The Qur’ān (11:6) says: “There is no living creature on earth but depends for its sustenance on Allah; and He knows its habitation and its resting-place. All this is in a clear record.”
The above ayah mentions a great favour bestowed on human beings – that Allah, the Exalted, has Himself taken the responsibility of providing their sustenance (rizq). Then, this is not restricted to human beings alone. It extends to every living form that walks on earth. Its sustenance reaches it where it lives or goes to. This is another example of Allah’s knowledge which encompasses everything.
All the creatures which live on earth; every human being and every animal, whether it walks, flies, crawls or creeps; and every creature which lives underneath the soil or in the depths of the sea is known to Allah, the Exalted. He it is Who provides them with sustenance and He knows where each one of them abides and where it lies down, where it comes and where it goes. Each single one of them is part of His very detailed knowledge.
Allah, the Exalted, Himself has made this promise out of His grace and mercy. This promise comes from One who is True and Merciful. There is no probability of things happening otherwise, counter to the promise. This is a matter of belief. Out of His free-will, Allah, the Exalted, has chosen to provide sustenance for every living creature on earth. He, therefore, has given the earth the ability to meet the needs of all these creatures, and has given these creatures the ability to get their sustenance which is available on earth in some form or another.
Creatures want their provisions in different forms: raw, cultivated, manufactured, resulting from chemical processes or in any other form which generates food. Some creatures, for example, like fleas and mosquitoes, feed on blood which is fully digested food.
This ayah does not mean that every creature has its own predetermined provisions which will not fail to come about even if he chooses not to work for them. Had this been the case, why would Allah, the Exalted, require us to work and utilise the laws of nature? What would be the wisdom of giving all these creatures the abilities He has given them? How would life develop? How would man play his important role in this development? Every creature has its sustenance; this is a fact.
This sustenance is available in the universe, provided by Allah, the Exalted, and He has established laws of nature which make production commensurate with effort. No one, therefore, can remain idle, thinking that the heavens will shower gold or silver on them. The heavens and earth, however, are full of sustenance which is sufficient for all creatures. People need to work in order to obtain their sustenance according to Allah’s laws which neither favour any creature over another nor do ever fail.
However, what we earn can be divided into good and bad. Both come because of work and effort. They certainly differ in quality, as well as in the use and results to which they are put. Sustenance (rizq) could be lawful (halal) and it could also be unlawful (haram), because for a person who eats up what belongs to the other person, that property, no doubt, becomes his food, but so it becomes only unlawful. Had this person not used unfair means blinded by his greed, he would have received the lawful reserved and appointed for him.
Imam al-Qurtubi, under his comments on this ayah, has mentioned an event related to Abu Musa, Abu Malik and some others from their tribe of Banu al-Ash’ar. When these people reached the blessed city of Madinah after their migration (Hijrah), the resources of their journey was all used up. They sent one of their men to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the hope that he would arrange for their meals. When this person reached his door, he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ reciting the ayah: “There is no living creature on earth but depends for its sustenance on Allah.”
Hearing this ayah, the person, thought that Allah has Himself taken the responsibility of providing sustenance (rizq) for all life forms, human or non-human, then, we too would not be any worse than the animals in the sight of Allah. He shall, most certainly, give us our sustenance. With this thought in his mind, he turned from the door and left. He simply said nothing to the Allah’s Messenger ﷺ about why he was there. After having returned to his tribe, he said, ‘Rejoice, my friends. The help of Allah is coming for you.’ His companions took his words in a different sense. They thought that their representative sent to the Prophet ﷺ was talking about the success of his visit and that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had promised to arrange for what they needed. Naturally, they found the news good and felt satisfied.
Hardly had they sat down when they saw two men bringing a large wooden tray, full of meat and bread. The carriers gave all this food to them and they ate it to their full. When food was still left, they thought it would be nice to send the rest of the food to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that he could use it as he deemed fit. They had two of their men carry this food to the Prophet ﷺ. Later they all presented themselves before Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and told him, “Ya Rasulallah, the food you sent was very nice and very delicious.” He said, “As for me, I never sent any food.” Then, they told him the whole story that they had sent one of their men to him, the reply that he gave led them to believe that the food was sent by him. Hearing this, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Not by me, this was sent by the Most Sacred Being who has taken the responsibility of providing rizq to every living creature.”
A lengthy Hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Masud reports the saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ which is summarised as follows: “Man goes through different stages before his birth. When the parts of his body are formed completely, Allah commands an angel who writes down four things about him. One: Deeds he will do. Two: Years of life. Even recorded there is the month, day, minute and breath count. Three: Death: Where would he die and where would he be buried? Four: Rizq: How much is his sustenance and how and where does it have to reach him?” It stands written in the Preserved Tablet (al-lawh al-mahfuz) even before the creation of the heavens and the earth is not contrary to this. (Bukhari and Muslim)