Distribution Of God’s Graces

                                        “Whatever Grace God unfolds for 
                                        people, none can withhold it; and
                                       whatever He withholds, none can 
                                       release it after Him. And He is the
                                       Mighty, the Wise” (Qur’an, 35:2).

To God belongs all that is in the universe. He is Self-Sufficient, and He is the One who provides all kinds of rizq (= sustenance) to all His creatures according to His wisdom. He is the Lord of all might and wisdom.

The Qur’an incites people to consider God’s mighty dominion over the heavens and the earth and all that He has created (7:185) and tells them that He is the Originator of all things, and that He causes the angels to be His messengers, endowed with wings, two, three or four. Unceasingly He adds to His creation whatever He wills (35:1). “Wings” symbolize the power and the capability of doing things however God wants them to be done. The Messenger of God (peace and God’s blessings be upon him) said: “Indeed the Angels lower their wings over the seekers of knowledge, being pleased with what s/he does”  (Narrated by Abuddardaa, and reported by Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi).  

Angels are spiritual creatures, inconceivable beings for mankind. God made some angels be His “instruments” to help devoted believers whenever they need, as long as they show constancy and discipline, and use all the human means at their disposal, not wait passively and have no faith (see: Qur’an, 3:124-126). God made some of the angels watch and protect people in certain circumstances. His grace includes comprehensively everyone who takes protection from harm and evil by using all available faculties given to him/her by God, for God does not change men’s condition unless they change their inner selves; and when God wills people to suffer evil (in consequence of their own evil deeds), there is none who could avert it (13:11). There are Recording Angels who record all men’s thoughts and deeds (82:10-12). We can say that there are angels that God made with different powers and different capacities to execute His orders.

We have to be aware that God’s sustenance for human beings does not only mean the physical nature of things, but more importantly is the spiritual sustenance which God bestowed upon them: this applies to all positive, beneficial means of sustenance, like reason, knowledge, faith, kindness etc.

Let us ponder upon the following verses: “O Mankind! There have now come to you an admonition from your Lord/Sustainer, and a cure for all (the ill) that may be in men’s hearts, and guidance and grace to all who believe (in Him). Say: In (this) bounty of God and in His grace – in this, then, let them rejoice: it is better than all (the worldly wealth) that they may amass” (10:57-58).
This admonition is a reminder that in fact human beings, individually and collectively cannot live peacefully with physical nature alone, they need the superior “sustenance”, which is the spiritual bounty. 

There are people who complain about the non-equal distribution of sustenance. They fail to grasp that if God gives His sustenance equally to all human beings, then the wheel of social life will not function, therefore He raised some people above others (in all domains), in degrees, so that each one will need the other and exchange services. At the same time, this may be considered as a competition to show who is the best in conduct, and this is carefully watched by God and will be accounted for in the Hereafter (6:165).
Human being is also obsessed by greed of more and more, which causes him to become “grossly overweening whenever he believes himself to be self-sufficient” (96:6).
If everyone got all what he asked for, there would be chaos and confusion, and transgression beyond bounds through the earth, but God bestows His grace in due measure (42:27).

And. human being is often ungrateful. Whenever God tests him by giving him abundant sustenance, he is happy; while when God tests him by straitening his means of livelihood, he regards it as an evidence of divine “injustice” (89:15-16).  If we however profoundly consider the real reason of injustice, which happens in this world, we can see that it comes from people’s own failure to administer their social affairs among themselves: 
God says: “No indeed! Rather they do not honor the orphan, and they do not urge the feeding of the needy; and they devour inheritance greedily; and they love wealth with abounding love” (89:17-20). 
From this blame stricken by the Almighty, we understand that the fair social interaction is very important, and that is why the Zakah system (the purifying obligatory alms giving) is prescribed in Islam upon those who have more than what they really need, to become the right of the orphan and the needy.

To conclude this contemplation on that verse of the Qur’an, I would like to say that from the very beginning God has given mankind the guidance, the criterion and all necessary ordinances to hold up justice, but very few people tend to follow that guidance. In the chaos of their livelihood, most people are neglecting their duties and even ignore God’s admonition. They do not give any attention to their future destiny in the Hereafter. And if we pay attention to God’s guidance, God’s wisdom in the distribution of His Graces will become clear to us!