17
Al Razzaq
The Provider, The Sustainer, The Best of Provider
'Ra' is the 20th letter of the alphabet. God's names that start with Ra are associated with the qualities of mercy and compassion: Al Rahman (The Beneficent), Al Rahim (The Merciful), Al Razzaq (The Provider), Al Rafi' (The Exalter), Al Ra'uf (The Compassionate), Al Raqib (The Watcher), Al Rashid (The Guide to the Right Path)1.
Ya Razzaq is translated as O Provider in the Mureed’s manual of the Sufi Ruhaniat International.
Razzaq is translated in Koran 5,114
as the best of Providers: “Qala AAeesa ibnu maryama allahumma
rabbana anzil AAalayna ma-idatan mina alssama-i
takoonu lana AAeedan li-awwalina waakhirina
waayatan minka waorzuqna waanta khayru alrraziqeena.”
That is translated as: “Isa the son of Marium said: O Allah, our Lord! send
down to us food from heaven which should be to us an ever-recurring happiness,
to the first of us and to the last of us, and a sign from Thee, and grant us
means of subsistence, and Thou art the best of the Providers.”
Razzaq is translated in Koran 22.58 as the best Giver of sustenance: “Waallatheena hajaroo fee sabeeli Allahi thumma qutiloo aw matoo layarzuqannahumu Allahu rizqan hasanan wa-inna Allaha lahuwa khayru alrraziqeena.” That is translated as: “And (as for) those who fly in Allah's way and are then slain or die, Allah will most certainly grant them a goodly sustenance, and most surely Allah is the best Giver of sustenance.”3
Razzaq is translated in Koran 23.72 as He is the best of those who provide sustenance: “Am tas-aluhum kharjan fakharaju rabbika khayrun wahuwa khayru alrraziqeena.” That is translated as: " Or is it that you ask them a recompense? But the recompense of your Lord is best, and He is the best of those who provide sustenance.” 3
Razzaq is translated in Koran 40. 64 as He provided you with goodly things: “Allahu allathee jaAAala lakumu al-arda qararan waalssamaa binaan wasawwarakum faahsana suwarakum warazaqakum mina alttayyibati thalikumu Allahu rabbukum fatabaraka Allahu rabbu alAAalameena.” That is translated as:”Allah is He Who made the earth a resting-place for you and the heaven a canopy, and He formed you, then made goodly your forms, and He provided you with goodly things; that is Allah, your Lord; blessed then is Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” 3
Razzaq is translated in Koran 51.58 as the Bestower of sustenance: “Inna Allaha huwa alrrazzaqu thoo alquwwati almateenu.” That is translated as :”Surely Allah is the Bestower of sustenance, the Lord of Power, the Strong.” 3
Razzaq is translated in Koran 62.11 as the best of Sustainers: “Wa-itha raaw tijaratan aw lahwan infaddoo ilayha watarakooka qa-iman qul ma AAinda Allahi khayrun mina allahwi wamina alttijarati waAllahu khayru alrraziqeena.” That is translated as: “And when they see merchandise or sport they break up for It, and leave you standing. Say: What is with Allah is better than sport and (better) than merchandise, and Allah is the best of Sustainers.” 3
Pir-O-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan mentions Razzaq in the Sangithas in the following context under the title Ryazat for the meaning of wazifas given to mureeds:
Ya Fattah, is given for the accomplishment of affairs, to open the door which seems closed before one, in other words, for success. Ya Azim, to gain force, strength, enthusiasm for the accomplishment of the work. Ya Ghani to make the situation favorable. Ya Wahhabo, to make things go on which have stopped in their movement, to cause movement in affairs. Ya Razzaq, for bread and butter. Ya Vakil, in a difficult situation where a kind of pleading is needed or somebody is needed to speak for a person, or some help in words is needed or a recommendation. FOR CHARACTER: Ya Karim, to make a person kindly, of a kind nature. Ya Rahim, to make a person mild in nature. Ya Ghani, to make a person generous in nature. Ya Azim, to make a person enthusiastic in nature. Ya Wahhab, to develop in a person’s nature activity in movement. Ya Wali, to develop self control in a person. Ya Qazi al Hazad, to be better able to manage one’s affairs. Ya Shakur, to produce thankfulness in a person. Ya Sabir, to develop the faculty of patience. FOR SPIRITUAL ATTAINMENT: Subha‘n Allah, For purity, 33 times; Al Hamdu’Lilla‘h, to produce beauty, 33 times; Allaho Akbar, to create greatness, 34 times; Together 100 times. Ya Basir, for inspiration, such as clairvoyance. Ya Sami, for clairaudience.
Gimaret5 mentions that among the
favorite theme found in the Koran is the one of rizq. It is said about
it that there is no animal (dābba) on earth to whom
rizq is not provided. By dābba, one must understand all
living beings. As such God is qualified as ar-razzāq (Koran 51,58) and of hayr ar-raziqin (5,114; 22,58). What is the
meaning of rizq? First all food (qūt,
ġidā’) that can be eaten and drunk to maintain the working (qiwān,
or qawān) of the body. It seems that this is always in this
meaning that it is understood in the Koran5.
In Koran 2,60 “kulū wa šrabū min rizqi llāhi “ translated as “Eat and drink of the provisions of Allah”3. Or in Koran 5,88 “kulū mimmā razaqakumu llāhu” translated as “And eat of the lawful and good (things) that Allah has given you”. Also in Koran 6,142 “eat of what Allah has given you” and in Koran 16,114 “Therefore eat of what Allah has given you”. In Koran 34,15 “kulū min rizqi rabbikum” translated as “eat of the sustenance of your Lord” 5.
