Embracing the Barakah Culture: A Journey towards Abundance

What is Barakah

An oft-repeated term among Muslims, the word ‘Barakah’ is more of a concept that is spiritually rooted in the Divine and has several meanings. In most English texts, the word is explained as being an equivalent of Divine Blessing. Some scholars have explained it as being:

1. the presence of goodness and its continuity.
2. the abundance of goodness and its growth.

Simply put, Barakah is a blessing from Allah that makes limited resources have plentiful goodness that may continue for some time or even grow with time. From the perspective of productivity, having Barakah can be understood as having a blessing from Allah SWT which results in more achievement with little resources, doing much in little time and generating a lot with less effort.

Importance of Barakah

The significance of Barakah often dawns upon people when they are lacking in it in their daily lives. Everyone wants plentitude in all that they approach but this is a blessing that requires some effort to be gained. And whatever this blessing touches, there is abundance. Oftentimes we see affluent men stricken to grief and depression and bemoaning the lack of Barakah in their lives and then on the other side we see families who might be bordering on penury, yet they are content with what they have because it always seems to be more than the little they have.

A life without Barakah is truly a difficult one, indeed, once one realizes and comprehends the sheer value of this highly covetable blessing. It is through Barakah that we can endeavor to achieve more than what seems possible in a short period, and a day in a man’s life or business might be unproductive because it lacks this special blessing. Muhammad Faris, notable entrepreneur and CEO of The Productive Muslim Company quite aptly phrased the connection between Barakah and spirituality in the words:

‘In the Quran, Allah attributes Barakah to places, to people, to things, and all sorts of things, There can be Barakah in anything – especially if that thing brings you back closer to the divine in some way. If it puts you into a spiritual mode, there’s Barakah there.’

So how can we introduce Barakah into our daily lives so as to reap its blessings?

Steps to Infuse Barakah in Everyday lives

Contrary to what it seems, Barakah is not something complex that requires strenuous effort and worship to be gained. In simple terms, by the obedience of Allah SWT and his Messenger ﷺ and by acting upon what is enjoined and refraining from the forbidden along with seeking forgiveness and showing gratitude to Allah SWT one can truly expect barakah to fill his life. However, there are certain acts which have been highlighted in the Shariah for increasing Barakah.

1. Gratitude to Allah SWT

Man is by nature ungrateful and continuously in a race towards gaining material pleasures. Doing Shukr (showing gratitude) and making an effort to be thankful to Allah SWT for all that he has favored upon us would eventually lead to an increase in what we have, hence increasing Barakah. In the Quran, Allah promises to give more to those who are grateful:

‘And remember! your Lord caused to be declared (publicly): "If ye are grateful, I will add more (favours) unto you; but if ye show ingratitude, truly My punishment is terrible indeed.’ (14:7)

2. Seek Allah (SWT)’s Forgiveness Regularly

To err is definitely human and a practicing Muslim should strive to seek forgiveness for all conscious and unconscious wrongdoings. Doing so would gain the pleasure of Allah SWT and his life would take a turn for the better in ways he never imagined. Carrying a tasbeeh counter or prayer beads like the ones found in the ABDEEZ Prayer Caps with Wooden Tasbeeh collection can be very handy to remind one to seek the forgiveness of Allah by reciting Astaghfar.

3. Early Morning

An age-old practice of Prophets (Alaihis Salaam), the Sahabah (RA) and the early scholars of Islam was to wake up in the hour closest to dawn and start their day from Tahajjud prayer. Their efforts would lead them away from procrastination and towards productivity, that is why they were able to achieve so much in a day. Today's generation is more inclined to sleep away in the morning and start their day around noon which gives rise to more procrastination and hardly any Barakah.

4. Recitation of the Quran

Reciting the Quran can definitely bring about more Barakah in life but doing that in the morning before starting your day would be the ideal cherry on top. It will then come as no surprise that your day will be supremely productive and with considerably less pitfalls than your average day. For those who find it difficult to sit for long after Fajr for recitation, the ABDEEZ Prayer Rug with Backrest is a highly convenient product to keep close which makes it easy to do post-prayer recitation of the Quran.

