There Is No Creature on Earth But Its Provision Is Upon Allah
tadabbur
Level: basic
trust-tawakkul
td-215
وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ رِزۡقُهَا
— هود 6
Verse: "There is no creature on earth but its provision is upon Allah." (11:6) — "Upon Allah" — obligation. From the worm in the rock to the person in the city, all are provided by Allah. Lesson: anxiety about provision is doubt in Allah's explicit promise.
Source: Ibn Kathir (4/292); Al-Sadi
Question: What does "upon" ('ala) mean in "its provision is upon Allah"?
Answer: Obligation — Allah made it binding on Himself to provide for every creature. A binding divine commitment, not merely a favor.