Rizq min Allah

 

Whatever is to be given to us / held back from us has already been preordained in the skies. When we used to visit Pakistan in summer vacations, our paternal aunt was very fond of bathing in the monsoon rain showers. We used to wait for the heavens to pour down the blessings so that we me become wet in the privacy of our courtyard. Indeed, the skies open up with blessings that are a source of our joy, sustenance and growth for mankind. 

Prophet Ayob (AS) was sent a swarm of locusts, from Allah, made of gold when he recovered from his illness, which he eagerly collected as wealth. Allah asked him about this eagerness and he replied that should be not gather all the bounty from his Lord eagerly?

In Abu Dhabi, I moved away from the department I had worked in for 8 years, but was officially tied to them. The next year, I received a salary increment due to my performance at the new position. The old department manager called me to his office and told me "Rizq min Allah" (provision from Allah). That increment before my departure from Abu Dhabi, impacted my end of service benefits significantly as it were calculated based on my incremented last salary.

We are to accept whatever comes from Allah as bounty whether it is pleasing to us or otherwise. Whatever difficulties we accept and face with satisfaction, become the catalyst to reform ourselves and take us to our next level of our development. The problems that we successfully overcome define us. Indeed, amazing is the case of the believer for whom what is pleasing is a source of gratitude and what is difficult is a source of patience. Both being good for them. 

When someone brings us a gift or invite us to eat with them, we belittle them and do not accept their generosity without pretending that we do not want it. It is even considered good manners to do so. Nevertheless, this cultural practice is not from Islam. We learn from the lives of the Prophet (SWAS) and his Companions (RA) that they accepted gifts and invitations without false pretense. They made supplications for the benefactor and accepted all favors as ultimately originating from Allah. Rizq min Allah.