الرَّزَّاقُ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Ar-Razzaq
The Supreme Provider
The Sustainer, the Provider: Ar-Razzaq in two words, with one verse, 51:58, where Allah alone is the Supreme Provider, Lord of all Power, Ever Mighty. It is mentioned once in the Quran. Abundant provision, al-Sa'di says: no creature on earth or in the sky but its provision is on Allah.
Key verse
﴿إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلرَّزَّاقُ ذُو ٱلْقُوَّةِ ٱلْمَتِينُ﴾Indeed, Allah ˹alone˺ is the Supreme Provider: Lord of all Power, Ever Mighty.
The scholar's text
The Sustainer, The Provider.
(إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينُ) الذاريات 51: 58
(Indeed, Allah ˹Alone˺ is the Supreme Provider: Lord of all Power, Ever Mighty.) Adh-Dhariat 51:58
It is mentioned 1 time in the Holy Quran
المعيل، الرازق.
(إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلرَّزَّاقُ ذُو ٱلْقُوَّةِ ٱلْمَتِينُ) الذاريات 51: 58
ورد في القرآن الكريم مرة واحدة.
He Needs Nothing From Them
Its verse, 51:58, ends a short passage: Allah created jinn and humans only to worship Him, wants no provision from them and no feeding. Ibn Kathir draws the line between the two sides. He does not need them; they are the poor ones, in need of Him in every state, for He is their Creator and their Provider. Al-Sa'di reads the Name as abundance: there is no creature on the earth or in the sky but its provision is on Allah, who knows where it settles and where it is laid to rest.
Arabic: ما أريد منهم من رزق
تختم آيته سياقا في الغاية من الخلق: ﴿وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ﴾ ﴿مَآ أُرِيدُ مِنْهُم مِّن رِّزْقٍ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَن يُطْعِمُونِ﴾، قال ابن كثير: «وأخبر أنه غير محتاج إليهم، بل هم الفقراء إليه في جميع أحوالهم، فهو خالقهم ورازقهم». وقال السعدي: «أي: كثير الرزق، الذي ما من دابة في الأرض ولا في السماء إلا على الله رزقها، ويعلم مستقرها ومستودعها».
In the Heaven Is Your Provision
﴿وَفِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ رِزْقُكُمْ وَمَا تُوعَدُونَ﴾In heaven is your sustenance and whatever you are promised.
Earlier in the same surah, 51:22: in the heaven is your provision, and what you are promised. Rain, Ibn Abbas and Mujahid said, in Ibn Kathir. Al-Sa'di widens it to provision of the religion and of this world, both sent down from Allah. Ibn Kathir also reports a story. Wasil al-Ahdab recited the verse and said: my provision is in the sky, and I look for it on the earth? He went into a ruin and stayed three days with nothing, and on the third day found a basket of fresh dates; his brother joined him and there were two baskets, and so it stayed until death parted them.
Arabic: وفي السماء رزقكم
وقبلها في السورة نفسها: ﴿وَفِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ رِزْقُكُمْ وَمَا تُوعَدُونَ﴾، قال ابن كثير: «يعني: المطر، (وما توعدون) يعني: الجنة. قاله ابن عباس، ومجاهد وغير واحد»، وقال السعدي: «أي مادة رزقكم، من الأمطار، وصنوف الأقدار، الرزق الديني والدنيوي»، وكله ينزل من عند الله. ونقل ابن كثير: «وقال سفيان الثوري: قرأ واصل الأحدب هذه الآية: (وفي السماء رزقكم وما توعدون) فقال: ألا إني أرى رزقي في السماء، وأنا أطلبه في الأرض؟ فدخل خربة فمكث [ فيها ] ثلاثا لا يصيب شيئا»، «فلما أن كان في اليوم الثالث إذا هو بدوخلة من رطب، وكان له أخ أحسن نية منه، فدخل معه فصارتا دوخلتين، فلم يزل ذلك دأبهما حتى فرق الموت بينهما».
Who Would Provide for You?
﴿أَمَّنْ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى يَرْزُقُكُمْ إِنْ أَمْسَكَ رِزْقَهُۥ ۚ بَل لَّجُّوا۟ فِى عُتُوٍّ وَنُفُورٍ﴾Or who is it that will provide for you if He withholds His provision? In fact, they persist in arrogance and aversion ˹to the truth˺.
67:21 asks: who is it that will provide for you if He withholds His provision? All provision is from Allah, al-Sa'di answers, and created beings cannot even provide for themselves, so how could they provide for others? The One who provides and blesses, from whom every blessing comes, is the One who deserves to be worshipped alone. Abraham made the same argument to his people in 29:17: those you worship besides Allah have no power to provide for you, so seek provision from Allah, worship Him and be grateful to Him.
Arabic: أمن هذا الذي يرزقكم
تسأل آية الملك: ﴿أَمَّنْ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى يَرْزُقُكُمْ إِنْ أَمْسَكَ رِزْقَهُۥ ۚ بَل لَّجُّوا۟ فِى عُتُوٍّ وَنُفُورٍ﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: الرزق كله من الله، فلو أمسك عنكم رزقه، فمن الذي يرسله لكم؟ فإن الخلق لا يقدرون على رزق أنفسهم، فكيف بغيرهم؟»، «فالرزاق المنعم، الذي لا يصيب العباد نعمة إلا منه، هو الذي يستحق أن يفرد بالعبادة». وقال إبراهيم عليه السلام لقومه: ﴿إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لَكُمْ رِزْقًا فَٱبْتَغُوا۟ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرِّزْقَ وَٱعْبُدُوهُ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لَهُۥٓ﴾.
