and the like; this, too, is obligatory for the servant, who must employ its means. Whoever neglects it to the point of harming himself, while able to make use of it, is negligent and deserves censure. Yet Allah, exalted is He, endows some of His servants with a stamina that others do not possess. If a person acts in accordance with the special strength Allah has granted him, he is not blameworthy. For that reason the Prophet ﷺ used to fast continuously, while forbidding his Companions to do so, saying, “I am not like you; my Lord gives me food and drink.” Among the early generations there were people whose endurance in abstaining from food and drink surpassed that of others; whoever has such strength, acts by it, and is not thereby weakened from obeying Allah incurs no blame. But whoever burdens himself until he is rendered too weak for some obligations is to be rebuked.
The third category concerns those matters that Allah ordinarily conducts in this world for the most part…. He continues: “It is reported from Ibn ʿAbbās that he said: The people of Yemen used to set out for the pilgrimage without taking provisions, saying, ‘We rely upon Allah.’ They would perform ḥajj, reach Mecca, and then beg from the people, so Allah revealed: ‘And take provisions, for the best provision is God-consciousness.’ ⦗1⦘
Imām Aḥmad, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about someone who sits idle, earns nothing, and says, ‘I have relied upon Allah.’ He replied: ‘Everyone should rely upon Allah, but they must still support themselves by earning. The prophets used to hire themselves out; the Prophet did so, as did Abū Bakr and ʿUmar. None of them said, “We will sit here until Allah provides for us.”’
Allah the Exalted says, ‘Disperse through the land and seek of Allah’s bounty.’ ⦗2⦘ Al-Tirmidhī also related, on the authority of Anas, that a man asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, should I tie it and rely, or leave it loose and rely?’ He replied, ‘Tie it, and rely.’ All of this shows that reliance upon Allah does not contradict making use of lawful means; indeed, combining the two is often superior.