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Let us pause a little and ponder the verse that says: {And rely upon the Ever-Living Who does not die, and glorify Him with His praise. Sufficient is He with the sins of His servants, All-Aware.} [Surat al-Furqān: 58]
This is a call from the King, the Vanquisher, to every believing man and woman. A call to everyone who is sick, distressed, or under debt. A call to everyone who is fearful or hesitant!
He informs us that He is the Disposer of affairs and the One Able to do all things. He can turn all your problems into solutions, your pains into wellness and soundness, your dreams into reality, your fears into security, and your tears into smiles!
I disown my power and strength, and stand before my Lord with utmost humility!
Rid your soul of its weakness, anxiety, and reluctance and let it relish comfort under the shades of Allah, the Disposer of affairs, in the those lines as we reflect upon this noble name.
Allah Almighty says: {And He is Disposer of all things.} [Surat al-An‘ām: 102]
The scholars said: The Disposer of affairs is the One in charge of managing the affairs of His creation by His knowledge, perfect power, and all-inclusive wisdom.
He is the One Who undertakes to provide for His servants, take care of their interests, manage their affairs, and guide them to what is beneficial and what is harmful to them in this life and the in Hereafter.
This is the general meaning of managing of affairs, which applies to all creation. {Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is Disposer of all affairs.} [Surat az-Zumar: 62]
But there is a special meaning for Disposer, which specifically applies to the pious servants of Allah who obey and love Him. He facilitates ease for them, keeps them away from hardships, and take charge of their affairs.
Hence, Allah Almighty commanded His Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and the whole Ummah to rely upon Him. He says: {And rely upon the Ever-Living who does not die.} [Surat al-Furqān: 58] He singles them out with His love, in this verse: {Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].} [Surat Āl-‘Imrān: 159]
Reliance upon Allah is a sign of belief and piety and a trait of the believers. It is one of the best degrees of attachment to the most beautiful names of our Lord.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy upon him) said, “Reliance upon Allah is half the religion, and the other half is turning to Him. Indeed, religion is seeking the help of Allah and worshiping Him.”
Reliance upon Allah: is seeking help from Him, and turning to Him: is the worship.
Reliance upon Allah increases with the increase of faith and decreases with its decrease. He who does not rely upon his Lord has no faith. {And upon Allah rely, if you should be believers.} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 23]
Allah Almighty provides sufficiency for us as long as we rely upon Him. {And whoever relies upon Allah, then He is sufficient for him.} [Surat at-Talāq: 3]
Be sincere in your reliance upon Allah and you will get what you want, even if it was something great. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If only you rely on Allah the way you should, He will provide for you as He provides for birds; they set out hungry in the morning and return with full bellies in the evening.” [Narrated by At-Tirmidhi] [Sahīh (Authentic)]
We all wish to attain a high rank in the sight of Allah Almighty in this world and in the Hereafter. This does not actually happen except to those who sincerely rely upon their Lord. Their hearts entertain such reliance, while their tongues utters the following words at the time of adversities, {Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs.} [Surat Ᾱl-‘Imrān: 173] So, the greatness, miracles, and protection of Allah Almighty appear for His close servants.
{Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs.} [Surat Ᾱl-‘Imrān: 173] Abraham (peace be upon him) said it when he was thrown into the fire. Then, what was the result? {We said: “O fire, be cool and safety upon Abraham.”} [Surat al-Anbiyā’: 69]
And our Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) said it when it was said to them: {“Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them." But it [merely] increased them in faith, and they said: "Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs.”} [Surat ĀI-‘Imrān: 173] And what was the result? {So they returned with favor from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them.} [Surat ĀI-‘Imrān: 174]
If you reach this rank, then you have attained His love, Glorified and Exalted be He. {And when you decide, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].} [Surat Ᾱl-‘Imrān: 159]
In addition to this love, He gives you a great reward: {So whatever thing you have been given, it is but [for] enjoyment of the worldly life. But what is with Allah is better and more lasting for those who believe and rely upon their Lord.} [Surat ash-Shūra: 36]
Be sincere in your reliance upon Allah, and He will protect you from Satan. {Indeed, he has no authority over those who believe and rely upon their Lord.} [Surat an-Nahl: 99]
If the enemies set traps of cunning plots against you, set for them the wall of reliance upon Allah. {And recite to them the news of Noah, when he said to his people, “O my people, if my residence and my reminding of the signs of Allah has become burdensome upon you, then I rely upon Allah. So resolve upon your plan and [call upon] your associates. Then let not your plan be obscure to you. Then carry it out upon me and do not give me respite.”} [Surat Yūnus: 71]
Whoever wants victory against the enemies and relief from distress should rely upon Allah Almighty. {If Allah should aid you, no one can overcome you; but if He should forsake you, who is there that can aid you after Him? And upon Allah let the believers rely.} [Surat Ᾱl-‘Imrān: 160]
And if people abandon you, turn to the Disposer of affairs and rely upon Him. {But if they turn away, say, “Allah is Sufficient for me; there is no god but Him. On Him I rely, and He is the Lord of the Great Throne.”} [Surat at-Tawbah: 129]
If you are required to engage in reconciliation and reform, engage through reliance upon Allah: {And if they incline to peace, then incline to it [also] and rely upon Allah. Indeed, it is He who is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.} [Surat al-Anfāl: 61]
If faith settles in your heart and you know that your matter lies in the Hands of the Almighty Lord, do not rely then upon anyone but Him: {Say: “He is my Lord; there is no god but Him. Upon Him I rely, and to Him is my return.”} [Surat ar-Ra‘d: 30] Whoever persistently relies upon his Lord in all situations, He will be sufficient for him: {And rely upon Allah. And Allah is sufficient as Disposer of affairs.} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 3]
Excellent man is he who goes out of his house while relying upon his Lord, and so Allah is sufficient for him and the Disposer of his affairs. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When a man goes out of his house and says, ‘In the name of Allah, I rely upon Allah; there is no power nor strength except through Allah,’ the following will be said to him at that time: ‘You are guided, defended, and protected.’
