Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamualaikum Brother,

I come from a middle class family. We are four sistrers, studying & not married. My mother is a home-maker. Since I was born I have always seen my father struggling with his job. He is mashallah gradute and He is very hard-working man and very honest with his work. But he is very short-tempered. Most of the time he has been changing his job positions from one company to another company, as we are not satisfied with His level of income, and other thing is that our family is large and have so much of educational expenses etc etc.

In this way we can`t save anything for the future & facing financial problems.

We all pray five times a day regularly, establish fast in the month of Ramadan, at times we practice voluntarily fast, pay zakat & charity, read quran, don`t hurt people in any way etc.

But I`m too much worried about my father as his retirement age is near and at times his health is also getting effected due to his stressful type of job at present. And He earns in halal way.

So Brother, what could be the reason, as we are not satisfied at current situation and can`t save much for the future? By now I have seen so many of my friends parents well-settled.

Is this the test from Allah (SWT)? Or is it someones evil eye on us? Or are we not practicing Allah`s (SWT) commands properly?

Please Brother reply me soon as possible with some Quranic Verses and Hadiths as well.

Jazakallah Khair

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Answer:

Sustenance strained

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: Is this the test from Allah (SWT)? Or is it someones evil eye on us? Or are we not practicing Allah`s (SWT) commands properly?

The Plan and Will of the Lord Creator is to put man through good and evil conditions only as a test and a trial for a period of this one short and transitory life, so that He may reward those who submit to His Will and do good, and take account of those who transgress His Bounds and do evil.

Allah says in the Holy Quran in Chapter 67 Surah Al Mulk verse 2:

He (Allah) created death and life that He may test you, to see which of you is the best in deeds.

And only to fulfill the conditions of this test of life, the Lord Most Gracious provides some amongst His creation sustenance in abundance and without measure….and others in strict and just measure.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Israa verse 30:

30 Verily thy Lord does provide sustenance in abundance for whom He Pleases, and (for some) He provides in a just measure: for He does know and regard all His servants.

The one’s whom the Lord Most High has provided in abundance are tested whether or not they are grateful for the favors of their Lord Creator; whether they spend their bestowed wealth on the fulfilling of their lusts and desires and luxuries, or whether they spend it in furthering the Cause of Allah, helping the less fortunate, etc.

The one’s whom the Lord Most Majestic has provided in strict measure are tested whether or not they are patient in their affliction of poverty, or whether they transgress the boundaries and steal and cheat and take the wealth of others without just right through unlawful means, etc.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verses 155-157:

155 Be sure We shall test you with something of fear, and hunger, some loss in goods, or lives, or the fruits (of your toil); but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere.

156 Who say when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah we belong and to Him is our return."

157 They are those on whom (descend) blessings from Allah and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance.

Thus my beloved sister in Islam, rest absolutely assured that there is absolutely no shortage or deficiency in the Treasures of Allah Subhanah, and it is well within His Reach to provide abundantly for each and every soul in creation, if indeed that were His Plan or Will. But the All-Knowing, All-Wise Lord Provides in abundance to whom He Wills, and in strict measure to whom He Wills….only so that man is tested for this short period of one transitory life.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 15 Surah Hijr verse 21:

21 And there is not a thing but its treasures (inexhaustible) are with Us; but We only send down thereof in due and ascertainable measures.

Hadith Qudsi 17

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said that Allah, Exalted and High is He, Says: ‘….O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to rise up in one place and ask of Me, and were I to give everyone what he requested, it will not in any way cause any loss to Me than that which is caused to the ocean by dipping a needle in it!’

Respected sister in Islam, rest absolutely assured that the level or amount of one’s sustenance is Determined and Decreed by Allah Subhanah Alone….so that He may test who amongst man is grateful and who is ungrateful. If Allah Subhanah has Decreed and Willed to provide one with abundance, no man, no jinn, no evil eye, absolutely none in creation can withhold the Mercy of the Lord…..and if Allah Subhanah has Willed and Decreed to put one amongst his creation in a trial by restricting his sustenance, none can increase it except the Lord Most Supreme Himself!

Allah Says in His Holy Quran Chapter 35 Surah Fatir verse 2:

2 What Allah out of His Mercy doth bestow on mankind there is none who can withhold: what He does withhold there is none who can grant apart from Him: and He is the Exalted in Power Full of Wisdom.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 57 Surah Hadid verses 21-24:

21 (O believers) Be ye foremost (in seeking) forgiveness from your Lord, and a Garden (of Bliss) the width whereof is as the width of heaven and earth prepared for those who believe in Allah and His Messengers: that is the Grace of Allah which He bestows on whom He pleases: and Allah is the Lord of Grace abounding.

22 No misfortune can happen on earth or in your souls but is recorded in a Decree before We bring it into existence: that is truly easy for Allah:

23 In order that ye may not despair over matters that pass you by, nor exult over favors bestowed upon you. For Allah loves not any vainglorious boaster

24 Such persons as are covetous and commend covetousness to men. And if any turn back (from Allah's Way) verily Allah is free of all needs, Worthy of all Praise.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 6392 Narrated by Hudhayfah ibn Usayd

The Prophet (saws) said: “When the drop of (semen) remains in the womb for forty (days) or forty nights, the Angel comes and says: “My Lord, will he be good or evil?” And both these things would be written. Then the Angel says: “My Lord, would he be male or female?” And both these things are written. And his deeds and actions, his death, his livelihood; these are also recorded. Then his document of destiny is rolled and there is no addition to and subtraction from it.

If one finds that their sustenance is strained or they are in severe debt, one of the best supplications one can make is as taught by the Messenger of Allah (saws):

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 4.131b

Ali related that a slave, who had agreed on terms of his freedom with his master, came to him and said, "I cannot pay my master as I agreed in the terms of freedom, so help me." Ali said to him, "Let me teach you the supplication that the Prophet (saws) taught me. If you say it, Allah will cause your debt to be paid even if it be as great as a mountain. Say, 'O Allah, make Your lawful bounties sufficient for me so as to save me from what is unlawful, and from Your Grace grant me sufficient abundance to make me free from the need of all except You'."

Related by Tirmidhi.

May Allah Subhanah make your trial easy for you and your family, and from His Infinite Sources and Bounties provide you with abundance so as to make you free from the need of all except Him. Ameen.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan