Halaal Rizq

Allah says in Quran in Surah Hud Ayat 6

“And there is no creature that moves in the Earth but it is for Allah to provide it with sustenance. And he knows its lodging and its home. And this is recorded in a clear book.”

From the above ayat it becomes clear that, Allah provides rizq (sustenance) to all creatures i.e humans, animals, birds, insects, plants etc. Everyone’s sustenance is guaranteed by Allah.

Similar to the above ayat, AmeerulMomeneen (a.s) says in NehjulBalagha

Look at the ant with its small body and delicate form. It can hardly be seen in the corner of the eye, nor by the perception of the imagination. Its livelihood is guaranteed and it is fed to be fit. Allah, the Kind, does not forget it, and (Allah the Giver) does not deprive it, even though it may be in a dry stone or in fixed rocks.

If Allah has guaranteed rizq even for a small ant and gives it enough to be fit, even though the ant may be in a dry stone or a fixed rock, then why is man not having reliance upon Allah to provide him the rizq which is intended for him

Since Allah has taken guarantee for the sustenance we should not become hasty and impatient in acquiring it. We should not resort to unlawful or haram means to earn sustenance.

On the occasion of the last Hajj, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) addressed the Muslims in the precincts of the MasjidulHaraam:

“Know that, the trustworthy Spirit (Jibraeel) has informed that no creature dies till he has received his destined sustenance. Hence one who fears Allah and acts with patience, Allah shall bestow upon him His sustenance through lawful means. But one who abandons purity and takes up haraam methods, a similar amount shall be decreased from his lawful sustenance. He shall be made to account for his haraam earnings on the Day of Qiyamat. Allah the Almighty has prohibited it in the following words: “...and do not substitute worthless (things) for (their) good (ones)...” (Surah Nisa 4:2). It should not be that in a hurry to obtain livelihood, you obtain it through illegal ways, before Allah provides you with the halaal sustenance that He had decreed for you.”                                                                                         (Ref: GunahaneKabira)

Conclusion of the above hadees is

·         Rizq is destined for everyone

·         No one dies until he has received the full amount of rizq destined for him

·         Patience and Fear of Allah ensures rizq destined for us reaches us through halaal earnings.

·         Resorting to haram ways of earning leads to halaalrizq getting reduced which was destined by Allah for us

·         Account of haram rizq will have to be given on the day of judgement.

One day, AmirulMomineen Ali (a.s.) reached the mosque and alighted from his mule. He entrusted his animal to a person and entered the mosque. The man pulled out the rein and ran away leaving the mule unattended. When Ali (a.s.) returned, he was holding two dirhams. He intended to give them to the man who had looked after the mule. He found the mule sans the rein. After reaching home he gave the same two dirhams to his slave for the purchase of another rein. The slave went to the bazaar found the same rein. It came to be known that the thief had sold the stolen rein for two dirhams. It was the same amount that he could have earned in a lawful way. When the slave related the whole incident to Ali (a.s.), he said,

“By abandoning patience man converts his halaal sustenance into haraam. Though he does not receive more than what is in his destiny.”

(Lailail-Akhbaar).

The above incident shows us that we will receive only that much amount of rizq which is destined for us. It’s up to us to check whether we earn it through halaal means or haram means.

What is HalaalRizq

ü  Money / Sustenance (Rizq) earned through halaal / lawful means

ü  Without deceiving / lying or through unlawful means

ü  Without engaging in unlawful means of earning like:

X     Gambling

X     Film Industry – VFX Animation / Shooting Unit

X     Crime – drug peddling / kidnapping / Murder

X     Using others money kept with us (Anjuman/Imambada/ Class/Sadqacontribution)

X     Business of Interest (soodkhori)

X     Business involving bribes / fraud / adulteration

X     Business of Musical Instruments (Guitars, flutes etc). Profession of DJ

X     Business of stolen goods – Stolen mobiles / Car Logos

X     Cooking using Pork, Wine etc.

X     Business for Alcohol, Bars, Discos etc.

Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) said

Sustenance seeks a person more intensely than his death does.

(Ref: Anecdotes for Reflection vol. 3)

Learning from the above hadees we should not involve ourselves in such business or jobs which lead to haram rizq being earned by us.

Importance of HalaalRizq:

رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ):

العِبادَةُ عَشرَةُ أجزاءٍ تِسعَةُ أجزاءٍ في طَلَبِ الحَلالِ.

