Rizki ni tofauti na umiliki, kwa sababu rizki ni zawadi [‘atā’]; hivyo kitenzi ‘razaqa’ kina maana ya ‘kutoa [a’tā]’. Kuhusu umiliki, ni kumiliki kitu kupitia mojawapo ya njia zinazoruhusiwa na Sharī’ah ambazo kwazo mali inaweza kumilikiwa. Rizki inaweza kuwa halali [halāl] au haramu [harām]; yote hayo yanaitwa rizki. Kwa hiyo, fedha anayoshinda mcheza kamari kutoka kwa mwingine katika mchezo wa kamari ni rizki, kwa sababu ni fedha ambayo Allah humpa kila mtu anapofuatilia mojawapo ya hali ambazo fedha hupatikana.

Rizq is different to ownership because rizq is a gift [‘atā’]; thus the verb ‘razaqa’ means ‘to give [a’tā]’. As for ownership it is to possess something through any of the mediums permitted by the Sharī’ah whereby wealth can be possessed. Rizq can be lawful [halāl] or unlawful [harām]; all of it is termed rizq. So the money won by a gambler from another in a gambling match is rizq, because it is money that Allah  gives to each person when he pursues any of the situations in which money is obtained.

Mtazamo ulio maarufu miongoni mwa watu ni kwamba wao ndio wanaojipatia riziki zao wenyewe, na wanazichukulia hali ambazo kwazo wanapata mali, yaani fedha au faida, kuwa ndizo sababu ya riziki yao, hata kama kwa ndimi zao wanasema kuwa Ar-Razzāq (Mpaji riziki) ni Allah. Wanadhani kwamba mfanyakazi, anayepokea mshahara uliowekwa kupitia bidii na juhudi zake, ndiye anayejipatia riziki yake, na anapojitahidi kwa kila njia au kutafuta mbinu mbalimbali za kuongeza mshahara wake, wanaona kwamba yeye ndiye aliyeleta ongezeko hilo. Wanadhani kwamba mfanyabiashara, anayepata faida kutokana na juhudi zake za kibiashara, ndiye aliyejipatia riziki yake, na daktari anayewatibu wagonjwa anajitafutia maisha yake mwenyewe. Kwa namna hii, wanaona kila mtu anafuata kazi fulani ambayo kwayo anapata fedha, na yeye ndiye anayejipatia riziki yake. Hivyo, kwa watu hawa, sababu za riziki ni zile zinazoonekana na kushikika, na ni hali zinazopelekea kupatikana kwa mali. Na mtu yeyote anayejitolea kwa hali hizi ndiye atakayepata mali hiyo, iwe yeye mwenyewe au mtu mwingine ndiye mpokeaji wa riziki hiyo. Watu wamefikia kushikilia mtazamo huu kwa sababu hawaelewi uhalisia wa hali ambazo kutokana nazo riziki zao zinatokea. Wanazichukulia kuwa sababu kwa sababu ya kushindwa kutofautisha kati ya sababu na hali. Ukweli ni kwamba njia hizi ambazo riziki inatokana nazo, kwa hakika ni hali ambamo riziki hupatikana, si sababu ya riziki. Lau zingekuwa sababu halisi za riziki, basi zisingeshindwa kabisa kuzaa riziki hiyo, lakini inaonekana wazi kwamba zinashindwa. Hali hizi zinaweza kuwepo lakini hakuna riziki inayotoka humo, na riziki inaweza kupatikana bila hali hizo kuwepo kabisa. Kama hali hizi zingekuwa sababu, basi matokeo, yaani riziki, yangetokea bila shaka. Kwa kuwa rizki si jambo la hakika lenye matokeo ya moja kwa moja – hupatikana pale sababu zake zinapokuwepo, lakini pia inaweza kukosekana licha ya kuwepo kwake – hii inaonyesha kwamba hizo si sababu za rizki, bali ni mazingira yanayoambatana na kupatikana kwake. Mfanyakazi anaweza kufanya kazi kwa mwezi mzima, lakini akazuiwa kupata mapato yake yaliyotarajiwa kutokana na kulipa deni la zamani, au kutumia fedha kwa wale ambao yeye ana wajibu wa kuwatunza, au kwa kulipa kodi. Katika hali hii, mazingira yanayoleta riziki, yaani kazi ya mfanyakazi, yalikuwepo, lakini riziki haikupatikana kwa sababu hakupata mshahara wake. Kuna mtu nyumbani kwake huko al-Quds ambaye mtumaji wa barua anamletea habari kwamba jamaa yake fulani huko Marekani amefariki, akimwacha yeye kuwa mrithi pekee, na kwamba mali yake yote itahamia mikononi mwake, hivyo atapaswa kuimiliki mwenyewe au kupitia wakala aliyekubalika. Riziki hii ilimjia, naye hakujua hata kwamba inakuja. Au ukuta wa upande wa nyumba yake unaweza kuanguka, akakuta fedha zimefichwa humo, akazichukua. Kama mazingira yanayotokana na binadamu kweli ndiyo sababu ya riziki, basi yasingeshindwa kamwe, wala riziki isingepatikana isipokuwa mazingira hayo yanapokuwepo. Ni dhahiri kwamba mazingira hayo hushindwa, jambo linaloonyesha kwamba ni masharti na si sababu. Matukio ambayo riziki imepatikana bila sababu inayoonekana ni mengi bila idadi; matukio ya chakula na safari, na kuacha chakula kilichoandaliwa kwa mwingine; na matukio mengine yanayoonyesha kwamba mazingira ambayo riziki hupatikana kwa kawaida ni mazingira ya kupatikana kwa riziki, wala si sababu zake.

