Praise be to Allah.

Everything from when Allaah created the Pen until the Day of Resurrection is written in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz, because when Allaah first created the Pen, He said to it: “Write.” It said: “My Lord, what should I write?” He said: “Write what is to be. So at that moment it began to write what would be until the Day of Resurrection. And it is proven from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that when the foetus in its mother’s womb is four months old, Allaah sends an angel to breathe the soul into it and write down its provision, its lifespan and its deeds, and whether it is doomed or blessed.  

Provision is also written down and connected to its means, and it does not increase or decrease. Among those means are that man should work to seek provision, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“He it is Who has made the earth subservient to you (i.e. easy for you to walk, to live and to do agriculture on it); so walk in the path thereof and eat of His provision. And to Him will be the Resurrection”

[al-Mulk 67:15]

Other means are:  

upholding ties of kinship, such as honouring one’s parents and upholding ties with relatives. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever would like his provision to be abundant and his lifespan to be extended, let him uphold his ties of kinship.” 

Fearing Allaah (taqwa), as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty).

3. And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allaah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allaah has set a measure for all things”

[al-Talaaq 65:2-3]

Do not say “Provision is foreordained and limited and I will not do any of the things that lead to it,” because this is helplessness; smartness and resolve mean striving to seek provision and that which will benefit you in religious and worldly terms. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The smart man is the one who takes stock of himself and strives to do that which will benefit him after death, and the helpless one is the one who follows his own whims and desires and engages in wishful thinking, (assuming that Allaah will forgive him regardless of what he does and that he does not need to strive to good deeds).” 

Just as provision is written and connected to its means, so too marriage is also written and preordained. For both spouses it is written that he or she will be the spouse of this particular person. Nothing is hidden from Allaah on earth or in heaven. End quote. 

And Allaah knows best. 

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him)