Reliance like Birds

Reliance like Birds

Umar (radi Allahu anhu) said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) say, 'If you were to rely upon Allah with the reliance He is due, you would be given provision like the birds: They go out hungry in the morning and come back with full bellies in the evening.'" [Ibn Majah - graded hasan, Tirmidhi]

The reliance of birds is that they do not store their livelihood. They have full trust that as Allah provided them with their food today, He will surely grant their food tomorrow as well.

Reliance does not mean that the lawful means of earning a livelihood should be abandoned. Even birds have to leave their nests in search of their meal, and they get their food after some effort. So a Muslim should also seek his earnings through lawful means, but not be greedy.



There is so much good that Shaytan prevents us from doing by scaring us with poverty and making us hoard. Shaytan tells us that no matter how much we have it is not enough, we need to hoard whatever we have. It is true that regardless of how much we have, it will not be enough to maintain a particular lifestyle, should the circumstances of our lives change sufficiently. What we forget is that Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) gave us whatever we accumulate. We did not snatch it from Him. Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) lovingly gave it to us. And He is the One who will give to us later as well. On the other hand, if Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) destines calamity after calamity to befall us, God Forbid, then no amount of savings will help.

Most people who have stopped themselves from giving, die without that wealth having been of any use to them. Keep a modest amount for your family's needs and spend generously in the path of Allah. Know that it is Allah who is saving you from the calamities of which you are afraid and for which you are preparing. Hoarding is not the way to save yourself. Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) told us that the giving of sadaqah is what keeps calamities away.

 dailyhadith.adaptivesolutionsinc.com