Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
Provision is decreed and written, but supplication, effort, maintaining family ties, and all other means that Allah has made pathways to provision are themselves included within the divine decree. Therefore, there is no contradiction between believing in divine decree and taking the necessary means.
The fact that provision is decreed does not mean that a person should abandon work and supplication and say: “If my provision is already written, it will reach me without any effort.”
Rather, Allah has decreed provision and has also decreed the means through which provision is obtained. A person may be decreed provision because of his work, his supplication, maintaining his family ties, or other causes.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
“Provision is of two types: one is what Allah knew that He would provide him with; this does not change. The second is what He wrote and informed the angels of; this increases and decreases according to the causes.”
He explained that the causes through which provision is obtained are themselves part of what Allah has decreed and written.
The statement of Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, can be understood by distinguishing between what pertains to Allah’s knowledge and what is written down by the angels.
What Allah knows through His all-encompassing knowledge does not change, because Allah has known from eternity what will happen. He also knows the causes that the servant will take and what will result from them in terms of provision.
As for what the angels write from what Allah has informed them of, it may be connected to causes that result in increase or decrease, such as supplication, maintaining family ties, and striving.
When a servant supplicates, maintains his family ties, or takes the means of seeking provision, what Allah has decreed as the effects of those causes takes place. All of this was already known to Allah beforehand.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
“For this reason, the scholars said: Erasure and confirmation occur in the records of the angels, whereas Allah’s knowledge does not change. Nothing becomes apparent to Him that He did not already know; therefore, there is neither erasure nor confirmation in His knowledge.”
Yes. Allah has made maintaining family ties one of the causes that result in an increase and expansion of provision.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever would be pleased to have his provision expanded and his lifespan extended, let him maintain his family ties.”
Thus, an increase in provision due to maintaining family ties does not fall outside divine decree. Rather, it is itself part of the decree that Allah has ordained.
Supplication is one of the greatest means Allah has prescribed for His servants. Therefore, a Muslim should not abandon it on the pretext that provision has already been written.
Allah, Most High, says:
“And when My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of every supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me and believe in Me that they may be rightly guided.” [Al-Baqarah: 186]
And He says:
“And your Lord has said: Call upon Me; I will respond to you.” [Ghafir: 60]
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, explained that Allah may inspire a servant to supplicate and seek His help and make his supplication a cause for the good He has decreed for him, just as He makes food a cause of satiety, drink a cause of quenching thirst, and learning a cause of acquiring knowledge.
When the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, asked about relying solely on what had already been written, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Work, for everyone will be facilitated.”
Narrated by al-Bukhari (4945) and Muslim (2647).
This indicates that belief in divine decree does not mean abandoning work. Rather, the Muslim is commanded to work, take lawful means, and rely upon Allah.
Therefore, abandoning supplication or work on the grounds that provision has already been decreed is not a correct understanding of divine decree. The means themselves are part of the decree.
A Muslim should not allow differences in provision to become a reason for despair or for abandoning supplication.
Allah expands provision and restricts it according to His wisdom. He gives for a wisdom and withholds for a wisdom. Having abundant wealth does not necessarily mean that a person is more honored in the sight of Allah, just as having little wealth does not mean humiliation.
Therefore, the servant should strive to seek lawful provision, increase in supplication, maintain family ties, rely upon his Lord, and avoid constantly comparing his provision with that of others.
Provision is decreed and written, but supplication, effort, maintaining family ties, and reliance upon Allah are among the means that Allah has decreed and made pathways to obtaining and increasing provision.
It is therefore incorrect for a person to abandon supplication and work on the grounds that everything has already been written. The One who decreed provision also decreed its means.
The Muslim should therefore take the necessary means, ask Allah from His bounty, seek lawful earnings, maintain family ties, and place his trust in Allah, while remaining certain that whatever Allah decrees is based upon His knowledge and wisdom.
And Allah knows best.