the leading scholars. Al-Hārith al-Muhāsibī, for example, refuted it in his Book of Reliance upon Allah, attributing this view to Shaqīq al-Balkhī. He vigorously refuted those who held it, presenting arguments that demonstrated their error: they misunderstood the true nature of reliance upon Allah and were disobeying Allah by neglecting acts of obedience to Him.

Ahmad ibn Hanbal was told about one of the extremists who were ignorant of the true nature of reliance upon Allah: when food was set before him, he would not reach for it, waiting for it to be put into his mouth. When it was offered, he would keep his mouth shut until others opened it and put the food inside. Ahmad condemned this in the strongest terms. Some of these people declared earning a living unlawful.

This and similar errors arise from insufficient knowledge of Allah’s way in His creation and His commands. Allah created things through causes and prescribed for His servants means by which they attain His forgiveness, mercy, and reward in this world and the Hereafter. Whoever supposes that reliance upon Allah alone will secure what he seeks, while he neglects the means Allah has commanded him to pursue, and that desired outcomes do not depend upon the means Allah has appointed for them, is mistaken.

Although Allah, glorified be He, has guaranteed His servant’s provision and will certainly provide for him throughout his life, this does not preclude that guaranteed provision from having means that involve the servant’s own actions or occur independently of them.

Moreover, He may provide for him through lawful or unlawful means. If the servant does what Allah has commanded him to do, He provides for him through lawful means; if he neglects what Allah has commanded him to do, He may provide for him through unlawful means.

Supplication and reliance upon Allah fall into this same category. Some people have supposed that these have no effect