Rizqi, More Than Money

     My late dad is an ex-army with a stoic old school mindset who believes in gender role.He believes that man should always strive to provide. My observation from his action is that he will never settle on not earning and in fact worked till the last stage of his life. He also have a heart of gold that love to provide for the family, hence the reason I picked up his trait on kindness. I also have told myself that I will always provide as long as I can so I can be beneficial to the family and to my loved ones.

    Now here comes the problem with this mindset, don't get me wrong, it is still good but I have unknowingly linked my ability to provide as the benchmark of my Rizqi. The more I can earn, the more Rizqi I'm bringing back home. This past few month, as I self reflect on whether I'm a good provider. I realized that Rizqi is not just monetary wealth and abundance of it but rather there are many aspect of Rizqi.

    A quick read up and we can see that Rizqi is often translated as sustenance or provision, but in Islam, it includes all blessings and means of benefit, and as earlier mentioned that it is not just material wealth. Many of us got it wrong when we think that our Rizqi comes plainly from our effort when in reality it comes solely from Allah. 

Indeed, Allah is the provider, the firm possessor of strength." (Qur’an, 51:58)

    Have you ever noticed that sometimes during time of hardship, your Rizqi come sin unexpected ways?. You're worried that you are running out of money and suddenly out of nowhere a family member offer you some cash as they received bonus, or perhaps when you are budgeting for food and is eating basic food and out of nowhere your boss call you out for a fancy meal over lunch. Sometimes the Rizqi can comes in the form of your partner offering you help, or remember that time when you feel at peace for no reason?, that too can also be considered as Rizqi. I'll give the example of the kind of Rizqi that always gets overlooked.

Material Rizq

  • Money, food, shelter, clothing. Example would be : A business that unexpectedly flourishes or someone receiving charity just when they needed it most.
Spiritual Rizq
  • Iman (faith), knowledge of the Qur’an, ability to perform good deeds. Example would be : A person gaining deep understanding of the Qur’an or being guided to Islam.
Emotional Rizq
  • Peace of mind, love, family, friendships. Example would be : A mother and father finding joy and contentment in raising their children.
Health and Physical Rizq
  • Good health, strength, ability to work and perform worship. Example would be : Surviving an illness, or simply waking up healthy.
Time
  • The Barakah (blessing) in your time; being productive and feeling fulfilled. Example would be : Getting more done in one focused hour than others might in a full day.
Opportunities
  • Being in the right place at the right time, being chosen for a job, or chance to help someone. Example would be : Finding your true love or even being offered a scholarship you never applied for.
Barakah (Blessing) in Rizq
  • Less that goes a long way, versus more that brings no benefit. Prophet ﷺ said: “Wealth is not in having many possessions, but wealth is contentment of the soul.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.
(Qur’an 13:11)

    There is some common misunderstanding that even I fall for. I will list it down for better breakdown and the 1st one is my biggest mistake.
  • More money does not equals to more rizqi: Rizq is not about quantity, but benefit and blessing.
  • Rizq is pre-destined: What is written for you will come, though you must strive for it.
  • Effort is part of faith: Even though Allah provides, we are encouraged to work for our rizqi, just as birds leave their nests to seek food (Hadith reference: Tarmizi).
    What I learn is that in Islam, Rizqi is not limited to the money in our wallet or the food on our table. 

It is every breath we take, 
every act of kindness we receive, 
every opportunity to do good, 
and every moment of peace in our hearts. 

    A person may earn a little but find joy in the simplest things, this is Rizqi. Another may be rich yet never taste peace, this too, is a form of rizqi, or rather, the lack of it.


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