Provision as Lordship's gift and the imamate as the gift of divinity

Sha'rawi separates provision, a gift of Lordship that believer and disbeliever both receive, from the imamate and the values of the way, a gift of divinity that only believers receive. ^{2 3}

Sha'rawi reads Abraham's prayer for the land's safety as a request that the blessing last, since God had already made the House a place of security. He says that «make this a land» asks for two things: that the place become a known settlement, and that it be safe. ^{1 2}

When Abraham asked provision for «those among them who believe», Sha'rawi says God corrected him: the gift of divinity is not the same as the gift of Lordship. Leadership is not gained by wrongdoing, while provision is given to all whom God called into life, believer or disbeliever, as the sun and the air are. ³

Sha'rawi holds that however varied the enjoyments of this world, they are few. He says the disbeliever is driven to the punishment of the Fire in the next life not by his own choice, when his limbs bear witness against him. ⁴

These are Sha'rawi's views alone, from these pages. The exegetes' accounts of provision for disbelievers and the limits of enjoyment, the academic view and other views are not yet entered.

In the fourth episode the Sheikh says that real provision is with God and not in a company's treasury or a bank, and that trust in what is with God is the essence of pure faith. ⁵ In the same passage he mentions Surat At-Tin and the dignity of the human creature ⁵, and two verses relate to this sense: Qur'an 51:22 and Qur'an 95:4.

He says that what a person cannot live without, such as water and air, God has not placed in the hand of any creature: there is no ministry of irrigation or of air. ⁶ The verse Qur'an 43:32 relates to this sense.

He says that Abraham asked provision for believers among the people of Mecca, and then shows that God gives provision to the disbeliever too, which is therefore no sign of acceptance. ⁷ The verses Qur'an 2:126 and Qur'an 14:37 relate to this sense.

A listener asks whether there is a sign of blessing in Surat At-Tin. The Sheikh answers that the generous person is the one who does not ask who gave or how much, and he gives the example of a close person who backbites and envies him and still gives to him. ⁸ The relevant verse is Qur'an 95:1.

He says that, by his account, most of humanity does not worship God although it claims to (needs_source: population-share-claim). He draws on Abraham's prayer to show that provision reaches the disbeliever and is not a reward for works. ⁹

He gives the example of the unborn child in its mother's womb, who is provided for without work, to show that God's blessings are bounty and not a reward for deeds. He closes by reminding the listener to give thanks. ¹⁰

He says that God provides for His servants and heals their sick. He cites Abraham's prayer for the people of the land to be provided for, and says that provision reaches the disbeliever too. ¹¹

The Sheikh says that provision has already been apportioned and settled, so in his view whoever fears tomorrow is weak in faith; he urges strengthening certainty and clearing the heart of its diseases, and asks why a person is arrogant toward God's creatures, looks down on them and admires himself ¹².

The Sheikh says that every morning has its provision, and that God gives this world to those He loves and to those He does not, while He gives religion only to those He loves ¹³.

The Sheikh tells of a man who did not carry worry about his provision, and cites a verse, not named by him, that provision is in the sky (needs_source: the transcript is unclear, and the claim that worry adds nothing to provision is not stated in it, so it is not attributed here) ¹⁴.

The Sheikh says that God's provision comes to the one who is eager for it, is not turned back by the aversion of one who dislikes it, and that what God has written for His servant no one can prevent ¹⁵.

The Sheikh uses the image of water for provision: it reaches a person as water flows, while the condition he attaches to this is unclear in the transcript (needs_source) ¹⁶.

He says a person may thank a boss or an official, but the real giver is God, and provision is in the heavens ¹⁷. He says provision does not come from a department or a salary clerk, citing a Qur'anic statement that provision is in heaven, without naming the verse ¹⁸. He says narrowed livelihood teaches a person to call on God, unlike a secure salary that makes one forget Him ¹⁹. He says God divided provision among people, that moral richness is love in hearts, and that richness of character is a blessing ²⁰.

He says one's provision cannot be taken by another, so there is no need to compete ²¹. He says one should seek the means but not compete with others ²². He says provision comes as decreed, but one must still strive and not expect results without effort ²³. He says one should take the means to earn, but sustenance is fixed by God, and blessing differs between people according to their conduct (garbled: the last part is unclear in the recording) ²⁴.

He says provision is neither drawn by greed nor blocked by hatred, that it is written for each person at the stage of creation, and he names three stages of forty days (needs_source: the figures are not sourced in the recording) ²⁵. He narrates that the angel of death comes at the appointed time, that not a dirham of one's provision or a moment of one's life is lost, and that people misjudge provision as money (needs_source: the narration is not sourced in the recording) ²⁶.

He says Hatim gave charity because his sustenance is already written with God ²⁷. He cites a hadith that an angel records a person's sustenance and term while he is in the womb ²⁸. He says a person's provision and lifespan are written by an angel at a fixed stage in the womb, so one should not fret about years ahead; he gives forty-day stages in the womb (needs_source: the figures are not sourced in the recording) ²⁹. He summarises that Hatim saw people hoarding worldly goods, and taught contentment because what is with God remains ³⁰.

He cites a verse in which Nuh urged his people to seek forgiveness so that rain, wealth and children would come, and says seeking forgiveness is the path to provision (needs_source: the inference is not sourced in the recording) ³¹. He cites a verse that God divided livelihood among people in this world ³². He cites a verse that every creature on earth is provided for by God, and says people kill each other over a provision that is already written ³³.

He cites a hadith that provision cannot be hastened by disobedience ³⁴. He answers a caller that a closed job was not her provision, that what God allots will reach her, and cites a hadith on provision; once she has consulted and sought guidance, she should not trouble herself over the result ³⁵. He cites a hadith qudsi that God provides for one who has no means, to the point of amazement, and says people's minds and abilities are not what makes provision ³⁶. He says truth must have no flaw in belief, no doubt about provision, and no defect in deeds; one must not doubt the Provider ³⁷. He cites a hadith that sustenance is fixed and that a person cannot escape his provision, and tells a caller that what is hers will not be taken by others ³⁸.

He says God distributes money among many people, such as doctors, hospitals and clerks, and each receives according to his need ³⁹. He argues that a relative's illness supports the livelihoods of many, including doctors, pharmacists, drug companies, printers, drivers and factory workers ⁴⁰. He gives the example of a car accident, and says the repair trade and others earn from it (garbled: part of the passage is unclear in the recording) ⁴¹.

He says a man must feed his family from lawful earnings, and criticises bribery, the seizure of property, the misuse of office and the taking of others' rights ⁴². He says sustenance does not follow the intellect, since if it did the animals would perish, and he marks the wonder of the births of Abraham and Sarah at an advanced age (needs_source: the ages he gives are not sourced in the recording) ⁴³.