Am I Not Getting a Job Because Allah Is Angry with Me?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
I’ve been trying to apply for a job for years. Just when I think I’ll get it, after constant job interviews, I always get rejected. I make dua for a job, I pray tahajjud and still, I fail. I feel like giving up; what shall I do? Is this a possible sign Allah is angry with me or testing me because I don’t know anymore?
Answer
Thank you for your question. May Allah reward you for your striving and please know that your patience and conviction that Allah’s timing is best will pay off in the end, by His grace.
Impatience
Consign all your problems to Him and never stop waiting for His answer, for the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said this about impatience: “The supplication of every one of you is granted if he does not grow impatient and say: ‘I supplicated, but it was not granted.’” [Muslim]
Complete certitude, conviction and confidence in Allah’s plan is a part of patience and not getting a job is no reason to think that Allah is angry with you. It may be that Allah wants you to draw close to Him before you get a job, perhaps Allah knows that it will make you more thankful. Perhaps the perfect job is one application away. Perhaps these other jobs would have caused you harm. Always be positive.
Sustenance (Rizq)
Consider these hadiths of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) who said, “Verily, Allah Almighty sends down support in proportion to the need, and He sends down patience in proportion to the trial.” [Bazzar, Musnad al-Bazzar]
And he said, (Allah bless him and give him peace) “Verily, Allah will put His servant to trial in what He gives him. Whoever is content with what Allah has apportioned for him, then Allah will bless him in it and expand it. Whoever is not content, he will never be blessed in it.” [Ahmad]
And he said, (Allah bless him and give him peace) “Seek out the vulnerable for me, for you are only given provision and divine support due to your care for the vulnerable.” [Abu Dawud]
Tips
In addition to the prophetic advice, I recommend that you take whatever means possible to help yourself and do your part to receive Allah’s mercy.
- Ensure the haram is eliminated from your life, from usury to the food you consume;
- Give in charity regularly, even if a little, for giving charity does not decrease wealth as the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) told us;
- Continue to pray five times daily on time, along with your tahajjud and du`a during auspicious times such as the last hour before Maghrib on Fridays;
- Network with those you know and don’t shy away from any job opportunity. A lower-paying job can always lead to a higher-paying job later on.
Please memorize this du`a and say it daily:
“اللّهُـمَّ اكْفِـني بِحَلالِـكَ عَنْ حَـرامِـك، وَأَغْنِـني بِفَضْـلِكَ عَمَّـنْ سِـواك”
(Allahumma akfini bi halallika ‘an haraamika, wa aghnini bi fadlika ‘amman siwaka.)
“O Allah! Provide me with lawful (Halal) livelihood, adequate to my needs instead of the unlawful (Haram), and make me suffice with Your graces needing nothing from anyone else.” [Tirmidhi]
Please see these links as well:
- Dealing With Depression Caused by Unemployment and Loneliness
- What Are the Reasons for My Dua Not Being Accepted?
- How to not be Overwhelmed by my Fear of Unemployment?
- Provision and Work: A Reader
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
