18 Sources of Barakah
18 Sources of Barakah
“Barakah is the attachment of Divine goodness to a thing, so if it occurs in something little, it increases it. And if it occurs in something much it benefits. And the greatest fruits of Barakah in all things is to use that barakah in the obedience of Allah Ta’ala Ta’aala”
- Good Intentions:If you want something to have barakah attached to it, have good intentions for it. More specifically, make sure that deed is intended for the sake of Allah Ta’ala Ta’aala. Looking at the definition of Barakah again, you may guess that without us intending what we have or do to be for the sake of Allah Ta’ala, the “Divine goodness” won’t be attached to it.
- Piety and Belief in Allah Ta’ala:Allah Ta’ala says in the Quran: “If the people of the towns had but believed and feared Allah Ta’ala, We should indeed have opened out to them (All kinds of) blessings from heaven and earth…”(Surat Al-A’raf, verse 96). And He says in the Quran:“And for those who fear Allah Ta’ala, He (ever) prepares a way out. And He provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine” (Surat Al-Talaq, verses 2-3).
- Putting your trust in Allah Ta’ala:Allah Ta’ala says in the Quran: “And if any one puts his trust in Allah Ta’ala, sufficient is (Allah Ta’ala)) for him. For Allah Ta’ala will surely accomplish his purpose: verily, for all things has Allah Ta’ala appointed a due proportion” (Surat Al-Talaq, verses 3)
Nabi صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم said: “If only you relied on Allah Ta’ala a true reliance, He would provide sustenance for you just as He does the birds: They fly out in the morning empty and return in the afternoon with full stomachs.”
- Reading Quran:This is the fountain of the Barakah! But SubhanaAllah Ta’ala, we rarely drink from it! Allah Ta’ala says in the Quran: “And this is a Book which We have sent down, bringing blessings, and confirming (the revelations) which came before it…” (Surat Al-An’am, verse 92).So read the Quran, and note the blessings and barakah of Allah Ta’ala coming to your life. The further we are from this book, the less barakah we’ll have in our lives, trust me.
- Saying Bismillah:When you say Bismillah before anything you do, you’re invoking the name of Allah Ta’ala on that activity, not only will that activity be blessed but shaytaan cannot take part in it! So always say Bismillah before anything you do! SubhanaAllah Ta’ala, it’s easy for us to forget to say Bismillah or be conscious of saying it. Sometimes we’re so used to saying it that we can’t remember if we said it or not!
Try to be conscious of saying Bismillah and understand what you’re saying.
- Eating with People:Anyone who had the experience of inviting guests to his/her house will know this one. No matter how little you think the food you’re presenting to your guest is, it’s always enough! (note: this is not an excuse to be miserly when you invite guests over, in fact we should follow the sunnah of our Prophet Ibhraim (A.S) who when the angels visited his house and he didn’t know they were angels he went and prepared a large meal for them). What I’m referring here is the blessing that occurs with eating together, this is confirmed in the hadeeth of Nabi صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم who said:“Eat together, for blessing is in Jamma’a (congregation or being together)…” and in another hadeeth “Whoever has food enough for two persons, should take a third one, and whoever has food enough for four persons, should take a fifth or a sixth (or said something similar).”
- Honesty in Trade:This is for all of the business people out there (include ebayers!), don’t think that lying and deceiving people would make your trade profitable, on the contrary, it’ll remove the blessing from your trade. Nabi صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم said: “The buyer and the seller have the option of cancelling or confirming the deal unless they separate, and if they spoke the truth and made clear the defects of the goods, then they would be blessed in their deal, and if they told lies and hid some facts, their bargain would be deprived of Allah Ta’ala’s blessings.” Yes, it’s difficult to be honest when you’re trying to sell something, but trust me it’s worth it.
- Dua:Ask Allah Ta’ala for Barakah! If you listen to some of the Duas from the Nabi صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم you’ll notice how the Prophet used to make dua for barakah. We always say “May Allah Ta’ala bless you!” well, guess what? That’s a source of barakah! Also, when you’re invited to someone’s house, Nabi صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم advised us to make the following dua for the host:
“O Allaah, bless for them, that which You have provided them, forgive them and have mercy upon them.”
- Halal income/money:Nabi صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم said: “O people, Allah Ta’ala is good and He therefore, accepts only that which is good”Scholars refer this to Halaal income and the importance of Halaal income. A scholar also said that the one who eats Haram his limbs will disobey Allah Ta’ala whether he likes it or not, and the one who eats Halaal and seeks Halaal income his limbs will also do good and would be given the permission to seek goodness.
