The Best Quality is to Have Trust in Allaah

The Best Quality is to Have Trust in Allaah

Shaykh ul-Islaam ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullaah

As for the next part of the question, about the most
valuable quality to aim for, then the answer to this is that the
best prize is to have trust in Allaah, reliance upon Him of His
sufficiency, and keeping a good opinion of Him, the latter being
that if anyone is anxious regarding their sustenance then he should
turn to the shelter of Allaah, as the Exalted said, from what is
narrated by His Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam,

"O My servants, all of you
are hungry except for those I have fed, so seek food of Me and I
shall feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked except for those
I have clothed, so seek clothing of Me and I shall clothe you."
[Upon Aboo Dharr, related by Muslim, at-Tirmidhee, and Ahmad]

In this regard there is also a hadeeth which at-Tirmidhee
narrates from Anas (radiyallaahu `anhu), who said that the Messenger
of Allaah (salalllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said,

"Each of you should ask for
his needs from Allaah, even if the strap of your sandal breaks,
because if Allaah does not  facilitate it, it will never be
possible."

Allaah the Most High says in His Book:

"...But ask Allaah for His
bounty..." [4:32]

"And when the prayer is
finished, then you may disperse through the land, and seek the
Bounty of Allaah..." [62:10]

Although this aayah is in the context of the congreagational
Friday prayer, its meaning applies to all the prayers. That is why-
and Allaah knows best - the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam
instructed the person entering the mosque to say,

"AllaahummaftaH lee abwaaba
raHmatik" (O Allaah! open the doors of Your mercy for me)

and when leaving the mosque to say,

"Allaahumma innee as'aluka
min faDlik" (O Allaah! I ask of You some of Your Bounty)

[Muslim, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, ad-Daarimee,
ibn Maajah, Ahmad, Aboo 'Awaanah, Abdur-Razzaaq and al-Baihaqee]

Also the Friend of Allaah (i.e. Ibraaheem, `alayhis
salaam) had said,

"...then seek sustenance
from Allaah, serve Him, and be grateful to Him." [29:17]

This is a command, and a command signifies obligation.
Therefore, to seek help from Allaah and to entreat to Him in the
matter of livelihood and others is a fundamental principle. Furthermore,
it is important in seeking a livelihood that one should acquire
wealth with generosity of heart and not with greed so that he may
be blessed in it. Neither should he make the wealth the primary
aim; rather, he should regard wealth much as he regards the toilet,
which he has need of but it has no place in his heart, and he only
resorts to it when necessary.

A marfoo` (i.e. report consisting of a chain of narration
that goes back to the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) hadeeth
which is related by at-Tirmidhee and others states that, "He who begins the morning with this world as his greatest concern,
Allaah disperses his collected gains and puts its loss in front
of him, and only that of the world comes to him which is written
for him. And he who begins the morning with the Hereafter as his
greatest concern, Allaah gathers for him his works and creates richness
in his heart due to them, and the world comes to him subserviently."
[Related by at-Tirmidhee with a da`eef isnaad, but the hadeeth is
saheeh due to the supporting narrations of ibn Maajah, Ibn Hibbaan
and Ahmad]

One of the Salaf said, "Each of you is in need of the world,
but you are in more need of your portion in the Hereafter. Therefore,
if you are in search of your portion in the Hereafter first and
foremost, then you will achieve your portion of the world in passing,
such that it is taken care of as it comes."

Allaah the Exalted says:

"I have only created jinn
and men that they may worship Me. No  sustenance do I require
of them, nor do I require that they should feed Me. For Allaah
is He who gives (all) sustenance, Lord of Power, Steadfast (forever)."
[51:56-58]