The Sustenance from The Ever Providing - الرزاق

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful

According to the language, sustenance (rezeki) has some different meaning, among other is : it is a gift from Allah that have the quality in worldly or for the Hereafter; the fate of someone or his part in this life; and the foods or drinks which go into the stomach (please refer to Al-Mufradat by Ar-Raghib Al-Asfahani for more precise meaning). In accordance with the above definition, there are two types of sustenance, that is halal (permitted)  sustenance and haram (forbidden)  sustenance.


In the Al-Quran, the word رز ق (sustenance) is repeated amounting to 120 times. According to the  tafseer scholars, the word رز ق  in the Al-Quran has ten meanings, that are:


#1 : THE GIFT / THE AWARD FROM ALLAH

وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنَـٰهُمۡ يُنفِقُونَ..

.. and spend out of what We have provided for them. 

(Al-Baqarah, 2 : 3)

#2 : THE SERVING

        قَالُواْ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى رُزِقۡنَا مِن قَبۡلُ‌ۖ 

..they say: "Why this is what we were fed with before"..

( Al-Baqarah, 2 : 25 )

# 3 : THE MORNING AND NIGHT SUSTENANCE

 لَّا يَسۡمَعُونَ فِيہَا لَغۡوًا إِلَّا سَلَـٰمً۬ا‌ۖ وَلَهُمۡ رِزۡقُهُمۡ فِيہَا بُكۡرَةً۬ وَعَشِيًّ۬ا

They will not there hear any vain discourse, but only salutations of peace: and they will have therein their sustenance, morning and evening.

( Maryam, 19 : 62 )

# 4 : THE RAIN

وَمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مِن رِّزۡقٍ۬

..and the fact that Allah sends down Sustenance from the sky..

( Al-Jathiyah, 45 : 5 )

# 5 : THE NAFFKAH ( THE MONEY GIVEN TO A WIFE FROM A HUSBAND

           FOR HER BASIC NECESSITIES)

وَعَلَى ٱلۡمَوۡلُودِ لَهُ ۥ رِزۡقُهُنَّ وَكِسۡوَتُہُنَّ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ‌ۚ 

 The duty of feeding and clothing nursing mothers in a seemly manner is upon the father of the child.

( Al-Baqarah 2 : 233 )

# 6 : THE FRUITS

 وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزۡقً۬ا‌ۖ 

.. he found that she had food..

( Ali Imran 3 : 37 )

# 7 : THE MERIT / THE REWARD

وَلَا تَحۡسَبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قُتِلُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أَمۡوَٲتَۢا‌ۚ بَلۡ أَحۡيَآءٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ يُرۡزَقُونَ 

Think not of those, who are slain in the way of Allah, as dead. Nay, they are living. With their Lord they have provision.

( Ali Imran 3 : 169 )

# 8 : THE HEAVEN

وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيۡنَيۡكَ إِلَىٰ مَا مَتَّعۡنَا بِهِۦۤ أَزۡوَٲجً۬ا مِّنۡہُمۡ زَهۡرَةَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا لِنَفۡتِنَہُمۡ فِيهِ‌ۚ وَرِزۡقُ رَبِّكَ خَيۡرٌ۬ وَأَبۡقَىٰ 

And strain not thine eyes toward that which We cause some wedded pairs among them to enjoy, the flower of the life of the world, that We may try them thereby. The provision of thy Lord is better and more lasting.

( Taha 20 : 131 )

# 9 : THE PLANTATION AND LIVESTOCK

قُلۡ أَرَءَيۡتُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُم مِّن رِّزۡقٍ۬ فَجَعَلۡتُم مِّنۡهُ حَرَامً۬ا وَحَلَـٰلاً۬ قُلۡ ءَآللَّهُ أَذِنَ لَكُمۡ‌ۖ أَمۡ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ تَفۡتَرُونَ 

Say: Have ye considered what provision Allah hath sent down for you, how ye have made of it lawful and unlawful say Hath Allah permitted you, or do ye invent a lie concerning Allah? 

( Yunus 10 : 59 )

# 10 : THE FEEL OF THANKFULNESS

وَتَجۡعَلُونَ رِزۡقَكُمۡ أَنَّكُمۡ تُكَذِّبُونَ 

And make denial thereof your livelihood?

( Al-Waqi'ah 56 : 82 )

Based on the meanings of sustenance that are shown above, so, from the point of the term it means everything that owned by someone in the form of  material, such as food, beverage, home, car, or a non-material, such as inner peace, happiness and other.

 ( please refer to Dalilul Quran al-Karim by Dr. Jamal Atiyyah and his companion, al-Ma'ahad 'Alami lil Fikri al-Islami Publisher, Netherland-1401 H, page 81 ).

May Allah always hold us in His Guidance and Mercy. Wallahu ta'ala a'lam. Allah knows the best.