Shaykh al-Islām Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah—may Allah sanctify his soul—was asked about what Abū Hāmid al-Ghazālī said in his book known as Minhāj al-‘Ābidīn (The Path of Worshippers), concerning provisions for the Hereafter, under the fourth obstacle, namely impediments. Following an earlier discussion of reliance upon Allah in which he stated that provision is guaranteed, he said:

“If it is asked, ‘Is the servant obliged under any circumstances to seek provision?’ know that the guaranteed provision is nourishment and the sustaining of life. It cannot, therefore, be sought, since it is something Allah brings about in the servant, like life and death: the servant cannot bring it about or ward it off. As for the allotted means of provision, the servant is not obliged to seek them, for he has no need of them. His need is only for what is guaranteed, which comes from Allah and is guaranteed by Him.

“As for His saying, Most High,

‘And seek Allah’s bounty,’

what is meant is knowledge and reward. It has also been said that this is instead a permission: since it is a command issued after a prohibition, it indicates permissibility, not obligation or compulsion.

“If it is asked, ‘But this guaranteed provision has means through which it comes about; are we obliged to seek those means?’ the reply is: You are not obliged to seek them, for the servant has no need of them, since Allah—glory be to Him—brings it about