Earning a living

BismillahirRahmanirRahim
Assalaamu alaykum

I pray that you are well.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, one's prayers will not be answered while he is nourished unlawfully.

Allah the Almighty is good and accepts only that which is good. Allah has commanded the Faithful to do that which He commanded the Messengers, and the Almighty has said: O you Messengers! Eat of the good things and do right." And Allah Almighty has said: "O you who believe! Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you." Then he mentioned the case of a man who, having journeyed far, is disheveled and dusty and who spreads out his hands to the sky saying: O Lord! O Lord! -- while his food is unlawful, his drink unlawful, his clothing unlawful, and he is nourished unlawfully, so how can he be answered! (related by Muslim)

So it is extremely important to know the halal and haram in earning a living. The essence of earning a living is fearing Allah, living for the next life and having pure food in our bellies. If you obey the manners of earning a living, it will give you a sense of decency and people will love you and Allah will be generous with your provision. InshaAllah.

Your provision comes from Allah, and He gives to whomsoever He wills, and He expands and He constricts His provision to whomsoever He wills. Your boss (your employer, your buyer, your clients, etc.) is merely a tap that spits out what Allah already ordained for you. If you truly believe this, you will feel at ease and will be easy going, and no despair when the tap shuts off because it may be that Allah will use another tap. There will be no need to puff, exaggerate, lie, demean people, cheating, stealing, etc, violating the rules of Allah.

So whenever you go to work remind yourself "Allah is providing for me." If we remind ourselves of this and if Allah give us tawfiq, it changes the way that we work. The manifestation of relying on Allah is that you aren't greedy, you aren't up all night and all day hustling and bustling in trying to make money, ruining your worship, ruining your health and family, want to make more and more. The point is to give everything its due, not being the first in and the last out, not looking at the clock but avoid having this over eagerness as if you are responsible for the provision. Earn your living with dignity and put your best efforts. The rest leave it to Allah, the All-Knowing, the All-Seer.

"Those in truth are the believers; they have degrees with their Lord, and forgiveness, and generous provision." Qur'an Anfal 8:4

"No creature is there crawling on the earth, but its provision rests on God; He knows its lodging-place and its repository. All is in a Manifest Book." Qur'an Hud 11:6

"God outspreads and straitens His provision unto whomsoever He will. They rejoice in this present life; and this present life, beside the world to come, is naught but passing enjoyment." Qur'an Ar-Ra'd 13:26

"Say: 'My Lord outspreads and straitens His provision to whomsoever He will, but most men do not know it.'" Qur'an Saba 34:36

"Say: 'My Lord outspreads and straitens His provision to whomsoever He will of His servants; and whatever thing you shall expend, He will replace it. He is the best of providers.'" Qur'an Saba 34:39

"Do they know that God outspreads and straitens His provision to whomsoever He will? Surely in that are signs for a people who believe." Qur'an Az-Zumar 39"52

And Allah knows best.

May Allah grant us tawfiq and taqwa. Ameen.

Wassalaam