world and proclaims to the world, as if looking at a financial crystal ball, saying: "There is a financial tsunami coming," or "Bankruptcy looms at the horizon," or "Maybe you will be poor if you do not invest in certain commodities." What do they know? What do they know, brothers and sisters, except their own limited knowledge?

And oftentimes, because of the so-called global issues that continuously happen, they will tell us: you may lose your job, you may no longer be needed, your business will go bankrupt. But if we listen to them, we are in a continuous state of fear. And if we don't listen to them — what is the alternative? What is the legitimate way for us to seek that Allah not only brings us rizq but also protects it for us?

The First Way: Istighfar

The very first element is to make istighfar to Allah and return to Him. Wallahi, ya ikhwani wa ya akhawati — brothers and sisters — there is not a single one of us in this congregation who is not sinful. After all, Allah created us to be sinful and then to seek istighfar from Him. And so Allah tells us in Surah Nuh:

You want rizq? I will give it to you. You want children? I will give you children. You want to secure your rizq? I will give you that security. You want to have tranquility in your heart? I will give you that tranquility. But the first condition is: make istighfar.

Al-Hasan al-Basri, the well-known and knowledgeable scholar of al-Kufa — as he was sitting teaching his students, a man came to him seeking knowledge. The sheikh told him: make istighfar. He left. Another one came and said: "My wife cannot bear children — is there a certain du'a you can teach me?" He said: "Make istighfar." A third came with another problem seeking advice. He said: "Make istighfar." After they left, the students asked him: "You have answered all of the questions with one answer." He said: "That was the ultimate answer."

Make istighfar. If we ask istighfar from Allah and we ask Him to forgive our sins on a continuous basis — morning and day, every time — then Allah will give us the money that we need, the security we are looking for, and the lush and green that He mentions in this ayah.

The Second Way: Tawakkul — True Reliance on Allah

The second way of securing our rizq is al-tawakkul 'ala Allah. Brothers and sisters, for example — if Bill Gates now came to one of us — and to Allah belongs the highest of all examples — we all know who Bill Gates is, the wealthiest or perhaps second wealthiest man on the face of the earth. If he knocked on my door and said: "I have heard you have an excellent business idea — go for it. I have your back." The very first thing that would come to our minds is: now I can go out and bring this idea to fruition — because Bill Gates assured me.

But Allah says in the Quran:

If you truly rely on Allah — the true reliance — Allah is enough for us. Fahu hasbuh — He is enough.

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Book 36, Hadith 2344; also in Sunan Ibn Majah and Musnad Ahmad)

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: if we truly rely on Allah with the true reliance, then we will be like the birds that fly out every morning. The bird has no GPS coordinates to go and pick certain seeds from a certain location, nor does it know where a certain worm lives so it can go and pluck it — and yet, not only does it return with a full stomach, but it brings food in its throat to feed its young in the nest. That is what Allah tells us — if we truly rely on Him, He will give us the rizq we are looking for.

Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters — the images we continuously see around the world worry some of us, because we work in corporate America and we are afraid there might be a backlash. So the question is: am I afraid of the man who signs my paycheck, or should I be aware of Allah who created the man who signs my paycheck? That is how we look at it, ya ikhwani. وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ.

The Third Way: Maintaining Family Ties — Silat al-Rahim

The third way of securing our rizq — the third way of ensuring that our rizq not only comes to us but is protected — is that we must look inward, within our own families. How is my relationship with my own brother from my own mother? How am I perceived when there is a family reunion? Am I constantly in contact with my own next of kin and family?

It would surprise us to know that we are willing to cut our relationship with our own brother because of dunya and inheritance. We are willing to cut relationship with our own sister because we think she got more than she deserved — mere worldly things. And so the third reason — as the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 5985; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2557)

If you want your life to be long and prosperous, and that Allah will put barakah in your rizq and protect it for you, then continuously make sure that the relationship between yourself and your family is intact.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 5986)

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) in another narration said: if you want Allah to make your rizq more than what it is now, make sure there are no problems with your next of kin.

From Abu Bakra (radiallahu 'anh), reported in Musnad Ahmad and related sources

I sometimes see a large family, and often times they might not be the most obedient to Allah — but because of their unity and making sure there is no division between them, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said Allah has not only protected their rizq but gave them more and more — making them perhaps the most wealthy in that neighborhood or in the entire village.