The Holy Prophet (SAWA) said,

'Worship consists of ten parts of which nine are to do with earning a lawful livelihood.[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 103, p. 9, no. 37]  

In another hadeesHoly Prophet (s.a.w.s.) says,

“Worship consists of seventy parts and the best part is earnings by lawful means.”

(SafinatulBehaar)

After reading the above twohadees we realise that earning halaalrizq is very important for our worships to get accepted

Benefits of Halaal Rizq

The Prophet (SAWA) said,

“He who works hard to provide his family with a lawful livelihood is as one who fights in the way of Allah”                          (Bihar al-Anwar, p. 13, no. 590)

In a similar vein Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) has remarked,

“One who strives to earn his livelihood in a lawful manner from morning till night, achieves salvation.”                                                                  (SafinatulBehaar)

Imam (a.s.) said,

“If one of you acquires Halaal sustenance and spends (in the way of Allah) even a Dirham from it, he is certainly recompensed for it.”           (GunaahaaneKabira)

Conclusions from the above hadees:

v  Earning Halaalrizq gives the sawaab of struggling in the way of Allah

v  Person achieves salvation through halaalrizq

v  Halaal money spent in the way of Allah is repaid back to him

Punishment of earning HaraamRizq

The Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.s.) says

“If a man gives sadqa from the unlawful earnings, he is not rewarded (for it). There is no increase (barkat) in his wealth if he spends from the unlawfully earned money. If a man leaves behind his unlawful wealth, it leads him more towards the fire (Hell).”

(BehaarulAnwaar)

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) states that Allah has said:

“I will not care on the day of Qiyamat from which door he enters Hell, the person who does not care from which door he earns money in this world.” (BehaarulAnwaar)

The Messenger of Allah has also said:

“Worship acts accompanied with the acquiring of haraam is like buildings that rest on (crumbling) sand.”                                                                                    (SafinatulBehaar)

The Almighty Allah revealed to Janabe Isa ibne Maryam (a.s.):

“Inform the oppressors of Bani Israel that they must not call Me and invoke Me as long as they are involved in unlawful earnings. And if they call Me and invoke Me in this condition, I will curse them.”                                                                            (Al Kafi)

Why does man go after HaraamRizq

·         Greed – Man is greedy and wants more and more wealth which leads him to earn through haram ways

·         Impatience–Being hasty in earning money results in haram rizq

·         Non reliance upon Allah – Does not rely upon Allah to give him his rizq

·         Easy Money / Quick Money – Earning fast money usually leads to lying and deceiving others.

·         Does not want to work hard – Without toiling and doing too much e

·         Listens to Waswasa of Shaitan – Shaitaan is always behind believers and tries to deviate them through any means necessary

·         Jealousy – Jealous of the wealth of others and himself wants it.

·         Bad Friends – Being in company of friends who are not careful of how they earn leads a person towards haram rizq

Once Muawiya sends two of his slaves with some money for Abu Zar and when he refused to accept them, the slaves said, “O Abu Zar! Muawiya had promised to free us if you accept the money. Please accept it for our sake.”

Abu Zar said, “If I take it you would be free from Muawiya’s slavery but I will become his slave, because then I will be forced to obey him.” (It would be selling my religion for material wealth).

The topic we discussed above is limited to only the material sustenance, in the traditions of Ahle Bayt (a.s) there is loads of discussion on the spiritual sustenance, the most important of which is the recognition and love of Imame Zaman (atfs). If there is tawfeeq from his side we shall discuss those in details I n some other article.

In conclusion let us refer to the Dua which is to be recited after Namaz e Isha (Taaqibaat e Namaz e Isha)

“O Allah! surely, I have no knowledge of the main source of my subsistence, and I seek it only through the passing thoughts that come to my heart, and I wander about in cities searching for it, and I am perplexed in regard to what I search for. I do not know whether it is in a valley or in the mountains, in the earth or in the heavens, in the continent or in the sea, and in whose hands it is, and from whom it is. And surely I know that Thou hast its Knowledge, and its sources are in Thy hand, and Thou alone distributes it by Thy kindness, and creates opportunities through Thy mercy. Oh Allah therefore bless Muhammad and his progeny; and Oh Lord increase my sustenance, apportioned by Thee, and make easy to search and the source near; and do not make me strive in the search of what Thou hast not decreed from my sustenance. For, surely: Thou art indifferent to chastise me and I need Thy mercy. Bless Muhammad and his progeny and by Thy grace show generosity to Thy slave, surely Thou art the most generous”.

We pray to Allah that he gives us tawfeek to earn rizq through halaal means only. And keep us away from haram rizq.