Barakah is from Allah

 

Barakah is from Allah

ASSEMBLED BY MALLAM ABBA ABANA, KUBWA, ABUJA, NIGERIA

http://variousislamicdawadocuments.blogspot.com

https://web.facebook.com/abba.abana

emails:gonidamgamiri@yahoo.com; abba.abana@gmail.com

Tuesday 13 Shawwal 1442 AH and 25 May 2021 CE

Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah. As-Salaam Alaikum WA-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu.

Praise be to Allaah; we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His slave and Messenger.

Help us Answer the Ummah! Every second, everywhere someone needs an answer. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “A person who leads others to doing what is good will earn the same reward as those who do it.” (Muslim, 1893).

وَلَا تَهِنُواْ وَلَا تَحۡزَنُواْ وَأَنتُمُ ٱلۡأَعۡلَوۡنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ (١٣٩)

“Do not lose hope, nor be sad. You will surely be victorious if you are true in Faith.” And do not mix the truth with falsehood or conceal the truth while you know [it].” [Holy Quran Chapter Al Imran Ayah 139]

 

إِن يَنصُرۡكُمُ ٱللَّهُ فَلَا غَالِبَ لَكُمۡ‌ۖ وَإِن يَخۡذُلۡكُمۡ فَمَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَنصُرُكُم مِّنۢ بَعۡدِهِۦ‌ۗ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلۡيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ (١٦٠)

“If Allah should aid you, no one can overcome you; but if He should forsake you, who is there that can aid you after Him? And upon Allah let the believers rely.”

[Holy Quran Chapter Imran Ayah 160]

Preamble

Blessings are mentioned by Allah in Surah Rahman, ‘’Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?’’

Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes us that perhaps we will be reminded. 

May Allah bless us all with success, health, happiness, patience and strength? May all our dreams come true and may we live the life that are blessed?

What are some of the blessings from Allah?

Speak and Express Himself.

Allah the Almighty created man from clay and then taught him to speak and express Himself. Being able speak and being able to express out the feelings is indeed a great blessings.

Being expressive is one of the blessings in the Holy Quran, Surah Rahman. Man is the greatest creation of Allah. Jinns are created with a fire that is smoke.

Holy Quran – A complete code of conduct.

He bestowed over us the Holy Quran, a complete book of Guidance. A book that guides not only over spiritual matters but also worldly maters.

The Book that raises the stats of a man. This Book helps enjoy common people a great status. Those who will follow it shall enjoy great bounties in the hereafter.

The movement of Sun and Moon.

The lord of the east and West, created sun and moon to circle around the infix. Their measured movement is a great blessing as we know when the day will set and when the night will approach. We would not have a clue of day and night and our lives would not get organized.

Allah has blessed us with food.

Fruit, corn, and dates grow to provide food, their leaves are fodder for animals. We are also blessed with plants that have a scent worldly enjoying. The trees and stars are created by Allah for men. All things are to abide by Allah’s commandments.

We are blessed with Seas.

The ship is duty bound by Allah Almighty to sail in the sea so that man can travel. Sea also provides man with pearls and corals. Isn’t the sea a great blessings?

Then the two seas [one with salt water and one with sweet water] flow together yet their water does not get mixed as Allah has imposed a barrier between them: a barrier they cannot demolish and are o abide to it.

Iman – blessings in Surah Rahman.

Allah has blessed you with the knowledge that He is the One who shall remain forever. Everything on earth is to perish. To tell us that this life is temporary, He makes us witness the death of others [we could all have died at a single day, but He blessed us with the fact that we all are perishable].

It is only Allah who will remain forever. We have needs, which are fulfilled only by Allah. He the supreme is free from needs.

Allah will attend all the people on the day of Judgement.

On the Day of Judgement Allah will attend all people. Those who had performed well will be sent Jannah [Paradise] while those who had disobeyed Allah shall be thrown to Jahannam [Hell]

 

Rewarding believers with Jannah [Paradise]

It motivates us to do well with others and to follow Allah’s instructions. Jannah is described as a garden from whose beneath river flows and one of the great blessings in Surah Rahman. They are equipped with bounties of Lord.

