".....And whosoever keepeth his duty to Allah, Allah will appoint a way out for him. And He provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine.... (Qur'an 65:2-3)

By Yahya Abdul Rahman - September 27, 2005

There seems to be two extreme ways of thinking about prayer and reliance on God. One view states that only the weak and feeble-minded pray to God and that such people do not want to take any responsibility for their own actions or life circumstances. As such, prayer is considered to be a useless exercise. There are others who are of the view that when confronted with a problem or challenge they merely have to pray to God and then proceed to set back and wait for their prayers to be answered or their miracle to come. In my humble opinion, such views are distortions of religion. It is my contention that solely relying on God when confronting many of life's challenges without also relying or drawing on the inner resources that have been placed within us for our survival is a distortion of religion.

Yes, it is good to pray to God for assistance and guidance, but one must also come to an awareness that when we were placed on this earth we were also provided the wherewithal to survive. I am not talking here only about material provisions, as material needs are merely one aspect or dimension of our existence. Islam teaches us that we have all have been pre-ordained a "rizq" - or provisions in this life, but because Muslims have been infused with a materialistic mind-set they seem to think this refers only to money, a certain number of children or material possessions. This too is another distortion of religion and a very narrow view of the meaning of rizq.

In fact, there is a whole storehouse of "provisions" residing within each and everyone of us which have been placed there for our well-being and survival. When we are "in-tune" with this reality and draw on these resources we will discover inner strength we never dreamed existed.

We seem to measure our success in life or the amount of "rizq" we have been given in terms of money, possessions or status. But these do nothing to fill the inner longings of the heart and soul which also need to be provided for.

We have all either read about or witnessed some truly remarkable people in history who have triumphed in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. They truly inspire us for their courage, bravery, selflessness, perseverance etc. What made them so remarkable so that they could rise above their problems, however, was not because they possessed anything other than what each and everyone of us also possess inside of us. They had inner resources of strength and determination which in fact were placed in them by the creator, and when these qualities were needed they simply drew upon them.

Many times we are looking for help and assistance from external sources, such as God, friends, family, government etc., but I am convinced that everything we need for survival is already within us. These inner resources have been placed within in us by God and they are a precious gift and are part of our "rizq."  This does not mean we should stop praying, but merely to state that prayer is only one source of our strength. For the Muslim, prayer is not only an prescription, but an act of obedience and and expression  of thankfulness to the creator.

When you find yourself in a particular situation be aware of the fact that the provisions you need to face that situation are already within you. You will never be left empty-handed because, whether you realize it or not, you have already been provided for. When you come to this realization an inner peace will follow you in life, even in the face of pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, satisfaction and disappointment and a host of other emotions arising in response to life's circumstances. With fear comes courage, with discouragement comes hope, with worry comes relief and with ignorance comes knowledge. In the chapter named "Inshirah" in the Holy Quran it is stated that:   "Surely with difficulty is ease. With difficulty is surely ease" (vs 5-6). Note that the verse does not say that after a difficulty ease would follow, but that with every difficulty there is ease. That is, even within and during the difficulty there is a source of ease, and that one does not have to wait for it until the difficulty is over.

When we are always relying on others for every single thing and not availing ourselves of the tremendous inner provisions that are already within us, we are behaving like a hungry person sitting down to a magnificent banquet but refusing to join the feast because, he says, "he cannot find anything to eat."

In your life you may think you hold the correct "beliefs," follow the right "rules" and perform the prescribed "rituals" in the correct manner, and that is all fine. But these by themselves will not be enough to sustain you in times of crises or turmoil. Blind adherence to these without inquiring into their inner meanings and what they are supposed to help us achieve will rob us of their full benefits. These beliefs, rules and rituals, if one is not careful, may actually blind a person to the reality that they also have inner resources that can be drawn upon and   instead are left  believing that following some pre-scribed formula is enough. Those who hold such views are only depriving themselves of massive un-tapped resources.

In my own life I believe in the oness of God, I believe in the Qur'an, I believe in the prophet of Muhammad, pray five times a day, fast ramadan, have performed the hajj and try to live a good life. I don't say that to draw attention to myself , but only to point out that none of these by themselves have given me the spiritual satisfaction which I crave, nor have they sufficiently sustained me in times of personal turmoil and suffering. But when I look inwardly and begin to take notice of and draw upon the inner resources which have been given me for my survival and spiritual growth then, and only then, do I gain a greater appreciation for the beliefs, rules and rituals of my faith. I am reassured in knowing that everything I need to persevere and survive in my life is with me at all times and that I just need to avail myself of it. It is my rizq and is mine for the taking.

In closing, I invite you to read and reflect upon the following words from the Qur'an which state:

"O you who believe, partake of the good things We have provided for you as sustenance (rizq) and give thanks to Allah, if it is truly Him that you worship. (Quran 2:172)