Often it is associated specially with fruits (tamarāt) in Koran 2,22 “(Who) sends down rain from the cloud then brings forth with it subsistence for you of the fruits”; or in Koran 14,32 “Allah is He Who created the heavens and the earth and sent down water from the clouds, then brought forth with it fruits as a sustenance for you”; and in Koran 14, 37 “Lord! that they may keep up prayer; therefore make the hearts of some people yearn towards them and provide them with fruits”; and in Koran 28,57 “And they say: If we follow the guidance with you, we shall be carried off from our country. What ! have We not settled them in a safe, sacred territory to which fruits of every kind shall be drawn? -- a sustenance from Us; but most of them do not know.” Etc…5
Theologians5 give to rizq a greater meaning, it is the food but also everything useful for life, everything that we can benefit from. Aš`arī5 understood “all elements placed to our disposal that can be source of nourishment or to benefit us somehow (Muğ. 53,5-6). Also everything that a living being (hayawān) eat or benefit from to protect itself from hot or cold or from any damages (ibid. 137,7-8). Qušayrī5 defined rizq as “everything that can be of benefit “ or “kull mā yumkinu an yuntafa`a bihi” (Th. 27b 25; cf. Irš. 208,17) that is including children, house, health and intelligence. Gazālī5 distinguished two kind of rizq, the foods for the body and the one for the spirit (Mq. 90,10-15) 5.
The Sunnites5
said that everything that can be of benefit to a being is his sustenance
without consideration for any transgression of the Law (Irš. 208,17-18).
Baġdādī5 argued that Koran 2,172 “kulū min tayyibāti mā razaqnākum” translated3 “O you who believe! eat of the good things that We have provided you with, and give thanks to Allah if Him it is that you serve.”, this would mean that as God as the Provider gives think that are not good, meaning forbidden (ibid. 148a 8-10) 5.
The issue of rizq is also debated regarding the legitimacy of what is acquired for sustenance (kasb). If it is true that God is ar-razzāq, if He provides to each living being its sustenance, must we make the effort to search for that sustenance (talb ar-rizq) by any activities such as cultivation, business, etc…? Must not we just totally surrender to Him on this, in the attitude of tawakkul that He prescribes Himself many times as in the formula: wa `alā llāhi fal-yatawakkali l-mu’minūna,
Koran 3,122: and in Allah should the believers trust.
Koran 5,11: and on Allah let the believers rely.
Koran 9,51: and on Allah let the believers rely.
Some Sufis and some Karrāmiyya (cf. Mtd 151, 15-18) advocated the tahrīm al-makāsib, saying that there was conflict between the spirit of tawakkul and to perform any activity in order to make money. The ordinary teaching of Islam, as well as the Sunnite and the Mu`tazilite said the opposite. The search for sustenance is obligatory if we are afraid of any damage to oneself, it can as well be recommended (mandūb) in some cases (Mtd 151, 7-14). To support this meaning Koran 2,267 “O you who believe! spend (benevolently) of the good things that you earn (Kasabtum)” and Koran 4,29 “O you who believe! do not devour your property among yourselves falsely, except that it be trading by your mutual consent” legitimized expressly the activity of business (tiğāra) without considering many hadīts (cf. Mtd 152,2-10; Šarh 786,17-20).
For Ar-Rāzī6, al-razzāq is The One Who never cease to provide, The One who always give sustenance.
In Koran 29, 60 it says: “And how many a living creature that does not carry its sustenance: Allah sustains it and yourselves; and He is the Hearing, the Knowing.”
Ar-Rāzī6 tells the story of the Prophet David – Peace be on him – who said “O Whom that provides sustenance (rāziq) to the small crow in his nest!” because when the egg is pierced, the baby bird comes out white and the mother abandons him. Allah then made stinkbug attracted by the baby bird greasy smell. The small bird feed himself on it until his feathers grow; the mother recognizes it and takes him back. She then feed him seeds. This is the meaning of the expression used by the Prophet David6.
Know that the sustenance (rizq) of the bodies comes from food and the one of the spirit from knowledge, this is the best because its fruit is the eternal life, the fruit of the physical sustenance is only to insure the good working of the body6.
One of the causes to make the sustenance grow it prayer according to Koran 20, 132: “And enjoin prayer on your followers, and steadily adhere to it; We do not ask you for subsistence (rizq); We do give you subsistence (narzuqu), and the (good) end is for guarding (against evil).” 6
The
return of the servant to God in order to find out what He wants from him is the
goal of worship6. Moses – Peace be on him – sought the vision (ru`ya) of God because this is the highest
state. He asked in Koran 7, 143: “he said: My
Lord! show me (Thyself), so that I may look upon Thee”
(rabbī arinī anzhur ilayka). Moses starving looked for
bread and said: “My Lord! surely I stand in need of
whatever good Thou mayest send down to me.” He looked for the precious and
present experience of this Spirit of Guidance (mawlā).6
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1. Article by Mamoun Sakkal 1993 http://www.sakkal.com/Islamic_Image1.html
2. Mureed’s
manual of the Sufi Ruhaniat International
3. The Holy Quor’ān, Arabic Text with English
Translation and Commentary by Maulana Muhammad Ali, New 2002 edition, Ahmadiyya
Anjuman Isha’at Islam Lahore Inc. USA, Ohio, USA.
4. Asma’ul Husna, the 99 Beautiful Names of
Allah, M.R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
5. Les noms divins en Islam, Daniel Gimaret,
exégèse lexicographique et théologique, 1988, Editions du cerf.
6. Ar-Râzî, traité
sur les noms divins, by Maurice Gloton, Editions Al Bouraq.
7. SANGITHAS, Series I of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat
Inayat Khan
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