The Fourth Way: Hajj and 'Umrah

For those who went to Hajj — may Allah accept it — and for those who did not and wish to go — may Allah enable us to go many times in the future. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said — as narrated by Ibn 'Abbas (radiallahu 'anhuma):

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Book 9, Hadith 810; Sunan al-Nasa'i; Musnad Ahmad — narrated by Ibn 'Abbas, radiallahu 'anhuma)

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) says: if you go to Hajj this year, make sure you continuously go to 'Umrah — and if you haven't gone, go to Hajj and then follow through with 'Umrah — because it will cleanse us of poverty and sin, just as fire cleanses iron.

The Fifth Way: Tahajjud — The Night Prayer

Finally — the fifth way of protecting our rizq:

Allah is telling Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam): stand in the middle of the night and pray to Me. Brothers and sisters, in Ramadan we used to come to the masjid for tahajjud — that one hour or two before Salat al-Fajr. It has a magical effect on the family, and it absolutely has a magical effect on the individual — when the eyes of others are asleep and you stand there alone with Allah, knowing that not only is He the Protector, but the rizq is in His hands. At that moment, if you sincerely seek His refuge — Allah is more generous than any being, ya ikhwani. He is the Most Generous, and that is one of His attributes. If we ask Him at that moment, of course Allah will give.

Ibn al-Qayyim, the well-known scholar, says: imagine a child stands before his mother or father and cries his heart out because he wants a piece of candy or a toy. The more he cries, the softer the mother's heart becomes, until finally she gives in and gives him that toy. If we cry to Allah — and He is the one who put that rahmah in the heart of the mother — don't you think Allah will give? Of course He will. But we must make the effort and stand before Him.

I left this element to the end because it is the hardest for all of us to do — and unfortunately subhanAllah this is the reality. A young man came to one of the scholars in the masjid and said: "Ya Sheikh, for the past year or so I have been looking for a job and I cannot find it. I went everywhere. There is not a single contact I did not seek. I even went to people who said they had 5,000 contacts in their cell phone. I went to well-known people. I exerted my networking. I even went to an amir — and he still couldn't help me. What can I do?"

The sheikh said: "I know someone who can help you." He said: "Who?" He said: "Allah." He said: "Who?" He said: "That's what I am talking about." So the young man said: "Ya Sheikh, what should I do then?" He said: "Wallahi, the only advice I can give you is — continuously wake up one hour or so before Salat al-Fajr and pray to Allah, one or two raka'at, and pour your heart out to Him. He is bound to help you."

Time passed — subhanAllah — and about three or four months later this young man returned looking very well. He sat in front of the sheikh and reminded him of his story. The sheikh said: "I see many people — remind me of yourself." He said: "I am the man who told you I could not find a job." He said: "So what happened?" He said: "Wallahi ya Sheikh — after your advice, for about a week or so I continuously woke up before Allah at that time you advised me, and I would pray to Him. And one day, after Salat al-Fajr, I used the means — because we also have to use the means; du'a by itself is not enough, we must go out and act — I went and knocked on the door of one of the companies. An elderly man opened the door and ushered me in with a smile. When I sat in front of him, he apologized that his secretary had taken the day off. 'However, how can I help you?' I said: 'I am looking for a job.' He took my papers and disappeared. By the time he came back, he had a smile on his face and he said: 'Wallahi, for the past three months we have been looking for someone who fits the exact criteria on your resume. I happen to be the owner of this company — and if you want the job, the job is yours.'"

And this is how we deal with Allah, ya ikhwani. We will always be tested, but our aim and our solace will always be only with Allah — and not with anyone else. And if the anbiya', who are better than all of us who ever walked this earth, found their only solution in looking up and saying: "Ya Allah" — then who are we not to do the same?

Who but Allah will answer you when you seek Him? Who but Allah will shield you from harm?

Du'a — Closing Supplication

وَمَا كَانَ مِنْ تَوْفِيقٍ فَمِنَ اللَّهِ، وَمَا كَانَ مِنْ خَطَأٍ أَوْ زَلَلٍ أَوْ نِسْيَانٍ فَمِنِّي وَمِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ، وَاللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ مِنْهُ بُرَآءُ. وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ.