Sustenance: Qur’an Verses

وَالْوَالِدَاتُ يُرْضِعْنَ اَوْلَادَهُنَّ حَوْلَيْنِ كَامِلَيْنِ لِمَنْ اَرَادَ اَنْ يُتِمَّ الرَّضَاعَةَۜ وَعَلَى الْمَوْلُودِ لَهُ رِزْقُهُنَّ وَكِسْوَتُهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِۜ لَا تُكَلَّفُ نَفْسٌ اِلَّا وُسْعَهَاۚ لَا تُضَٓارَّ وَالِدَةٌ بِوَلَدِهَا وَلَا مَوْلُودٌ لَهُ بِوَلَدِه۪ وَعَلَى الْوَارِثِ مِثْلُ ذٰلِكَۚ فَاِنْ اَرَادَا فِصَالًا عَنْ تَرَاضٍ مِنْهُمَا وَتَشَاوُرٍ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِمَاۜ وَاِنْ اَرَدْتُمْ اَنْ تَسْتَرْضِعُٓوا اَوْلَادَكُمْ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ اِذَا سَلَّمْتُمْ مَٓا اٰتَيْتُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِۜ وَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ وَاعْلَمُٓوا اَنَّ اللّٰهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَص۪يرٌ

And the [divorced] mothers may nurse their children for two whole years, if they wish to complete the period of nursing; and it is incumbent upon him who has begotten the child to provide in a fair manner for their sustenance and clothing. No human being shall be burdened with more than he is well able to bear: neither shall a mother be made to suffer because of her child, nor, because of his child, he who has begotten it. And the same duty rests upon the [father's] heir. And if both [parents] decide, by mutual consent and counsel, upon separation [of mother and child], they will incur no sin [thereby]; and if you decide to entrust your children to foster-mothers, you will incur no sin provided you ensure, in a fair manner, the safety of the child which you are handing over. But remain conscious of Allah, and know that Allah sees all that you do.

اَوْ كَالَّذ۪ي مَرَّ عَلٰى قَرْيَةٍ وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلٰى عُرُوشِهَاۚ قَالَ اَنّٰى يُحْي۪ هٰذِهِ اللّٰهُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَاۚ فَاَمَاتَهُ اللّٰهُ مِائَةَ عَامٍ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهُۜ قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتَۜ قَالَ لَبِثْتُ يَوْمًا اَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍۜ قَالَ بَلْ لَبِثْتَ مِائَةَ عَامٍ فَانْظُرْ اِلٰى طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمْ يَتَسَنَّهْۚ وَانْظُرْ اِلٰى حِمَارِكَ وَلِنَجْعَلَكَ اٰيَةً لِلنَّاسِ وَانْظُرْ اِلَى الْعِظَامِ كَيْفَ نُنْشِزُهَا ثُمَّ نَكْسُوهَا لَحْمًاۜ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُۙ قَالَ اَعْلَمُ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَد۪يرٌ

Or [art thou, O man, of the same mind] as he who passed by a town deserted by its people, with its roofs caved in, [and] said, "How could Allah bring all this back to life after its death?" Thereupon Allah caused him to be dead for a hundred years; where after He brought him back to life [and] said: "How long hast thou remained thus?" He answered: "I have remained thus a day, or part of a day." Said [Allah]: "Nay, but thou hast remained thus for a hundred years! But look at thy food and thy drink-untouched is it by the passing of years – and look at thine ass! And [We did all this so that We might make thee a symbol unto men. And look at the bones [of animals and men] – how We put them together and then clothe them with flesh!" And when [all this] became clear to him, he said: "I know [now] that Allah has the power to will anything!"

فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍ وَاَنْبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًاۙ وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّاۜ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَۙ وَجَدَ عِنْدَهَا رِزْقًاۚ قَالَ يَا مَرْيَمُ اَنّٰى لَكِ هٰذَاۜ قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللّٰهِۜ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَرْزُقُ مَنْ يَشَٓاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ

And thereupon her Sustainer accepted the girl-child with goodly acceptance, and caused her to grow up in goodly growth, and placed her in the care of Zachariah. Whenever Zachariah visited her in the sanctuary, he found her provided with food. He would ask: "O Mary, whence came this unto thee?" She would answer: "It is from Allah; behold, Allah grants sustenance unto whom He wills, beyond all reckoning."

كُلُّ الطَّعَامِ كَانَ حِلًّا لِبَن۪ٓي اِسْرَٓاء۪يلَ اِلَّا مَا حَرَّمَ اِسْرَٓاء۪يلُ عَلٰى نَفْسِه۪ مِنْ قَبْلِ اَنْ تُنَزَّلَ التَّوْرٰيةُۜ قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِالتَّوْرٰيةِ فَاتْلُوهَٓا اِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِق۪ينَ

ALL FOOD was lawful unto the children of Israel, save what Israel had made unlawful unto itself [by its sinning] before the Torah was bestowed from on high. Say: "Come forward, then, with the Torah and recite it, if what you say is true!"

اَلَّذ۪ينَ قَالُٓوا اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَهِدَ اِلَيْنَٓا اَلَّا نُؤْمِنَ لِرَسُولٍ حَتّٰى يَأْتِيَنَا بِقُرْبَانٍ تَأْكُلُهُ النَّارُۜ قُلْ قَدْ جَٓاءَكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِنْ قَبْل۪ي بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَبِالَّذ۪ي قُلْتُمْ فَلِمَ قَتَلْتُمُوهُمْ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِق۪ينَ

As for those who maintain, "Behold, Allah has bidden us not to believe in any apostle unless he comes unto us with burnt offerings" – say [unto them, O Prophet]: "Even before me there came unto you apostles with all evidence of the truth, and with that whereof you speak: why, then, did you slay them, if what you say is true?"

