إِنَّ الرِّزْقَ لَيَطْلُبُ الْعَبْدَ كَمَا يَطْلُبُهُ أَجَلُهُ
Translation: Provision seeks the servant as his appointed end seeks him.
Source: أبو نعيم
الرِّزْقَ means provision, while أَجَلُهُ refers to a person’s appointed end. The comparison builds trust without removing responsibility: one should seek lawful means of support but not let fear drive dishonesty or exploitation.
الرِّزْقَ is the accusative noun governed by إِنَّ. The prefixed لَـ in لَيَطْلُبُ reinforces the statement, and يَطْلُبُ is a present-tense verb. كَمَا means “just as,” while the suffix ـهُ in يَطْلُبُهُ refers back to the servant.
The teaching does not mean abandoning work, planning, trade, or the search for lawful employment.