How Can Prayer Affect Sustenance?
Prayer, as one of the main acts of worship in Islam, has a very important role in the life of a Muslim. Apart from being a form of obedience to Allah ﷻ, prayer also has a great influence in earning sustenance. In this article, we will explore how prayer affects one’s sustenance, with reference to the Quranic and Hadith arguments.
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Prayer is an obligation that Allah ﷻ has enjoined upon Muslims. Allah ﷻ says in the Quran Surah Al-Baqarah verse 45:
اسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ ۚ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى الْخَاشِعِينَ
Make patience and prayer your helpers. And surely such things are very hard, except for those who are devoted to them
Verses on the influence of Prayer in Seeking Sustenance
a. Surah An-Nahl verse 97
مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاًة طَيِّبَةً ۖ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُمْ بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
Whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while believing, We will surely give him a good life and We will surely reward him with a better reward than what he has done.
One of the best good deeds is Shalat, so praying can be one of the reasons for a good life.
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b. Surah Adh-Dzariyat verses 56-58:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
And I did not create the jinn and mankind but that they should serve Me.
مَآ أُرِيدُ مِنْهُم مِّن رِّزْقٍ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَن يُطْعِمُونِ
I do not desire any sustenance from them and I do not desire that they feed Me.
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلرَّزَّاقُ ذُو ٱلْقُوَِ ٱلْمَتِينُ
Verily, Allah is the Sustainer of sustenance, Who is Powerful and Sturdy.
In this verse, Allah ﷻ associates worship with sustenance, as if to imply that those who worship will surely receive sustenance from Allah, the sustainer. Shalat is one of the acts of worship that best exemplifies the manifestation of this verse as it is a ritual act of worship and shows submission.
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c. Surah al-Baqarah verse 198:
وَأْمُرْ أَهْلَكَ بِٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَٱصْطَبِرْ عَلَيْهَا ۖ لَا نَسْـَٔلُكَ رِزْقًا ۖ نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُكَ ۗ وَٱلْعَٰقِبَةُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ
And command your families to establish Shalat and be patient in its performance. We do not ask you for sustenance, it is We who provide for you. And the (good) result is for the pious.
This verse specifically explains that whoever tells his family to pray, Allah ﷻ will guarantee his sustenance.
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d. Surah Ibrahim verse 37:
رَبَّنَا إِنِّي أَسْكَنْتُ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِي زَرْعٍ عِنْدَ بَيْتِكَ الْمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ فَاجْعَلْ أَفْئِدَةً مِنَ النَّاسِ تَهْوِي إِلَيْهِمْ وَارْزُقْهُمْ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْكُرُونَ
O our Lord, indeed I have placed some of my descendants in a valley that has no crops near your honored house (Baitullah), O our Lord (so) that they may establish Shalat, so make the hearts of some people inclined towards them and provide them with fruits, hopefully they will be grateful.
Here prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) said that leaving hajar and prophet Ismail (peace be upon him) who was still a baby in Mecca to make him and his descendants people who establish Shalat, but after that he asked for 2 things, namely the inclination of a group of people to support him and sustenance from fruits. These 2 things are the basis of human civilization on which a civilization stands, namely the existence of society and the existence of food sources, where these 2 things were not found in Mecca which was empty and arid at that time. This shows that even a prophet asks for the establishment of a civilization when he leaves his descendants to establish Shalat, so it is clear that Shalat is a very great worship.
Shalat is not just an obligation of worship, but also a source of strength and blessings in seeking sustenance. By maintaining a spiritual connection with Allah, striving to obey Him, and experiencing inner peace through Shalat, a Muslim will receive guidance and blessings in seeking sustenance. Therefore, let’s strengthen our commitment to praying as one of the keys to success in seeking sustenance.
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References
1.http://www.alukah.net/authors/view/sharia/2556. (2019, October 30). خطبة: الصلاة والرزق. Www.alukah.net. https://www.alukah.net/sharia/0/136936/
2. Ayat Tentang Rezeki Arab, Latin, Terjemah dan Tafsir | Baca di TafsirWeb. (n.d.). Tafsirweb.com. Retrieved April 8, 2024, from https://tafsirweb.com/38722-ayat-tentang-rezeki.html
3. Surat Ibrahim Ayat 37. (n.d.). Tafsir AlQuran Online. Retrieved April 8, 2024, from https://tafsirq.com/14-ibrahim/ayat-37#google_vignette
4. Surat An-Nahl Ayat 97. (n.d.). Tafsir AlQuran Online. Retrieved April 8, 2024, from https://tafsirq.com/16-an-nahl/ayat-97
5. Surat adz-Dzariyat Ayat 56-58 Arab, Latin, Terjemahan Arti Bahasa Indonesia. (n.d.). Tafsirweb.com. https://tafsirweb.com/37749-surat-adz-dzariyat-ayat-56-58.html
6. al-baqarah+ayat+45. (n.d.). Tafsir AlQuran Online. Retrieved April 8, 2024, from https://tafsirq.com/topik/al-baqarah+ayat+45