A view which prevails amongst people is that they are the ones who provide for themselves, and they consider the circumstances in which they earn wealth - that is, money or profit - as the cause of their provision [rizq] even if they say by their tongues that the Razzāq [the one who provides/sustains] is Allah . They think that the employee, who takes home a set wage through his hard work and effort, is the one who provides for himself, and when he exerts every effort or tries through various means to supplement his wage, they see that he was the one who procured this increase. They think that the tradesman, who makes profit as a result of his trade endeavours, is the one who provided for his own sustenance, and the doctor, who treats the ill, is making his own living. In this manner, they see that each person pursues an occupation from which he earns money. He is the one who provides for himself. Thus the causes of provision, for these people, are perceptible and tangible, and they are the circumstances which lead to the procurement of wealth, and the person who commits himself to these circumstances, he is the one who will earn this wealth whether he himself or someone else is the receipient of the provision. People have come to hold this view because they do not grasp the reality of the circumstances [hālāt] from which their provision come. They take them to be the cause because of their inability to differentiate between the cause and the circumstance. The fact is that these means from which the provision comes, are actually circumstances in which the rizq is obtained and not a cause of the rizq. If they were the true causes of rizq then they should not fail at all in producing that rizq, but it can clearly be seen that they do fail. These circumstances may well exist but no provision comes out of it, and rizq may be obtained without such circumstances existing at all. If these circumstances were the cause then the result, namely, rizq, would definitely occur. Since the rizq is not a definite result - it only comes when the circumstances exist or the rizq might fail to materialise despite their presence - this indicates that they are not the causes but only the circumstances under which the rizq is obtained. An employee may work for a whole month but he is prevented from his (expected) income due to the settling of a previous debt, or spending money on those whose maintenance he is obliged to provide for, or by paying taxes. In this case, the circumstance which brings the provision, namely, the employee’s work, was present but the rizq was not obtained since he did not get his wages. There may be someone in his house in al-Quds, to whom the postman brings the news that so-and-so relative of his in America has died, leaving him as the sole inheritor, and that all of his wealth will pass into his hands so he should gain possession of it himself or through a recognised agent. This rizq came to him and he did not even know it was coming. Or a side of his house might collapse and he finds money hidden there, so he takes it. If the circumstances, which derive from human beings, are indeed the cause of rizq then they would not fail; and no rizq would be procured except when these circumstances are present. It is quite apparent that they do fail, which indicates that they are conditions and not causes. The incidents in which rizq has been obtained without any apparent cause are innumerable; incidents of food and travel, and leaving prepared food for another one; and other incidents which indicate that the circumstances in which rizq is usually obtained are, circumstances of (obtaining) rizq and not its causes.

Zaidi ya hayo, haiwezekani kuzingatia hali ambazo riziki hupatikana, zinapokuwepo, kuwa ndizo sababu za riziki, wala kumchukulia mtu anayejishughulisha na hali hizi kuwa ndiye njia iliyoleta riziki, kwa sababu hilo linapingana na maandiko ya Qur’ani ambayo maana yake ni ya hakika na usahihi wake ni wa hakika. Pale jambo lolote linapopingana na maandiko yenye maana ya hakika na usahihi wa hakika, ni wajibu kuyakubali maandiko hayo ya hakika bila kusita hata kidogo, na maoni mengine yote yanakataliwa ili kubaki na maoni moja (sahihi). Kwa kuwa kila jambo linalothibitishwa kwa dalili za hakika, linatoka kwa Allah ﷻ, na ni wajibu kulikubali na kuyakataa mengine. Kwa hiyo, ukweli ambao Mwislamu anapaswa kuunyenyekea ni kwamba riziki inatoka kwa Allah ﷻ, wala si kutoka kwa binadamu.

Furthermore, it is not possible to consider the circumstances in which the rizq is procured, when they are present, as causes of rizq, nor to consider the person who engages in these circumstances as being the medium by which the rizq was brought because that contradicts the text of the Qur’ān which is definite in meaning and authenticity. When anything contradicts a text which is definite in meaning and authenticity, one is duty bound to adopt the definite text without any hesitation whatsoever, and all other opinions are rejected for the one (correct) opinion. Since anything that is proven from definitive evidence, it comes from Allah  and one is obliged to adopt it and reject the others. Therefore, the truth to which the Muslim should submit is that the rizq is from Allah  and not from human beings.

