Question Summary:
Should I study in order to earn a living, will I get whatever is destined in taqdeer for me?

Question Detail:

I wanted to ask a question regarding the rizq being fixed in Islam.

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

As-salaamu `alaykum wa-ramatullahi wa-barakatuh.

Indeed a person’s rizq is decreed by Allah and only known to Allah. The amount of rizq destined for us is hidden from us. Our responsibility and test of our Imaan is to search for our rizq according to our means.[1] The test of our Imaan and submission to taqdeer is to accept that our rizq is decreed and then search for our rizq to the best of our ability. We should use all permissible means available to us to search for our rizq and place our trust in Allah and not the means we adopt. If we are successful in accumulating abundant wealth, we should attribute it to the grace of Allah and not to our means. Allah puts effect in the means we adopt by His will. It is permissible to study with the intention of adopting that as a means of ones income.

You state that you can sell eggs and earn the same rizq. That is true. In fact, even if you don’t sell eggs, then too you will get what is decreed for you. However, one should not deliberately choose not to sell eggs or only sell eggs. Sell what is according to your means and then see the result of taqdeer. 

And Allah Ta`ala Knows Best.

Hussein Muhammad.

Student Darul Iftaa

Arusha, Tanzania

Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

___________

[1]

شعب الإيمان (2/ 405)

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " إِنَّكُمْ لَوْ تَوَكَّلُونَ عَلَى اللهِ حَقَّ تَوَكُّلِهِ لَرَزَقَكُمْ كَمَا يَرْزُقُ الطَّيْرَ تَغْدُو خِمَاصًا، وَتَرُوحُ بِطَانًا " قَالَ الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى: " وَلَيْسَ فِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ دَلَالَةٌ عَلَى الْقُعُودِ عَنِ الْكَسْبِ، بَلْ فِيهِ مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى طَلَبِ الرِّزْقِ؛ لِأَنَّ الطَّيْرَ إِذَا غَدَتْ فَإِنَّمَا تَغْدُو لِطَلَبِ الرِّزْقِ وَإِنَّمَا أَرَادَ - وَاللهُ تَعَالَى أَعْلَمُ - لَوْ تُوَكَّلُوا عَلَى اللهِ تَعَالَى فِي ذَهَابِهِمْ وَمِجِيئِهِمْ وَتَصَرُّفِهِمْ وَرَأَوْا أَنَّ الْخَيْرَ بِيَدِهِ وَمِنْ عِنْدِهِ لَمْ يَنْصَرِفُوا إِلَّا سَالِمِينَ غَانِمِينَ كَالطَّيْرِ تَغْدُو خِمَاصًا، وَتَرُوحُ بِطَانًا، لَكِنَّهُمْ يَعْتَمِدُونَ عَلَى قُوَّتَهُمْ وَجَلَدِهِمْ وَيَغِشُّونَ وَيَكْذِبُونَ، وَلَا يَنْصَحُونَ وَهَذَا خِلَافُ التَّوَكُّلِ "

شعب الإيمان (2/ 407)

عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " لَا تَسْتَبْطِئُوا الرِّزْقَ، فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ عَبْدٌ يَمُوتُ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَهُ آخِرُ رِزْقٍ هُوَ لَهُ فَاتَّقُوا اللهَ، وَأَجْمِلُوا فِي الطَّلَبِ مِنَ الْحَلَالِ وَتَرْكِ الْحَرَامِ " " وَفِي هَذَا مَا دَلَّ أَنَّهُ أَمَرَ بِطَلَبِ الرِّزْقِ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ أَمَرَ بِإِجْمَالِهِ، وَإِجْمَالُ الطَّلَبِ هُوَ أَنْ يَطْلُبَهُ مِنَ الْحَلَالِ مُعْتَمِدًا عَلَى اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَلَا يُلَاحِظَ فِي طَلَبِهِ قَوَاهُ وَمَكَايِدَهُ وَحِيَلَهُ وَلَا يَطْلُبُهُ مِنَ الْحَرَامِ "