Surah Adh-Dhaariyat (51) — Ayah 22

(Ayah 22) ➊ {وَ فِي السَّمَآءِ رِزْقُكُمْ:} Most commentators have taken “provision” here to mean rain, as He said: « هُوَ الَّذِيْ يُرِيْكُمْ اٰيٰتِهٖ وَ يُنَزِّلُ لَكُمْ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ رِزْقًا» [ المؤمن : ۱۳ ] “He is the One who shows you His signs and sends down provision for you from the sky.” But the word is general, so provision means everything that is given to a person in this world for living, eating, drinking, and working. That is, whatever is being given to you is with Allah Almighty in the sky, and it is granted to you from there. By bringing {’’ وَ فِي السَّمَآءِ ‘‘} forward, exclusivity is created in the statement, so it is translated as “your provision is in the sky alone.” So when your provision is in the sky, then why worry so much for earning that you do not even distinguish between lawful and unlawful, and do not give the rightful their due? Then why be stingy and reluctant in spending on the needy and deprived? And when it comes from the sky, then what is the reason for boasting about your favor after spending on someone?
➋ { وَ مَا تُوْعَدُوْنَ:} That is, resurrection, reward and punishment, Paradise and Hell, etc., the occurrence of which has been promised through the words of all the prophets and all the heavenly books, the command for all of them is from the sky. Shah Abdul Qadir writes: “The command for what is to come descends from the sky.” (Muwadhih)
➌ At this point, some commentators have written stories of certain people who, after hearing this verse, abandoned earning and took to the wilderness, trusting in Allah, and there Allah Almighty provided them with fresh dates and provision. Thus, Tabari has narrated from Sufyan Thawri that Wasil Ahadab recited this verse {’’ وَ فِي السَّمَآءِ رِزْقُكُمْ وَ مَا تُوْعَدُوْنَ ‘‘} and said: “I see my provision in the sky, and I wander searching for it on the earth.” Saying this, he went into a ruin. For three days he had nothing to eat; when the third day came, suddenly a basket of fresh dates arrived for him. He had a brother who was even better intentioned than him; he also joined him in that ruin, so the baskets became two. This remained their condition until death separated them.
The reality is that such stories have distorted the bright face of Islam. The meaning of provision being in the sky is by no means that a person should abandon earning. This is monasticism, for which there is no room in Islam; here, the instruction is to earn by working hard and to spend on others. Instead of sitting in jungles, wildernesses, or monasteries waiting for provision to come from people or the unseen, the encouragement is to obtain the purest provision through striving in the way of Allah. The entire life of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the noble companions (may Allah be pleased with them) is a witness to this. The purpose of instilling certainty that provision is in the sky is only that, despite all his efforts, a person should place his trust only in the One in the sky and not, even for a moment, disobey His command for the sake of provision. It is surprising that a researcher like Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated this story without any criticism, even though in Tabari, the narrator of this report is Tabari’s teacher Muhammad bin Humayd al-Razi, whose weakness is well known.

22. 1. That is, rain also comes from the sky through which your sustenance is produced, and Paradise, Hell, reward, and punishment are also in the heavens, which have been promised.

And in the heaven is your provision and whatever you are promised [15][16].

[15] The means of sustenance for humans, in fact for all living creatures, is the rain that descends from the sky. The sky here may refer to the clouds or to the actual sky itself. For, in every region, the command for the amount of rain destined to fall is sent down from the sky, and everyone receives their allotted sustenance; it cannot be withheld by anyone, and only as much is received as is destined for them—no more can be obtained.
[16] Sustenance is given to a person so that he may live and work, but how long he will work in the world, and when and where he will die—this decision is sent down from the heavens. Also, here the promise refers to the promise of the Day of Resurrection, gathering and resurrection, reckoning and questioning, reward and punishment, and Paradise and Hell. The promise of these events occurring has been given in all the heavenly books. All decisions regarding the Day of Resurrection and related matters are made in the higher realm.