Simple question, do you think the advise to very poor men to fast and wait instead of marrying is one that goes against divine Qadr? How does someone still keep the view that they have whilst also believing in women’s right to provision and kids not being left starved?
A good question, but before I answer it permit me to pontificate for a rejoinder. Almost all prophets, with the exception of a few, were poor, starting with Adam & Hawa, who had nothing to their name not even a grab to cover their privates. Imagine had we applied that rule to Adam advising Hawa not to marry a naked, poor man?
Closer to our times, let us look at Prophet Mohamed pbuh, when he was courting Khadija, if memory serves me right, and my sirah timelines are accurate, he was of a humble beginnings, a shephard moonlighting as a struggling trader of the banu Hashin of Quraysh in his extended family not known for being well-off; should lady Khadija married poor Mohamed? A established, wealthy lady, Khadija found his honesty and wisdom more attractive, and not his economic stature. I digress.
A poor man could still raise a family, look after his wife and progeny, like many have done, still do in developing nations with the support of family, community, and environment.
In Greek mythology, Agamemnon summoned his top Counsel ordering them to find the happiest man in Greece; dejected, if disheartened, after a lengthy quest within the gentry circles in Athenia and elsewhere in the empire, with no success, they decided to retire unto the beach, as they could not face returning to the palace sans finding the object of their quest, till they came upon an old man, with nothing on his back, frolicking on the beach in deep hum, whistle, and tune. They enquired as to his jolly good mood to which he retorted mirthfully: I am jolly happy, for the night is still young, my dinner is almost ready pointing to freshly-caught bait roasting on fire, and with a glass of fine ale in his right hand. Needless to say, amongst all the gentry classes in Athenia, the happiest man in the whole of Greece was an aging, impoverished tramp, a hapless slave.
More importantly, with respect to Rizq as it pertains to
al Qadr, let us inspect what the Qu'ran says:
In surah al Tabari:
وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٖ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ رِزۡقُهَا وَيَعۡلَمُ مُسۡتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسۡتَوۡدَعَهَاۚ كُلّٞ فِي كِتَٰبٖ مُّبِينٖ
In surah al Ra'ad:
ٱللَّهُ يَبۡسُطُ ٱلرِّزۡقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقۡدِرُۚ وَفَرِحُواْ بِٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَمَا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَا فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ إِلَّا مَتَٰعٞ
Allah extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it]. And they rejoice in the worldly life, while the worldly life is not, compared to the Hereafter, except [brief] enjoyment.
In surah Ibrahim:
ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءٗ فَأَخۡرَجَ بِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ رِزۡقٗا لَّكُمۡۖ وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡفُلۡكَ لِتَجۡرِيَ فِي ٱلۡبَحۡرِ بِأَمۡرِهِۦۖ وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرَ
It is Allah who created the heavens and the earth and sent down rain from the sky and produced thereby some fruits as provision for you and subjected for you the ships to sail through the sea by His command and subjected for you the rivers.
In surah al 3imran?
تُولِجُ ٱلَّيۡلَ فِي ٱلنَّهَارِ وَتُولِجُ ٱلنَّهَارَ فِي ٱلَّيۡلِۖ وَتُخۡرِجُ ٱلۡحَيَّ مِنَ ٱلۡمَيِّتِ وَتُخۡرِجُ ٱلۡمَيِّتَ مِنَ ٱلۡحَيِّۖ وَتَرۡزُقُ مَن تَشَآءُ بِغَيۡرِ حِسَابٖ
'You cause the night to enter the day, and You cause the day to enter the night; and You bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living. And You give provision to whom You will without account'.
In surah al Ma'idah:
وَكُلُواْ
مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ حَلَٰلٗا طَيِّبٗاۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَنتُم بِهِۦ مُؤۡمِنُونَ
And eat of what Allah has provided for you [which is] lawful and good. And fear Allah, in whom you are believers.
In surah al An3am:
قَدۡ خَسِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَتَلُوٓاْ أَوۡلَٰدَهُمۡ سَفَهَۢا بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمٖ وَحَرَّمُواْ مَا رَزَقَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱفۡتِرَآءً عَلَى ٱللَّهِۚ قَدۡ ضَلُّواْ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُهۡتَدِ
ينَ
Those will have lost who killed their children in foolishness without knowledge and prohibited what Allah had provided for them, inventing untruth about Allah. They have gone astray and were not [rightly] guided.
In surah Yunus:
قُلۡ مَن يَرۡزُقُكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَمَّن يَمۡلِكُ ٱلسَّمۡعَ وَٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرَ وَمَن يُخۡرِجُ ٱلۡحَيَّ مِنَ ٱلۡمَيِّتِ وَيُخۡرِجُ ٱلۡمَيِّتَ مِنَ ٱلۡحَيِّ وَمَن يُدَبِّرُ ٱلۡأَمۡرَۚ فَسَيَقُولُونَ ٱللَّهُۚ فَقُلۡ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ
Say, "Who provides for you from the heaven and the earth? Or who controls hearing and sight and who brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living and who arranges [every] matter?" They will say, "Allah," so say, "Then will you not fear Him?"
Postscript:
What are your thoughts on voluntary poverty?