قُلْ إِنَّ رَبِّى يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقْدِرُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ 36
Translations
Say, "Indeed, my Lord extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it], but most of the people do not know."
Transliteration
Qul inna Rabbi yabsutul-rizqa liman yasha'u wa yuqaddiru wa lakin aktharan-nasi la ya'lamun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands the Prophet to tell the people that sustenance (rizq) is entirely in the hands of Allah alone—He expands it for whom He wills and restricts it for whom He wills. Ibn Kathir explains this refutes the notion that wealth is earned solely through human effort or that poverty reflects divine displeasure; rather, Allah's distribution of provision follows His infinite wisdom. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that most people fail to recognize this divine reality, attributing their circumstances to chance or personal merit rather than Allah's decree.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Saba, a Meccan chapter addressing the Quraysh's arrogance regarding their wealth and denial of Allah's oneness. The broader context involves refuting the pagan Arabs' misunderstanding of prosperity as proof of their righteousness and their gods' favor, while interpreting poverty as divine punishment—a common jahiliyyah belief the Quran repeatedly corrects.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'No one's wealth increases except through charity' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2280), and 'Seeking provision is a duty after the duty of worshipping Allah' (Al-Hakim), both emphasizing that while Allah controls provision, believers must also strive while trusting in His decree.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that material conditions—wealth or poverty—are divinely ordained tests and not reflections of spiritual worth or divine favor; believers should therefore neither be arrogant in affluence nor despairing in hardship, but trust in Allah's wisdom while fulfilling their responsibilities to seek provision.
Related Ayahs
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانِ وَلَا بِٱلَّذِى بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ۗ وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ مَوْقُوفُونَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يَرْجِعُ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ٱلْقَوْلَ يَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتُضْعِفُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ لَوْلَآ أَنتُمْ لَكُنَّا مُؤْمِنِينَ
And those who disbelieve say, "We will never believe in this Qur’ān nor in that before it." But if you could see when the wrongdoers are made to stand before their Lord, refuting each others' words... Those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant, "If not for you, we would have been believers."
وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ ٱلْقُرَى ٱلَّتِى بَـٰرَكْنَا فِيهَا قُرًى ظَـٰهِرَةً وَقَدَّرْنَا فِيهَا ٱلسَّيْرَ ۖ سِيرُوا۟ فِيهَا لَيَالِىَ وَأَيَّامًا ءَامِنِينَ
And We placed between them and the cities which We had blessed [many] visible cities. And We determined between them the [distances of] journey, [saying], "Travel between them by night or by day in safety."
لَقَدْ كَانَ لِسَبَإٍ فِى مَسْكَنِهِمْ ءَايَةٌ ۖ جَنَّتَانِ عَن يَمِينٍ وَشِمَالٍ ۖ كُلُوا۟ مِن رِّزْقِ رَبِّكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لَهُۥ ۚ بَلْدَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ وَرَبٌّ غَفُورٌ
There was for [the tribe of] Saba’ in their dwelling place a sign: two [fields of] gardens on the right and on the left. [They were told], "Eat from the provisions of your Lord and be grateful to Him. A good land [have you], and a forgiving Lord."
لِّيَجْزِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ
That He may reward those who believe and do righteous deeds. Those will have forgiveness and noble provision.