بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

Before exploring the concept of barakah, consider 2 people living very different lives, one with enormous wealth yet constant restlessness and the other with modest means but deep contentment. Modern-day society would have you believe that the one with masses of wealth and luxuries would be the happiest and most content, but this is not the case. So, what is the problem? What is missing? The key ingredient missing is barakah. Islam teaches that barakah is not simply what we possess, but the divine goodness Allah places within what we possess. The Prophet ﷺ served as a prophet for only twenty-three years, yet the impact he left on the world is beyond comprehension, and a central reason for that immense influence was the barakah Allah placed in his life. 

Barakah can be directly translated to mean blessing, yet it encompasses so much more than that. The shariah concept regards barakah as ‎ثبوت الخير الإلهي في الشي, which means attachment of divine goodness, and المنا فع الكثيرة بالاسباب القليلة, which means maximum benefit with little provision. These 2 phrases highlight how barakah is so much more than abundance alone and instead refers to the divine expansion of goodness which affects time, wealth, relationships and more.  

Although abundance is one aspect or evidence of barakah, we should not restrict barakah to this outward increase alone. Firʿawn possessed immense wealth and comfort, yet his life was marked by fear, insecurity, and discontent, all of which are clear signs of a lack of barakah. The Prophet ﷺ said, “If you see Allah giving a servant what he loves from the worldly life, despite his sinful disobedience, then surely it is luring him to destruction.” Then, the Prophet recited the verse, “Thus, when they forgot what they were reminded of, we opened the doors of every good thing for them until, as they rejoiced in what they were given, we seized them suddenly with utter despair.” (6:44). Thus, equating barakah solely as a measure of wealth and quantity is a misunderstanding. True barakah represents how little income can support all needs, how a small quantity of food feeds many people, and how in a short lifespan, one is able achieve so much. As highlighted before, barakah also means maximum benefit from a little provision. This is further illustrated when we see the lives of the righteous, for example, Abu Hurairah spent only 3 years with the Prophet ﷺ yet narrated 5000+ hadith, a miracle of barakah. All these examples highlight how barakah allows one to achieve beyond what seems rational. 

In modern times, we have so much more than previous generations, whether that is food, housing, technology, or the list goes on. Yet we are not satisfied. Is it because we don't have enough? No. It is because of a lack of barakah. So how can we invite barakah into our lives in everything we do? Allah tells us in the Quran  

“And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, we would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth...” (7:96).  

So, the first way to earn barakah is having Iman, which means sincere Tawheed, believing in la ilaha illallah, and living and acting by it. Also included in attaining barakah is Taqwa. ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib said: “Taqwa means fearing Allah, acting according to the Quran and Hadeeth, being content with what is little, and preparing for the Day of Judgement.” So, if we incorporate these 2 fundamental concepts of Iman and Taqwa in our lives, Allah himself is saying he will bless us with barakah from all avenues. 

The Prophet ﷺ also told us that when a buyer and seller are truthful and transparent in their transaction, they will be blessed in their sale, but if they lie and conceal, the blessing of their sale will be erased, highlighting the importance of honesty in transactions in inviting barakah. This applies to business dealings, but what about day-to-day life? The Prophet ﷺ also said, “Whoever takes money rightfully, Allah will bless it for him. But whoever takes money wrongfully, his example is like that of one who eats but is never satisfied.” The Prophet ﷺ describes the one who earns money wrongfully as one who eats but is never satisfied, demonstrating again one of the signs of a lack of barakah, which is a lack of satisfaction or content. This hadith also emphasises the importance of fulfilling responsibilities in your work, which in turn invites barakah. This principle applies to all fields. When a teacher fails to teach properly, or an employer or employee fails to fulfil each other’s rights, barakah is diminished. This is not only restricted to monetary matters but extends to every amānah. Parents must fulfil the rights of their children, and children the rights of their parents, all of which contribute to attaining barakah in their lives. The Prophet ﷺ also made dua asking Allah to bless his ummah during the early hours of the morning, demonstrating another way we can invite barakah, which is to wake up and attend to our matters early in the morning. 

Allah also says in the Quran “‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favour]” (14:7), the increase being to referred here is in fact in barakah as well, showing how a practical step to attaining barakah includes being grateful. 

As mentioned in some of the above narrations, there are some actions which destroy barakah, such as lying in monetary transactions and not fulfilling responsibilities in their work. Another action which destroys barakah is riba, Allah says in the Quran, “Allah will deprive usury (riba) of all blessing, but will give increase for deeds of charity...” (2:276). This emphasises how grave a sin riba is, but also the importance of charity and how it will increase barakah in our lives. 

Barakah is not measured by numbers, wealth or status. Indeed, the clearest sign that Allah has placed barakah in our lives is if Allah keeps us busy with what pleases Him. This is a question we should all ask ourselves. We must remember that barakah is not purely materialistic but refers to the attachment of divine goodness and maximum benefit from little provision. It explains how some can achieve such great feats in short times and how people can live with peace and content despite modest means. It has an influence on so many aspects of our lives, such as our wealth, time and relationships. There are many ways in which we can attain barakah, which have been mentioned, such as having Taqwa, giving charity, being thankful to Allah, fulfilling our responsibilities and being honest in our dealings, highlighting that to attain barakah we must view it as a way of life. 

 اللهم بارك لنا في أعمالنا، وأموالنا، وأعمارنا، وأهلينا، وأولادنا، وأوقاتنا، وإيماننا

O Allah, bless our work, our wealth, our lives, our families, our children, our time, and our faith.