Names of Allah
Ar-Razzaq
Ar-Razzāq
The Provider — who creates and distributes sustenance for all living beings.
What does Ar-Razzaq mean?
Ar-Razzaq is one of the 99 Names of Allah, meaning "The Ever-Providing," "The Sole Sustainer". It affirms that Allah alone provides for every living being — humans, animals, and all creation — supplying not only food and wealth but every form of sustenance: knowledge, faith, health, and contentment. No creature receives any provision except from Him.
The Meaning in Depth
While people may be a means of provision to one another, the true Provider behind every cause is Allah. The intensive form "Razzaq" (rather than merely Raziq) emphasises that His provision is continuous, vast, and reaches every creature, even the smallest, in every moment. He provides to the believer and the disbeliever, the grateful and the ungrateful, out of His boundless generosity.
Ar-Razzaq in the Quran
- "Indeed, it is Allah who is the [continual] Provider, the firm Possessor of strength." (51:58)
- "And there is no creature on earth but that its provision is upon Allah." (11:6)
- "And whoever fears Allah, He will make a way out for him and provide for him from where he does not expect." (65:2-3)
Living by This Name
Knowing Allah as Ar-Razzaq frees the heart from anxiety over sustenance. The believer works and strives by lawful means (the cause), while placing trust (tawakkul) in the true Provider (the Causer). The Prophet ﷺ said: "If you were to rely upon Allah with true reliance, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds: they go out hungry in the morning and return full in the evening" (Tirmidhi 2344).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does relying on Ar-Razzaq mean not working?
No. True reliance combines effort with trust. The birds in the hadith still "go out" to seek their provision; the believer likewise works through lawful means while knowing the result is in Allah's hands.
What kinds of provision (rizq) does Ar-Razzaq give?
Rizq is far broader than money: it includes food, health, family, knowledge, guidance, faith, and peace of heart — every good thing one receives is part of His provision.
Etymology & origin
Ar-Razzaq (الرزاق) is from the root R-Z-Q (ر-ز-ق), meaning "to provide, to bestow sustenance". The form Razzaq is an intensive (faʿʿal) pattern, conveying the One who provides constantly, abundantly, and to all creatures without exception. From the same root come rizq (provision) and razaqa (to provide).
References
- Quran:
- 11:6, 51:58, 65:2, 65:3, 67:21
- Hadith:
- Tirmidhi 2344 (reliance like the birds); Bukhari 6473 (Allah's provision for the patient and content); Muslim 2664 (the strong believer); Ibn Majah 4164 (provision seeks the servant as death seeks him)
Related terms
Al-Aziz
The Almighty, the Invincible — possessing absolute might and honor that nothing can overcome.
Al-Karim
The Most Generous, the Noble — who gives abundantly without expecting return, even to those who disobey.
Al-Wahhab
The Bestower — who continuously grants gifts and favors without expecting return.
Ar-Rahman
The Most Gracious — Allah's all-encompassing mercy extending to all creation in this world, believers and disbelievers alike.
Tawakkul
Reliance on Allah — placing full trust in Allah for the outcome of affairs while taking the necessary means; a fruit of strong faith.