Whatever You Spend, He Replaces
﴿قُلْ إِنَّ رَبِّى يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَقْدِرُ لَهُۥ ۚ وَمَآ أَنفَقْتُم مِّن شَىْءٍ فَهُوَ يُخْلِفُهُۥ ۖ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ ٱلرَّٰزِقِينَ﴾Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Surely ˹it is˺ my Lord ˹Who˺ gives abundant or limited provisions to whoever He wills of His servants. And whatever you spend in charity, He will compensate ˹you˺ for it. For He is the Best Provider.”
34:39: my Lord gives abundant or limited provision to whoever He wills of His servants, and whatever you spend He will compensate, for He is the Best Provider. Do not imagine, al-Sa'di says, that spending lessens provision; He has promised to replace it. So seek provision from Him, and work through the means He commanded. 62:11 closes Al-Jumu'ah with the same Name, after people left the Prophet ﷺ standing in the sermon for a caravan. Patience in obeying Allah, al-Sa'di says there, does not cost anyone his provision.
Arabic: وما أنفقتم من شيء فهو يخلفه
تقول آية سبأ: ﴿وَمَآ أَنفَقْتُم مِّن شَىْءٍ فَهُوَ يُخْلِفُهُۥ ۖ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ ٱلرَّٰزِقِينَ﴾، قال السعدي: «فلا تتوهموا أن الإنفاق مما ينقص الرزق، بل وعد بالخلف للمنفق، الذي يبسط الرزق لمن يشاء ويقدر وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ فاطلبوا الرزق منه، واسعوا في الأسباب التي أمركم بها». وتختم سورة الجمعة بالاسم بعد أن انفض الناس عن النبي ﷺ قائما يخطب إلى قافلة، قال السعدي: «وليس الصبر على طاعة الله مفوتًا للرزق، فإن الله خير الرازقين، فمن اتقى الله رزقه من حيث لا يحتسب».
From Where He Never Expected
﴿وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بَـٰلِغُ أَمْرِهِۦ ۚ قَدْ جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدْرًا﴾and provide for them from sources they could never imagine. And whoever puts their trust in Allah, then He ˹alone˺ is sufficient for them. Certainly Allah achieves His Will. Allah has already set a destiny for everything.
65:2 and 65:3 promise the God-fearing a way out, and provision from where they never expected. Allah drives the provision to him, al-Sa'di explains, by a way he does not count on or even notice. And when it seems late? His wisdom, he says, may hold it back until the time that suits it. Even those who insult Him are still fed: “None is more patient than Allah against the harmful and annoying words He hears (from the people): They ascribe children to Him, yet He bestows upon them health and provision” (Sahih al-Bukhari 7378, narrated by Abu Musa al-Ash'ari).
Arabic: ويرزقه من حيث لا يحتسب
تعد آية الطلاق المتقي مخرجا: ﴿وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مَخْرَجًا﴾ ﴿وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: يسوق الله الرزق للمتقي، من وجه لا يحتسبه ولا يشعر به»، و«ولكن ربما أن الحكمة الإلهية اقتضت تأخيره إلى الوقت المناسب له؛». وحتى من يؤذيه يرزقه، قال النبي ﷺ: «مَا أَحَدٌ أَصْبَرُ عَلَى أَذًى سَمِعَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ، يَدَّعُونَ لَهُ الْوَلَدَ، ثُمَّ يُعَافِيهِمْ وَيَرْزُقُهُمْ» (صحيح البخاري 7378، عن أبي موسى الأشعري).
From the Sunnah
None is more patient than Allah against the harmful and annoying words He hears (from the people): They ascribe children to Him, yet He bestows upon them health and provision
مَا أَحَدٌ أَصْبَرُ عَلَى أَذًى سَمِعَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ، يَدَّعُونَ لَهُ الْوَلَدَ، ثُمَّ يُعَافِيهِمْ وَيَرْزُقُهُمْ
A du'a with this Name
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَارْحَمْنِي وَاهْدِنِي وَعَافِنِي وَارْزُقْنِي
O Allah, grant me pardon, have mercy upon me, direct me to the path of righteousness, grant me protection and provide me sustenance
Sahih Muslim 2697: the words the Prophet ﷺ taught a man who had just become Muslim, after teaching him the prayer, as Abu Malik al-Ashja'i reported from his father
Related Names
Questions about Ar-Razzaq
What does Ar-Razzaq mean?
Ar-Razzaq means the Sustainer and the Provider; 51:58 calls Allah alone the Supreme Provider.
How many times is Ar-Razzaq in the Quran?
Ar-Razzaq is mentioned once in the Quran: 51:58, where it comes with Lord of all Power, Ever Mighty.
Does giving in charity reduce provision?
No: Allah promises in 34:39 to replace whatever is spent, and al-Sa'di warns against imagining that spending lessens provision.
Why can provision be delayed?
Allah's wisdom may hold provision back until the time that suits it, al-Sa'di says on 65:3, while it is still on its way to the God-fearing.