Creation of Hell for disobedient is to punish

Punish them for the bad they had done in the world. Allah has for sure blessed us enough and to which of these favors of Allah upon you would you deny?

The countless blessings of God [Allah]

ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنُ (١) عَلَّمَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ (٢) خَلَقَ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ (٣) عَلَّمَهُ ٱلۡبَيَانَ (٤) ٱلشَّمۡسُ وَٱلۡقَمَرُ بِحُسۡبَانٍ۬ (٥) وَٱلنَّجۡمُ وَٱلشَّجَرُ يَسۡجُدَانِ (٦) وَٱلسَّمَآءَ رَفَعَهَا وَوَضَعَ ٱلۡمِيزَانَ (٧) أَلَّا تَطۡغَوۡاْ فِى ٱلۡمِيزَانِ (٨) وَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلۡوَزۡنَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ وَلَا تُخۡسِرُواْ ٱلۡمِيزَانَ (٩) وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَضَعَهَا لِلۡأَنَامِ (١٠) فِيہَا فَـٰكِهَةٌ۬ وَٱلنَّخۡلُ ذَاتُ ٱلۡأَكۡمَامِ

(Allah) Most Gracious! (1) It is He Who has taught the Qur'an. (2) He has created man: (3) He has taught him speech (and Intelligence) (4) The sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed; (5) And the herbs and the trees-both (alike) bow in adoration. (6) And the Firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the balance (of Justice), (7) In order that ye may not transgress (due) balance. (8) So establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance. (9) It is He Who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures: (10) Therein is fruit and date-palms, producing spathes (enclosing dates): (11) Also corn with (its) leaves and stalk for fodder and sweet-smelling plants. (Holy Quran Chapter Rahman 55.1-12)

وَإِن تَعُدُّواْ نِعۡمَةَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحۡصُوهَآ‌ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَفُورٌ۬ رَّحِيمٌ۬ (١٨)

Allah Almighty says: “And if you were to count God’s favors, you would not be able to number them; most surely God is Forgiving, Merciful.” (Holy Qur’an Chapter, 16:18).
Our lives are a continuous succession of God’s gifts. Many people, due to their outlook on life or their circumstances, fail to see that they are receiving God’s bounty. Allah has made it clear that we will never be able to count all of His blessings upon us, since they are innumerable.
This statement is found elsewhere in the Qur’an, emphasizing humanity’s ungratefulness and heedlessness of God’s blessings:

 وَءَاتَٮٰكُم مِّن ڪُلِّ مَا سَأَلۡتُمُوهُ‌ۚ وَإِن تَعُدُّواْ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحۡصُوهَآ‌ۗ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ لَظَلُومٌ۬ ڪَفَّارٌ۬ (٣٤)

 “If you were to count God’s favors, you would not be able to number them; most surely humanity is very unjust, very ungrateful.” (Holy Qur’an Chapter, 14:34)
Consider the human body. It is made up of one hundred trillion cells. Each cell is a blessing from God. But this does not mean that there are only one hundred trillion blessings in the human body.
There are far more, since God’s blessings manifest themselves within each one of those cells in innumerable ways. Moreover, each cell is exposed to an incalculable number of potential threats, from viruses to cancer to a variety of malfunctions, and God through His mercy protects the cells from all of these. Therefore, we can never begin to enumerate the blessings that God, at every moment, bestows upon us within our bodies.
Even if we entertain the idea that the blessings God bestows upon any one of us is some finite number, that number would not take into account all of the misfortunes that God withholds from us, though He certainly tries some of His servants with those misfortunes. Then there are all the blessings God has bestowed upon our predecessors, our contemporaries, and our descendants and on the incalculable aspects of creation upon which our lives depend. God reminds us:

وَمَا بِكُم مِّن نِّعۡمَةٍ۬ فَمِنَ ٱللَّهِ‌ۖ ثُمَّ إِذَا مَسَّكُمُ ٱلضُّرُّ فَإِلَيۡهِ تَجۡـَٔرُونَ (٥٣)