This concept of your limbs being “blessed” and enabled to do good, is truly a blessing and a barakah we should all seek. Reminds me of a story of the old man, who jumped a large distance that young people couldn’t do. So when the young men asked the old man how he did it, he replied: “These are limbs, we’ve protected it from doing sins when we were young, so Allah Ta’ala preserved them from us when we got old”
- Following the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم in all things:
The most Productive Man in the history of humanity is Nabi صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم , therefore, by just following his lifestyle and the sunnahs we so often hear about, is a great source of Barakah!
Some of these sunnahs include: Eating Suhoor, eating with the right hand from the side of the plate, going out for Eid Salat, licking your fingers after finishing eating, sleeping on your right hand side, using the siwaak, and many more. Look out for these sunnahs and follow them, for imitating the life of the most blessed man on earth, is surely a source of blessing!
- Praying Istikhara:Praying istikhara in all matters and handing over the matters to Allah Ta’ala and accepting his decree is a great source of barakah. And Nabi صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم has taught us a beautiful dua which helps us make decisions and not regret the choices we make with the permission of Allah Ta’ala. One who seeks guidance from his Creator and consults his fellow believers and then remains firm in his resolve does not regret for Allah Ta’alaاللہ تعالی has said: ‘…and consult them in the affair. Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allaah…”
- Giving thanks to Allah Ta’ala in abundance:Allah Ta’ala says in the Quran: “If you are grateful, I will add more (favours) unto you”A scholar once told me if you look into this verse, the Arabic word that is used to confirm that Allah Ta’ala will favours unto the person who thanks Allah Ta’ala is actually in the form of an Oath “La azidannakum” so Allah Ta’ala is promising the person who thanks Him that He’ll increase him, and Allah Ta’ala never breaks his promises.
- Charity:In the Hadeeth Qudusi, Allah Ta’ala says: “O son of Adam, spend (in charity), and I’ll spend on you!” Whenever you are broke, or you feel barakah is zapped out of our life and urgently need it back, the quickest of way of getting barakah in your life is giving charity. Not only because of the above hadeeth, but let’s say barakah has been removed from your life because of a sin you’ve committed, charity cleanses your sins and adds good deeds and is truly a source of barakah.
- Tying your ties of kinship:Narrated by Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه Nabi صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم has said, “Allah Ta’ala created His creation, and when He had finished it, the womb, got up and caught hold of Allah Ta’ala whereupon Allah Ta’ala said, “What is the matter?’ On that, it said, ‘I seek refuge with you from those who sever the ties of Kith and kin.’ On that Allah Ta’ala said, ‘Will you be satisfied if I bestow My favours on him who keeps your ties, and withhold My favours from him who severs your ties?’ On that it said, ‘Yes, O my Lord!’ Then Allah Ta’ala said, ‘That is for you.’ ” Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه added: If you wish, you can recite: “Would you then if you were given the authority. do mischief in the land and sever your ties of kinship.”
- Waking up early:Nabi صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم said:“Allah Ta’ala made the early hours blessed for my Ummah.”
Try to wake up for Tahajjud, pray, and then work during the hours before Fajr Salaat and Tahajjud. If you can’t, then at least wake up for Fajr and stay up till sunrise before you go back to sleep. Those hours are so blessed. If you’re able to go to work in those hours, do so, you’ll get much more work done than the whole day put together!
- Marriage:Allah Ta’ala says in the Quran: “Marry those among you who are single, or the virtuous ones among yourselves, male or female: if they are in poverty, Allah Ta’ala will give them means out of His grace: for Allah Ta’ala encompasseth all, and he knoweth all things.”
- Salaat:Allah Ta’ala says in the Quran:“Enjoin prayer on your people, and be constant therein. We ask thee not to provide sustenance: We provide it for thee. But the (fruit of) the Hereafter is for righteousness”
To illustrate the point of Salaat further, just imagine your life without salaat, where would Barakah come from? For those of you who are still wavering in their Salaat, please get back on track, this is your lifeline in this life and hereafter, and the daily food for your soul.
- Asking Allah Ta’ala for forgiveness:Nabi صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم has said: “If anyone continually asks forgiveness from Allah Ta’ala, Allah Ta’ala will appoint for him a way out of every distress, and a relief from every anxiety, and will provide for him from where he did not reckon.
