Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
Believing that provision is decreed and written does not mean abandoning effort and work. Rather, a Muslim must combine reliance upon Allah Almighty with taking the lawful means, and he should seek his provision and his rights through permissible means, without laziness or transgression.
Provision is an attribute of action established for Allah Almighty through the Qur'an and Sunnah. Among His Names are Ar-Razzaq (the Provider) and Ar-Raziq (the One Who Provides).
Allah Almighty says:
“So eat of what Allah has provided for you as lawful and good.”
An-Nahl: 114.
And He says:
“Indeed, Allah is the Provider, the Possessor of firm strength.”
Adh-Dhariyat: 58.
Allah Almighty has written each person's provision. This is established in the hadith of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, in which the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Indeed, each of you is brought together in his mother's womb for forty days... Then the angel is sent to him, breathes the soul into him, and is commanded with four words: to write down his provision, his lifespan, his deeds, and whether he will be wretched or blessed...”
Narrated by Al-Bukhari (3332) and Muslim (2643).
Whatever Allah Almighty has decreed for a servant in terms of provision will reach him, and a person will not die until he has received the provision that Allah has written for him.
Although provision is decreed, Allah Almighty has commanded His servants to strive and work.
He says:
“He is the One who made the earth manageable for you, so walk among its slopes and eat from His provision, and to Him is the resurrection.”
Al-Mulk: 15.
And Allah said to Maryam, peace be upon her:
“And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop fresh, ripe dates upon you.”
Maryam: 25.
If the fact that provision is written meant that work should be abandoned, there would be no command to strive and take the means.
True reliance upon Allah does not contradict taking the means. Reliance is an action of the heart, through the servant's dependence upon Allah Almighty, while taking the means is an action of the limbs according to what Allah has legislated and permitted.
Therefore, completely abandoning the means is a mistake, just as relying solely on the means without relying upon Allah is a mistake. Rather, what is required is to combine both.
It is authentically reported from Jabir ibn Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with them both, that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“O people, fear Allah and seek provision in a good and proper manner, for no soul will die until it has received its provision in full, even if it is delayed from it. So fear Allah and seek provision in a good and proper manner. Take what is lawful and leave what is forbidden.”
Narrated by Ibn Majah (2144); authenticated by Al-Albani.
A Muslim is therefore required to seek his provision, but through a lawful and honorable means. Delayed provision should not drive him toward what is forbidden, injustice, or violating the rights of others.
In another hadith:
“Indeed, the Trustworthy Spirit [Jibril] breathed into my heart that no soul will die until it has received its provision in full. So fear Allah and seek provision in a good and proper manner. Do not let the delay of provision cause you to seek it through disobedience to Allah, for what is with Allah can only be attained through obedience to Him.”
Narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah (35473) and Al-Bayhaqi in Ash-Shu'ab (9891).
If a person has a legitimate right, he is not required to abandon it on the grounds that whatever has been written for him will come to him.
Seeking one's rights and striving to obtain them are among the means that Allah Almighty has legislated. However, the claim should be pursued through lawful means, without injustice, transgression, or committing anything forbidden.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, while there is good in both. Strive for what benefits you, seek Allah's help, and do not be helpless...”
Narrated by Muslim (2664).
The believer is therefore commanded to pursue what benefits him, seek Allah's help, and not become helpless or surrender to laziness under the pretext of divine decree.
At the same time, if a Muslim takes the lawful means and then does not obtain what he wanted, he should be content with Allah's decree and know that what befell him could never have missed him, and what missed him could never have befallen him.
Allah Almighty says:
“Say: Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us. He is our Protector, and upon Allah let the believers rely.”
At-Tawbah: 51.
And He says:
“No calamity befalls upon the earth or within yourselves except that it is in a Book before We bring it into existence. Indeed, that is easy for Allah so that you may not grieve over what has escaped you nor exult over what He has given you.”
Al-Hadid: 22–23.
Thus, belief in divine decree gives the heart tranquility after taking the means. A Muslim does not collapse when he misses out on something, nor does he become arrogant when he obtains something.
Provision is written and decreed, but this is not a reason for laziness or abandoning work. Rather, a Muslim is commanded to strive on the earth, seek provision, claim his rights, and take the lawful means while relying upon Allah Almighty.
If he obtains what he wants, he praises Allah. If something is delayed, he remains patient and knows that what Allah has written for him will come to him, and that what He has not written for him will never reach him.
The correct path is: striving while relying upon Allah, taking the means while entrusting the matter to Allah, seeking provision through lawful means, avoiding what is forbidden, and being content with what Allah has decreed after doing one's utmost.
And Allah knows best.