“And whatever good thing you enjoy, it is from God. Then, when misfortune reaches you, you cry out to Him for help.” (Holy Qur’an Chapter, 16:53)
We should look at ourselves and the way we behave towards God’s blessings. Do we use them in obedience to His commands? Do we realize that God has a right over us in everything that He gives us? If we are blessed with wealth, the poor have a right in it. If we are blessed with health and strength, the weak and the infirm have a right in it. If we are blessed with knowledge, then those who are in want of knowledge have a right in it. For every ability, that we are blessed with, those who are unable have some right in it.
We must praise God for empowering us to do that which others are incapable of doing. Part of the thanks we owe God is to give something of whatever we are blessed with to those who cannot do for themselves. We should remember that every blessing we enjoy will inevitably come to an end. Either we will lose the blessing some day in our lives, or we will depart this life and leave that blessing behind.
Another part of our gratitude to God is to serve Him with what He gives us and to use what we have in ways that are lawful and pleasing to Him. We should not be like Pharaoh. Some wise people advised him:

إِنَّ قَـٰرُونَ ڪَانَ مِن قَوۡمِ مُوسَىٰ فَبَغَىٰ عَلَيۡهِمۡ‌ۖ وَءَاتَيۡنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلۡكُنُوزِ مَآ إِنَّ مَفَاتِحَهُ ۥ لَتَنُوٓأُ بِٱلۡعُصۡبَةِ أُوْلِى ٱلۡقُوَّةِ إِذۡ قَالَ لَهُ ۥ قَوۡمُهُ ۥ لَا تَفۡرَحۡ‌ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡفَرِحِينَ (٧٦)

“Do not exult. Surely God does not love the exultant.” (Holy Qur’an Chapter, 28:76)
Pharaoh replied: “I have been given this only on account of the knowledge I have.” So Allah Almighty tells us:

قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُ ۥ عَلَىٰ عِلۡمٍ عِندِىٓ‌ۚ أَوَلَمۡ يَعۡلَمۡ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَدۡ أَهۡلَكَ مِن قَبۡلِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلۡقُرُونِ مَنۡ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنۡهُ قُوَّةً۬ وَأَڪۡثَرُ جَمۡعً۬ا‌ۚ وَلَا يُسۡـَٔلُ عَن ذُنُوبِهِمُ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُونَ (٧٨)

“Did he not know that God had destroyed of the generations before him those who were mightier in strength than he and greater in assemblage? And the guilty need not be asked about their sins.” (Holy Qur’an Chapter, 28:78)
We often do not notice a blessing that we have until we lose that blessing or are threatened with its loss.
How many of our faculties, our limbs, and our talents do we take for granted? These are but some of the blessings in our own bodies. How many blessings surround us, in our families, our friends, our work, the status we enjoy, the connections we have, even our hopes and our dreams?
Even the world on which we live is a blessing, how it possesses everything needed for life to thrive. How many other worlds do we see and are still discovering in the heavens, some approximating our Earth in size, some smaller, some many times larger, but we find them to be sterile, hostile, unaccommodating worlds.
Praise be to Allah, Who possesses all things and who gives without measure.

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِۦ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسۡلِمُونَ (١٠٢)

Holy Quran Chapter Al Imran 3.102: O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam.

Jaber bin AbdAllah (may Allah be pleased with them) said:

On the day of the battle of Al-Khandaq (the Trench), we were digging the trench when a very hard boulder came in our way. The Companions informed the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that they encountered a very hard boulder.  He said, “I will go down the trench to see it.” He stood up he had tied a stone over his stomach (due to intense hunger). We had not tasted anything for three days. He took up a spade and struck the hard rock with it and it turned into sand. I then said: Oh Messenger of Allah permit me to go home. I said to my wife, “I have seen the Prophet (ﷺ) in a state of extreme hunger that I am unable to endure. Have you anything in the house?” 

