Fear of Poverty, Sustenance, Loss, and the Future**
✍️ Written by: Sahibzada Shahid Siddiq
Anjuman Gulzar-e-Madina International
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Introduction
One of the greatest fears in human life is:
️ What if my sustenance finishes?
️ What if money becomes insufficient?
️ What if my business collapses?
️ What if I lose my job?
️ What if my children’s future becomes uncertain?
️ What if illness or accident strikes?
️ What if I lose everything I worked for?
This fear reshapes a person’s entire life.
It can turn someone:
— greedy,
— weak,
— dependent on others,
— pushed toward haram,
— or completely unable to plan or continue working.
But the Qur’an and Hadith provide such a powerful cure
that the heart becomes free, strong, and content.
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1. Sustenance is in Allah’s hands — not in worldly systems
Allah revealed the first and greatest truth:
﴿ وَفِي السَّمَاءِ رِزْقُكُمْ وَمَا تُوعَدُونَ ﴾
“And in the heaven is your sustenance and all that you are promised.”
(Adh-Dhariyat)
Meaning:
Sustenance is not in business
Not in a job
Not in the market
Not in the bank balance
️ Sustenance is in the Hands of Allah,
and it is already written.
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2. Seeking sustenance is our duty — but the Provider is Allah
We must work hard,
but the One who provides sustenance is Allah alone.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
**“If you rely upon Allah with true reliance,
He will provide for you as He provides for the birds —
they leave their nests hungry in the morning
and return in the evening with full stomachs.”**
Meaning:
️ Work is ours
️ Guarantee is Allah’s
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3. Shaytan’s most dangerous attack — fear of poverty
Allah Himself revealed:
﴿ الشَّيْطَانُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ ﴾
“Shaytan threatens you with poverty…”
(Al-Baqarah)
Shaytan whispers:
“If you give charity, your wealth will decrease.”
“If you do good, you’ll become poor.”
“If you stay honest, you’ll lose money.”
“If you give time to prayer, business will slow down.”
“If you speak the truth, you’ll lose benefits.”
“If you avoid haram, your income will drop.”
These are Shaytan’s deceptions.
In the same ayah, Allah answers:
﴿ وَاللَّهُ يَعِدُكُمْ مَغْفِرَةً مِنْهُ وَفَضْلًا ﴾
“And Allah promises you forgiveness and bounty.”
Meaning:
️ Shaytan → fear of poverty
️ Allah → promise of bounty and mercy
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4. Fear of loss — not a weakness of faith, but a sign of being human
Every human fears loss.
But the Qur’an says:
﴿ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ ﴾
“Indeed, Allah is with the patient.”
Meaning:
️ When loss comes → Allah is with us
️ When hardship comes → Allah is with us
️ When worry comes → Allah is with us
We are never alone.
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5. Fear of the future — in reality it is the weakness of tawakkul
We must ask ourselves:
Are we writing our future?
Or is Allah writing it?
Allah says:
﴿ مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ﴾
“No calamity befalls except by Allah’s permission.”
So why fear?
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6. The greatest truth about sustenance and destiny
The Prophet ﷺ said:
**“A person’s sustenance will come to him
just as his death will come to him.”**
Meaning:
️ Sustenance → never comes early or late
️ Sustenance → never increases or decreases
️ Sustenance → comes exactly as Allah has written
This belief strengthens the heart.
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7. The true identity of fear — central point
The true purpose of fear is to stop action.
️ If the fear comes from Allah → it stops evil actions
️ If the fear comes from Shaytan → it stops good actions
This is why Shaytan mostly injects the fear of:
— poverty,
— loss,
— and the future
so that:
charity stops
goodness stops
truth stops
courage stops
trust in Allah weakens
and the person spiritually collapses.
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8. Cure for fear of sustenance — in the Qur’an
1. Learn tawakkul
Allah says:
﴿ وَمَنْ يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ ﴾
“Whoever relies upon Allah — He is sufficient for him.”
2. Establish prayer
Prayer opens the doors of sustenance.
3. Continue giving charity
Charity increases wealth — it never decreases.
4. Hold firmly to halal
Haram income brings destruction.
5. Work hard — the type of work is written, the amount of sustenance is fixed
We choose the effort;
Allah puts the blessing.
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9. Cure for the fear of loss — from the Hadith
The Prophet ﷺ said:
**“The affair of a believer is amazing:
If happiness comes to him, he is grateful — and that is good for him.
If hardship comes to him, he is patient — and that is good for him.”**
Meaning:
️ A believer never truly loses
️ Even loss becomes a form of success for him
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10. Cure for fear of the future — practical steps
️ Plan
️ Work hard
️ Trust Allah
️ Turn fear into action
️ Use dua as a weapon
Allah says:
﴿ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ﴾
“Call upon Me, and I will answer you.”
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11. Final reality — fear of sustenance weakens, certainty strengthens
When we understand:
Wealth is not in business
Prosperity is not in a job
Future is not created by our planning
️ Everything is in Allah’s hands
️ Sustenance is already written
️ Allah’s treasures are limitless
The heart becomes free.
We declare:
“My sustenance is pursuing me —
I fear nothing!”
This is the true power of faith.
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Final Prayer
O Allah!
Free us from the fear of sustenance,
and grant us the sweetness of tawakkul.
O Allah!
Grant us halal sustenance,
bless whatever You give us,
and protect us from every loss.
O Allah!
Accept our efforts,
turn our fears into certainty,
and fill our future with goodness.
O Allah!
Grant us contentment with the sustenance
that You have written for us.
Ameen, O Lord of the Worlds.