mid-night rizq
Jul 3rd, 2009 by almiskeenah

And You give wealth and sustenance to whom You will, without limit.
(3:27)
…and He is the Best of those who give sustenance.
(23:72)
And such a place, Madinatun Nabi to earn ones sustenance! SubhanAllah! Day and night, thousands offer skills and labour that benefits, especially those blessed to be working in and around Masjid Nabawi.

The ambitious courtyard umbrella project seems to employ hundreds, working throughout the night to avoid the searing day temperatures, as well as meeting deadlines for completion. (Readers in the past have asked for details of the umbrellas, and even though this site details the information about the 12 internal umbrellas, it provides fascinating design, mechanical and structural aspects of these amazingly engineered ‘parasols’ Click on the side panel to view diagrams and photos) Here a team of workers wheel a trolley of external flaps to be installed….

…from one of the temporary workshop, storage compounds.These are the gold trimmed protection flaps, that glint as the sun hits the tiny mosaic panels that cover the entire surface. From the same reference above:
Pin-connected protection flaps of especially lightweight carbon-fibre-reinforced resin laminate are fixed along the diagonal arms.
They are moved by a mechanism of struts and hinges installed in the arm and driven by the arm movement. They close around the membrane, when the parasols are closed. When the parasols are closed these protection flaps, together with the fixed sheet flashing in the upper part of the arms, form a stiff envelope for a light fabric membrane.

SubhanAllah for the knowledge, expertise and abilities Allah Ta’ala has bestowed upon man.

Teams constantly are employed polishing the many brass fixtures inside and out the Masjid complex….barriers, the decorative features around the light pillars and doors, the brass touches on the external fences and the many railings sectioning off the wheelchair access ramps.

The funnel-shaped membrane is made from white PTFE-fabric. Edges and ridges are reinforced by a webbing. The underside of the fabric is decorated with ornaments in blue colour. The fabric was developed specially for this project, its thread thickness and type of weave were modified repeatedly, until all structural and mechanical requirements on strength and durability were fulfilled. The material is resistant against UV-radiation, chemicals and fire, has a low surface friction and is therefore a near-ideal material for convertible sun roofs.

Brothers were dusting the enclave with a feather duster attached to a long extension while perched high up in the cherry picker, disturbing the pigeons and birds who feel this is their abode after sunset.

And regardless of the velvety midnight sky, the sidewalk vendors are still hopeful of sales to add to their rizq. However the police and Muttawa, also seeking their sustenance had other views and were attempting to move them away, with much yelling and abusing from both sides, as well as providing an amusing interlude for passers by.

It is crucial for us to understand that trusting in God’s provision for us should never prevent us from working to earn a living…

The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam implied this when he said, “So stay warily conscious of God and beautify the way you beseech and request.” he implied that it is acceptable to request material support and to seek to earn a living in the world. If relying on God negated the need to request, search and earn, then the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam would never had declared it acceptable and admonished us to beautify the way we go about it. The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam never said, “Don’t request,” but rather said, “Beautify the way you beseech and request.” It is as if he were telling us, “When you seek provision and request it, beautify the way that you seek it. Be polite, courteous and humble in presenting your needs, always turning over fianl say in every matter to God alone.”
There are many benefits to engaging the world through hard work. The True One knows the weakness of the human hearts, acknowledges our inability to clearly see what is apportioned to us, and compensates for our frailty by guaranteeing that we will receive our provision. In divine wisdom, God has allowed us the option of working and relying on intermediate means for earning, as a way of receiving this provision. Through divine benevolence, God has granted this to us as a support for our feeble hearts and repose for our forgetful souls. Source

Our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said, “If you rely on Allah Ta’ala for your provision, as you should, then Allah provides for you as He provides for the birds. They wake up hungry in the morning and rest well fed in the evening without a care.” He is teaching us that to work for a livelihood is the norm of our religious community. The birds are analogous to us in our work. We wake in the morning to earn and acquire; in the evening we return home to rest and enjoy what we earn.
But sometimes the day and night are reversed for man, and the disturbed Haram pigeons!
All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.












































