“Why didn’t I sleep well today?”
“Why wasn’t I productive today?”
“Why don’t I have enough money?”
It’s because you don’t have barakah in your time, money, or sleep. The word “barakah” comes from the Arabic root “baraka” (بَرَكَ). When we talk about barakah, we mean blessings. divine blessings.
Let’s look at its 3 other meanings to get a deeper understanding.
- النمو والزيادة — growth and increase.
- الاستمرارية — continuity.
- ابتركت الجمل — translates to “the camel has kneeled” and refers to the fact that when camels kneel, they usually remain in the same position for lengthy periods.
You plant a single seed. You expect one tree. But instead, you get ten trees.
You buy a sturdy piece of furniture. You think you’ll have to replace it in 5 years, but it lasts 20 years.
You cook a small pot of food that you think will feed only a few people. But it ends up feeding the whole party.
Barakah makes things grow.
Barakah keeps things ongoing.
Barakah makes things stay.
Ibn al-Qayyim summarizes the meaning:
والبركة: هي ثبوت الخير الإلهي في الشيء
Barakah is the presence of divine goodness in something
فإنها إذا حلت في قليل كثرته
if it settles in something small, it increases it
وإذا حلت في كثير نفع
And if it settles in something large, it benefits it.
ومن أعظم ثمار البركة في الأمور كلها إستعمالها في طاعة الله عز وجل
One of the greatest fruits of barakah in all matters is using it in obedience to Allah, the Almighty.
Barakah is not about having more. It is not something you can measure. It’s being able to do more with less.
A simple way to understand barakah.
Think about it this way.
We all have 24 hours in a day.
How can some people do so much more than others?
They work full-time. Build a side hustle. Raise a family. Seek knowledge. Exercise. Eat healthy. Read Qur’an. Pray 5 times.
Others struggle just to survive the day.
Some people can accomplish in a day what others do in a week.
But how?