5. Planning Around Salah Times

The stronger the spirituality level, the better the productivity. Planning not just work, but simple tasks or even social gatherings around prayer times is a simple yet superbly rewarding recommendation and will bring clarity to your day. For example, you have five-time blocks to plan your day and because you have tied your tasks to times of Salah, you are also more conscious when the times of Salah approach and it will make it easy to fulfill obligations and also complete the tasks on time. When Salah becomes the constant in your life, you will start experiencing Barakah in different ways in your day.

6. ‘Bismillah’ Before Starting Anything

Invoking the name of Allah SWT is recommended before starting any chore. The virtue of His Name is explained by Allah SWT in the Quran:

‘blessed is the name of your Master’ (55:78) and this state of being Blessed encompasses the task one means to undertake when one recites Bismillah before commencing it. This means that there will be goodness in that task which will continuously grow.

7. Earn Through Halal Ways

It is obligatory upon all Muslims to earn their keep through Halal (permissible) means and abstain from resorting to prohibited methods. Any haram earning will remove any barakah that might have otherwise blessed his earnings.

8. Give Sadaqah

Giving Sadaqah or charity is another way for Barakah to infuse our lives. Allah SWT loves those who help the underprivileged and blesses them greatly by increasing their wealth. The virtue of those who give sadaqah is mentioned in the Quran:

Allah SWT says in the Quran:

‘Verily those who give sadaqah, men, and women, and lend Allah a goodly loan, it shall be increased manifold, and theirs shall be an honorable good reward (Paradise).’ 57:18.

9. Abstaining from Sins and the Haraam

Through numerous injustices done against their own selves, the Muslims of today find themselves mired in sin and wrongdoing by disobeying the commands of Allah and the Prophet ﷺ. Our lives scarcely have any barakah in them because of pursuit of sins and becoming embroiled in what is Haraam. Abstaining from them and seeking forgiveness for the wrongs already committed will be a step towards redeeming ourselves in the sight of Allah SWT and hence more likely to be blessed with Barakah.

10. Avoid Overspending

Being constantly in pursuit of worldly pleasures and material goods is disliked by Allah SWT. Wasting money where less would have been enough, removes any barakah in our lives and such wealth becomes unworthy when it is devoid of any blessings from Allah SWT.

11. Mealtimes with Family

A simple enough act to bring Barakah into our lives but that is quite neglected is having meals together with family. This undemanding task pleases Allah SWT greatly and he rewards it with countless blessings.

12. Wudu Before Starting Anything

Islamic tradition and scholars are witness to the role of Wudhu in imbuing Barakah in practically anything one decides to pursue, provided of course it is not prohibited in Islam. The names of renowned scholars like Imam Bukhari RA are especially mentioned with regard to how they would perform ghusal (ritual washing of the body) or do ablution before commencing any noble task like writing down Ahadith. The purpose was to purify the intention and to gain a spiritual state that was conducive to bringing Barakah in their works which even today are a testament to their Barakah-filled lives.

TL;DR:

Learn about Barakah, a divine blessing in Islam that brings abundance and productivity to limited resources. Embrace the Barakah culture through gratitude, reciting the Quran, virtuous actions, and seeking Allah's pleasure for a life filled with blessings and prosperity.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

11 ways to bring barakah in our life. IslamicFinder. (n.d.). https://www.islamicfinder.org/news/11-ways-to-bring-barakah-in-our-life/

4 tips for achieving Barakah in your day. Quran Academy. (n.d.). https://quranacademy.io/blog/tips-for-achieving-barakah/

Faris, M. A. (n.d.). Why do we need barakah at work? and where can we find it?. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-do-we-need-barakah-work-where-can-find-mohammed-faris

Moorad, A. (2021, December 10). 9 ways to increase Barakah in your life. Muslim Hands. https://muslimhands.ca/latest/2021/12/9-ways-to-increase-barakah-in-your-life

What is Barakah, and how can you achieve it in your professional life?. The Wudhu Socks. (n.d.). https://thewudhusocks.com/blogs/tws-footprints/what-is-barakah-and-how-can-you-achieve-it-in-your-professional-life

Zaini, U. I. (2023, February 24). What is Barakah and how to bring it into our lives. Falah. https://alfalah.sg/what-is-barakah-and-how-to-bring-barakah-in-our-lives/