وَلَوْ اَنَّهُمْ اَقَامُوا التَّوْرٰيةَ وَالْاِنْج۪يلَ وَمَٓا اُنْزِلَ اِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ لَاَكَلُوا مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِنْ تَحْتِ اَرْجُلِهِمْۜ مِنْهُمْ اُمَّةٌ مُقْتَصِدَةٌۜ وَكَث۪يرٌ مِنْهُمْ سَٓاءَ مَا يَعْمَلُونَ۟

and if they would but truly observe the Torah and the Gospel and all [the revelation] that has been bestowed from on high upon them by their Sustainer, they would indeed partake of all the blessings of heaven and earth. Some of them do pursue a right course; but as for most of them -vile indeed is what they do!

قُلْ لَٓا اَجِدُ ف۪ي مَٓا اُو۫حِيَ اِلَيَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلٰى طَاعِمٍ يَطْعَمُهُٓ اِلَّٓا اَنْ يَكُونَ مَيْتَةً اَوْ دَمًا مَسْفُوحًا اَوْ لَحْمَ خِنْز۪يرٍ فَاِنَّهُ رِجْسٌ اَوْ فِسْقًا اُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللّٰهِ بِه۪ۚ فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلَا عَادٍ فَاِنَّ رَبَّكَ غَفُورٌ رَح۪يمٌ

Say [O Prophet]: "In all that has been revealed unto me, I do not find anything forbidden to eat, if one wants to eat thereof, unless it be carrion, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine-for that, behold, is loathsome-or a sinful offering over which any name other than Allah's has been invoked. But if one is driven by necessity – neither coveting it nor exceeding his immediate need -then [know that], behold, thy Sustainer is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace."

قَالُوا يَٓا اَبَانَٓا اِنَّا ذَهَبْنَا نَسْتَبِقُ وَتَرَكْنَا يُوسُفَ عِنْدَ مَتَاعِنَا فَاَكَلَهُ الذِّئْبُۚ وَمَٓا اَنْتَ بِمُؤْمِنٍ لَنَا وَلَوْ كُنَّا صَادِق۪ينَ

[and] said: "O our father! Behold, we went off racing with one another, and left Joseph behind with our things; and thereupon the wolf devoured him! But [we know that] thou wouldst not believe us even though we speak the truth" –

يَا صَاحِبَيِ السِّجْنِ اَمَّٓا اَحَدُكُمَا فَيَسْق۪ي رَبَّهُ خَمْرًاۚ وَاَمَّا الْاٰخَرُ فَيُصْلَبُ فَتَأْكُلُ الطَّيْرُ مِنْ رَأْسِه۪ۜ قُضِيَ الْاَمْرُ الَّذ۪ي ف۪يهِ تَسْتَفْتِيَانِۜ

"[And now,] O my companions in imprisonment, [I shall tell you the meaning of your dreams:] as for one of you two, he will [again] give his lord [the King] wine to drink; but as for the other, he will be crucified, and birds will eat off his head. [But whatever be your future,] the matter on which you have asked me to enlighten you has been decided [by Allah]."

وَكَذٰلِكَ بَعَثْنَاهُمْ لِيَتَسَٓاءَلُوا بَيْنَهُمْۜ قَالَ قَٓائِلٌ مِنْهُمْ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْۜ قَالُوا لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا اَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍۜ قَالُوا رَبُّكُمْ اَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثْتُمْ فَابْعَثُٓوا اَحَدَكُمْ بِوَرِقِكُمْ هٰذِه۪ٓ اِلَى الْمَد۪ينَةِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ اَيُّهَٓا اَزْكٰى طَعَامًا فَلْيَأْتِكُمْ بِرِزْقٍ مِنْهُ وَلْيَتَلَطَّفْ وَلَا يُشْعِرَنَّ بِكُمْ اَحَدًا

And so, [in the course of time,] We awakened them; and they began to ask one another [as to what had happened to them]. One of them asked: "How long have you remained thus?" [The others] answered: "We have remained thus a day, or part of a day." Said they [who were endowed with deeper insight]: "Your Sustainer knows best how long you have thus remained. Let, then, one of you go with these silver coins to the town, and let him find out what food is purest there, and bring you thereof [some] provisions. But let him behave with great care and by no means make anyone aware of you:

فَاِنَّهُمْ لَاٰكِلُونَ مِنْهَا فَمَالِؤُ۫نَ مِنْهَا الْبُطُونَۜ

and they [who are lost in evil] are indeed bound to eat thereof, and to fill their bellies therewith.

لَكُمْ ف۪يهَا فَاكِهَةٌ كَث۪يرَةٌ مِنْهَا تَأْكُلُونَ

fruits [of those deeds] shall you have in abundance, [and] thereof shall you partake!

لَاٰكِلُونَ مِنْ شَجَرٍ مِنْ زَقُّومٍۙ

you will indeed have to taste of the tree of deadly fruit,

لَيْسَ لَهُمْ طَعَامٌ اِلَّا مِنْ ضَر۪يعٍۙ

No food for them save the bitterness of dry thorns,