Surah Al-Ankaboot (29) — Ayah 62

(Ayah 62) ➊ { اَللّٰهُ يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَنْ يَّشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهٖ …:} That is, due to migration, no one’s sustenance is decreased. The expansion or restriction of sustenance depends on the will of Allah Almighty, because Allah Almighty is fully aware of everything; He alone knows how much sustenance should be given to whom. And if the address is to the polytheists, then the meaning is that the opening or closing of sustenance is not in the hands of your self-made patrons and helpers, but in the hands of Allah Almighty, because Allah Almighty alone is fully knowledgeable of everything.

➋ “Allah expands provision for whomever He wills among His servants and restricts it for him” — one meaning is that Allah Almighty expands the sustenance of whichever of His servants He wills, and restricts the sustenance of whomever He wills. However, after {’’يَقْدِرُ‘‘ } and due to {’’ لَهٗ ‘‘}, another meaning can be that Allah Almighty expands the sustenance for whomever He wills among His servants, and for the same person sometimes restricts it as well. This depends on His will; whenever He wills, He opens someone’s sustenance, and whenever He wills, He restricts it. This has nothing to do with migrating or not migrating.

➌ Allah Almighty expands the sustenance for whomever He wills among His servants and restricts it for him, but does not cut it off.

➍ { اِنَّ اللّٰهَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيْمٌ:} That is, Allah’s will is not like a blind man’s stick, that He would expand or restrict someone’s sustenance without reason; rather, Allah Almighty is fully aware of everything. He is well aware of the best interests of His servants — for whom it is better to give sustenance in abundance, and for whom it is better to give sustenance in restriction, or for the same servant, when it is better to give sustenance in abundance and when in restriction.

62-1. This is the answer to the objection of the polytheists which they used to raise against the Muslims, saying that if you are upon the truth, then why are you poor and weak? Allah said that the expansion and restriction of sustenance is in Allah's control; He gives less or more to whomever He wills according to His wisdom and will. This is not related to His pleasure or anger.

62-2. He alone knows for whom abundant sustenance is better and for whom it is not.

62. Allah expands the provision for whom He wills among His servants and restricts it for whom He wills [94], and surely He is fully [95] aware of all things.

[94] The love of wealth is deeply ingrained in human nature, and every person desires to acquire as much wealth and riches as possible. But Allah gives only as much as He Himself wills. To some He gives more, to others less. However, it cannot happen that someone is given nothing at all; He certainly gives to everyone. And in this too, there are many of His wisdoms and benefits for His servants.

[95]
Allah’s Wisdoms and the Benefits for Servants in Giving More or Less Provision to Someone:

He knows very well that if a certain servant is given more provision, he will earn goodness and virtue from it, and if another is given more, he will become heedless of His remembrance, rebellious, and arrogant. And sometimes, by giving someone more wealth, He puts him to trial. In short, as much as a person loves wealth, that same wealth can become a trial for him. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairahؓ narrates from the Prophetﷺ: A man was standing in the wilderness. He heard a voice from a cloud. (Someone called out) to water the garden of a certain man. So the cloud moved to one side and poured its water onto a rocky ground. Suddenly, one of the channels collected all the water. The man followed the water and saw a person standing in his garden, moving the water here and there with his spade. The man said: “O servant of Allah, what is your name?” He replied, “So-and-so”—the same name he had heard from the cloud. Then he asked, “O servant of Allah, why do you ask my name?” He said, “I heard a voice from this cloud, whose water this is, saying: ‘Water the garden of so-and-so,’ and your name was mentioned. So what do you do in your garden?” He replied, “Since you have asked, I will tell you: whatever grows in my garden, I give one third in charity, one third is for me and my family to eat, and one third I invest back into the garden.” [صحیح مسلم۔ کتاب الزھد۔ باب فضل انفاق علی المساکین وابن السبیل]

Once, the Messenger of Allahﷺ was distributing some charity. He did not give to everyone; he gave to some and left out others. Then, explaining this distribution, he said: I give wealth to the one in whose heart I find anxiety and restlessness. Although those whom I do not give are more beloved to me than those to whom I give this wealth, and the reason I do not give to those beloved people is that Allah has placed contentment and goodness in their hearts. Among such people is ‘Amr bin Taghlib. ‘Amr bin Taghlib says: By Allah! The happiness I felt from your statement, even if I had received red camels, I would not have been so happy. [بخاری۔ کتاب الجمعه۔ باب من قال فی الخطبة بعد الثناء اما بعد]

From these incidents, it becomes clear how many wisdoms of Allah are hidden in giving someone more or less.