The devils will go far from him and another devil will say: ‘How can you deal with a man who has been guided, defended, and protected?’” [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd] [Sahīh (Authentic)]
The Prophet’s Companions felt sad and troubled when they heard the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: “How can I be at ease when the one with the Trumpet has put his lips to the Trumpet waiting to hear the order to blow it?” When he perceived that they felt sad and troubled, he said to them: “Say: Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs; upon Allah we rely.” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi] [Sahīh (Authentic)]
The concept of reliance upon Allah has disappeared from the lives of many people. They forgot Allah, Glorified and Exalted, and so He forgot them, and they abandoned reliance upon their Lord, and so He left them to their own selves.
A person falls ill and he pins his hopes upon physicians and medicines, which are mere means, and he forgets the Lord of the heavens and the earth in Whose Hand cure lies.
Another person gets in trouble and suffers hardships and tribulations and becomes sad and distressed. So, he turns to his friends and loved ones for help, and forgets the Almighty Lord!
The enemies plot against him and his foes besiege him, and so he remains in severe anguish and distress, being heedless of the One Who is closer to him than his jugular vein - Glorified and Exalted be He.
Ibn Al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy upon him) said, “A pious person should know that Allah Almighty is sufficient for him, and so he should not attach his heart to the means. Allah Almighty says: {And whoever relies upon Allah, then He is sufficient for him.} [Surat at-Talāq: 3]”
Others understand reliance upon Allah to mean passive reliance with no effort or pursuit of the proper means. For example, a group of the people from Yemen set out for Hajj without taking the required provisions for the journey, saying, “We rely upon our Lord!” Then, they began to beg food from people. Thereupon, Allah Almighty revealed: {And take provisions, indeed, the best provision is fear of Allah.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 197] In other words: take such provisions that save your faces and protect you from the humiliation of begging.
Some people say, “My sustenance had already been predestined; so, why should I make effort?!”
A man asked the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), “O Messenger of Allah, should I tie it and rely upon Allah or release it and rely upon Him?" He (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Tie it and rely upon Allah.” [Narrated by At-Tirmidhi] [Hasan (Sound)]
Allah Almighty says: {It is He who made the earth subservient to you - so walk among its slopes and eat of His provision - and to Him is the resurrection.} [Surat al-Mulk: 15] So, taking the proper means does not contradict reliance upon Allah. In fact, reliance upon Him is not valid without pursuing the proper means; otherwise, this would be nothing but idleness and false reliance! {Our Lord, upon You we have relied, and to You we have returned, and to You is the destination.} [Surat Al-Mumtahanah: 4]
How can I rely upon Allah Almighty in my life?
First: You should know His Beautiful Names and Attributes. The more Allah is revered and extolled within your heart, the closer you get to Him.
Second: Trust Him and think positively of Him. “I am as My servant thinks of Me.” [Narrated by Ibn Mājah] [Sahīh (Authentic)] This person who spends in charity does so only because he trusts Allah Almighty and knows that He will give him better compensation. Likewise, he who gets out of bed and stands before Allah in prayer does so only because he thinks positively of his Lord. The same holds true for those who perform Hajj, ‘Umrah, and other acts of worship and piety.
Third: Renounce your own power and admit your weakness before your Lord. Show your need to Him and supplicate Him to not leave you to your own devices or to any of His servants. An authentic Hadīth contains this supplication: “Allāhumma rahmataka arju fa la takilni ila nafsu tarfata ‘ayn (O Allah, I hope for Your mercy. So, do not leave me to my own devices even for the blink of an eye!” [Narrated by Ahmad] [Sahīh (Authentic)]
Fourth: Pursue the means to fulfill your needs, which include supplication to Allah.
Fifth: Remember the power of Allah and His ability to transform conditions and that in His Hand is the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and He is Able to do all things. Always remember that treasures of everything lie in the Hand of Allah. So, you can only entrust your affairs to Him as a weak and helpless child who depends upon his father - and for Allah is the highest attribute! {And I entrust my affair to Allah. Indeed, Allah is All-Seeing of [His] servants.} [Surat Ghāfir: 44]
Sixth: Be content with what Allah has decreed for you and know that it is in your best interest. If you do not show contentment, then you are as what Bishr al-Hāfi said: “Someone says, ‘I rely upon Allah’ while he tells a lie against Allah, for if he truly relied upon Him, he would be content with whatever Allah did to him.”
Ibn Hamdūn related that a strong wind blew and destroyed the plants of an old woman in the desert. Thereupon, she got her head out of the tent, looked at the burnt plants, raised her head towards the sky, and said, “Do whatever You want, for my sustenance is upon You!”
If a person properly relies upon the Ever-Living Lord Who does not die, Allah will reform, complete, and perfect all his affairs. {And rely upon the Ever-Living Who does not die, and exalt [Allah] with His praise. And sufficient is He with the sins of His servants, All-Aware.} [Surat al-Furqān: 58]
O Allah, the Disposer of affairs, do not leave us to our own devices, even for the blink of an eye, strengthen us for we are weak and powerless, and console us; indeed, You are Able to do all things!