أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقْدِرُ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ 37
Translations
Do they not see that Allāh extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it]? Indeed in that are signs for a people who believe.
Transliteration
Awalam yaraw anna Allaha yabsutu ar-rizqa liman yasha'u wa yaqdur. Inna fee dhalika la-ayatin liqawmin yu'minun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah emphasizes Allah's absolute control over sustenance (rizq), expanding it for whom He wills and restricting it for whom He wills. The verse serves as a sign (ayah) of Allah's wisdom and divine providence, comprehensible only to those who possess genuine faith (iman). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain that the variation in wealth and provisions among people is itself an evidence of Allah's power and wisdom, testing human character through different circumstances.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Ar-Rum, a Meccan surah that addresses the polytheists of Mecca who attributed their prosperity and misfortune to false deities. The broader context of the surah discusses signs of Allah's sovereignty in creation and history. This particular verse responds to the pagan Arabs' assumption that their gods controlled their livelihoods, redirecting them to recognize Allah alone as the Provider.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi), which relates to how rizq should be utilized. Additionally, the hadith 'Verily, the best of sustenance is that which is sufficient' emphasizes contentment with Allah's provision.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to recognize that wealth, poverty, and all forms of provision are ultimately from Allah alone, liberating hearts from dependence on false sources and fostering trust in divine wisdom. Understanding this truth cultivates gratitude in abundance and patience in scarcity, strengthening one's relationship with Allah.
Related Ayahs
وَمَآ أَنتَ بِهَـٰدِ ٱلْعُمْىِ عَن ضَلَـٰلَتِهِمْ ۖ إِن تُسْمِعُ إِلَّا مَن يُؤْمِنُ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا فَهُم مُّسْلِمُونَ
And you cannot guide the blind away from their error. You will only make hear those who believe in Our verses so they are Muslims [in submission to Allāh].
ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى يُرْسِلُ ٱلرِّيَـٰحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَابًا فَيَبْسُطُهُۥ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ كَيْفَ يَشَآءُ وَيَجْعَلُهُۥ كِسَفًا فَتَرَى ٱلْوَدْقَ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ خِلَـٰلِهِۦ ۖ فَإِذَآ أَصَابَ بِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦٓ إِذَا هُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ
It is Allāh who sends the winds, and they stir the clouds and spread them in the sky however He wills, and He makes them fragments so you see the rain emerge from within them. And when He causes it to fall upon whom He wills of His servants, immediately they rejoice
فَيَوْمَئِذٍ لَّا يَنفَعُ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ وَلَا هُمْ يُسْتَعْتَبُونَ
So that Day, their excuse will not benefit those who wronged, nor will they be asked to appease [Allāh].
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُم مِّن شُرَكَآئِهِمْ شُفَعَـٰٓؤُا۟ وَكَانُوا۟ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمْ كَـٰفِرِينَ
And there will not be for them among their [alleged] partners any intercessors, and they will [then] be disbelievers in their partners.