Kuna aya nyingi ambazo zinaonyesha wazi - na hazina tafsiri nyingine - kwamba riziki inatoka kwa Allah peke yake, si kwa binadamu. Hii ndiyo inayotufanya tuwe na uhakika kamili kwamba mitindo na njia tunazoziona ambazo riziki hufika kupitia humo ni sababu tu zinazotokea ili riziki iweze kufika. Hivyo, Allah (SWT) anasema,

There are many ayāt which clearly show - and they are not open to interpretation - that rizq is from Allah  only and not from human beings. This is what makes us absolutely certain that what we see from the styles and means by which the rizq comes, that they are only circumstances which occur so that the rizq may come. Thus, Allah  says,

Mbali ya hizi, kuna aya nyingi kama hizi. Maana yake ni wazi na ya uhakika, na haina ila maana moja isiyo na tafsiri nyingine, nayo ni kwamba riziki inatoka kwa Allah peke yake, na kwamba Allah peke yake ndiye Mwenye kuruzuku [al-Razzāq]. Hivyo basi riziki iko mikononi mwa Allah peke yake.

Apart from these there are many such ayāt. They are definite in meaning and authenticity and carry only one meaning which is not open to interpretation, namely, that rizq is from Allah  alone, and that Allah  alone is the one who provides sustenance [al-Razzāq]. Thus rizq is in the hands of Allah  alone.

Lakini Mwenyezi Mungu ameamuru waja wake wafanye vitendo, na wamepewa uwezo wa kuchagua kufuatilia sababu zinazopatikana kwazo riziki. Wao ndio wanaopaswa kufuatilia, kwa mujibu wa uchaguzi wao, sababu zote ambazo riziki hufika kupitia kwazo. Hata hivyo, sababu hizi si chanzo cha riziki, wala waja si wao wanaoileta riziki hii, kama ilivyoelezwa wazi katika maandiko ya aya. Badala yake, Mwenyezi Mungu ndiye anayewapa riziki yao kupitia sababu hizi, bila kujali kama riziki hiyo ni halali au haramu, bila kujali kama Mwenyezi Mungu ameiwajibisha, ameiharamisha au ameiruhusu, na bila kujali kama riziki hiyo imepatikana au la. Hata hivyo, Uislamu umeweka wazi namna ambayo Muislamu anaruhusiwa au haruhusiwi kufuatilia sababu zinazopatikana kwazo riziki. Kwa hiyo, Uislamu umebainisha njia za umiliki na si sababu za riziki, na umeweka umiliki katika njia hizi tu. Si ruhusa kwa Muislamu yeyote kumiliki mali yoyote isipokuwa kwa njia halali, kwa kuwa hii pekee ndiyo riziki halali, na kila kinachokwenda kinyume nayo ni haramu, ingawa riziki - iwe halali au haramu - inatoka kwa Mwenyezi Mungu.

However, Allah  has ordered His servants to undertake actions and they have been given the ability to choose to pursue the circumstances in which the rizq is procured. They are the ones who should pursue, in accordance with their choice, all of the circumstances in which the rizq comes. However, these circumstances are not the cause of rizq nor are the servants the ones who bring forth this rizq, as clearly stated in the text of the ayāt. Rather, Allah  is the one who gives them their provision in these circumstances irrespective of whether the rizq is halāl or harām, whether Allah  has obliged, forbade or permitted it, and irrespective of whether the rizq resulted or not. Nonetheless Islam has clarified the manner in which it is allowed or not allowed for the Muslim to pursue the circumstances in which rizq is obtained. Thus, it clarified the means of ownership and not the causes of rizq, and restricted ownership to these means. It is not permitted for any Muslim to possess any provisions except through a legal means because only this is the lawful rizq and anything which go against it is harām; even though the rizq - whether halāl or harām - is from Allah .

Aya hizi ziko wazi katika matumizi yake ya neno ‘rizq’ kwa kila kitu anachomiliki mtu, iwe anapata manufaa nacho au hapati. Rizq haijabainishwa kwamba ni kile tu ambacho manufaa hupatikana nacho pekee, kwa sababu aya ni za jumla na dalili zake ni za jumla. Haipaswi kusemwa kwamba mtu anapochukua pesa yako, kwa wizi, kwa kunyang’anya kwa nguvu au kwa ubadhirifu, amechukua rizq yako. Badala yake inapaswa kusemwa kwamba amechukua rizq yake kutoka kwako. Kwa hiyo binadamu anapopata mali, amechukua rizq yake. Mali inapochukuliwa kutoka kwake, si yake inayochukuliwa; bali yule anayepata mali amechukua rizq yake kutoka kwake. Hakuna anayechukua rizq ya mwingine; bali mtu huchukua rizq yake mwenyewe kutoka kwa mtu mwingine.

These verses are clear in their use of the noun ‘rizq’ for everything that a person owns, whether he derives benefit from it or not. Rizq has not been specified to only that from which benefit is derived exclusively, because the ayāt are general and their indications are general. It should not be said when someone takes your money from you, whether through stealing, forced appropriation or embezzlement, that he has taken your rizq from you. Rather it should be said that he took his rizq from you. So when a human being acquires wealth he has taken his rizq. When the wealth is taken from him, it is not his that is taken; rather the one who acquires the wealth has taken his rizq from him. No one takes the rizq of someone else; rather the person takes his own rizq from someone else.