She said, “I have some barley and a lamb.” I slaughtered the lamb, ground the barley and put the meat in the cooking pot. She (his wife) said do not embarrass me in front of the Messenger of Allah and whoever is with him (due to the limited quantity of food). So I went to him and discretely said to him: Oh Messenger of Allah: I have some food so come with a man or two. He ﷺ asked how much is it? Then I indicated the amount (of food). Thereupon he said: Many are good and announced in a loud voice, “O people of the Trench, Jabir has arranged a feast for you, so all of you are welcome.”

I went to my wife and said, “The Prophet (ﷺ), the Muhajirun, the Ansar and whoever is with them are coming.” She said,  “ What have you done?” I said: “I did as you said”   Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went to the earthen pot and spittled and blessed It. He then then said:

“Enter, but do not crowd.” Then he started breaking up the bread and putting meat on it. He would take from the pot and the oven then would cover them up, approach his Companions and hand it to them. Jaber said: “And they were one thousand. And I swear by Allah that they ate until they were full. And our pot was bubbling and at the same level as before. And our dough was the same quantity as before.  [Bukhari 4101, Muslim 2039]

If Allah blesses wealth, it becomes abundant. And if He blesses food it becomes satisfying. If Allah blesses something it does not deplete. 

A lot of wealth and children without Barakah (blessing) is of little benefit.

 

 

Anas bin Malik said:

My mother Umm Anas came to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ. And she prepared my lower garment out of half of her headdress and (with the other half) she covered my upper body and said: Allah’s Messenger, here is my son Anas; I have brought him to you to serve you. Supplicate to Allah for him. Thereupon he ﷺ said: O Allah, increase his wealth and progeny and grant him Barakah (blessing) in what you give him.  [Bukhari, Muslim 2481b]  

The Prophet ﷺ joined the supplication of an increase in wealth and progeny with having Barakah (blessing) in it. If Barakah (blessing) is removed, wealth becomes useless and children become a source of misery. Al Bukhari said: “The Chapter of Supplication for a lot of wealth with Barakah (blessing)”. 

If Allah places Barakah (blessing) in wealth, He nurtures and increases it and makes it fruitful. And He guides its owner to spend it on good matters and what benefits people. 

Uthman bin Afaan (may Allah be pleased with him) bought the well of Ruumah and made it a trust for the Muslims and he prepared the army of hardship. So Allah placed Barakah (blessing) in his wealth. So the fruit of his date-palms amounted to one hundred thousand.

Whenever honesty is the motto of a person and he genuinely advises Muslims, he has Barakah (blessing).  For the Prophet ﷺ said:

If they are honest and open, their transaction will be blessed, [Bukhari 2110, Muslim 1532a]

The lack of Barakah (blessing) appears when you see the means of prosperity opened to people that have not appeared to anyone before them. And the treasures of the earth burst out. And wealth and trade become abundant. And there are various inventions and industries. However, did not the people only get poorer? And some of them only increased in defeat, hardship, greed and oppression. 

And when the Barakah (blessing) was evident in people’s lives, little was sufficient for them. And each day they received their daily provisions. And one house accommodated groups of families and individuals. And the food of one person was sufficient for two people. And they were filled with contentment and happiness. 

To receive Barakah (blessing), exemplify what your messenger ﷺ said:

The food of two is sufficient for three, and the food of three is sufficient for four. [Bukhari 5392]

And a vessel with capacity for ten people was sufficient for tens of people at the time of the Prophet ﷺ.

What is the matter with many people today who get angry when they do not see enough varieties on the table?   Their provisions have constricted since their souls have constricted. For Barakah (blessing) is not by an abundance of wealth or high prestige. And the Barakah (blessing) is from Allah.

Ibn Masood said:  

We used to consider the Ayat (signs) as Barakah (blessings), but you consider them to be a warning. Once we were with Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) on a journey, and we ran short of water. He said, “Bring the water remaining with you.” The people brought a utensil containing a little water. He placed his hand in it and said, “Come to the blessed water, and the Blessing is from Allah.” I saw the water flowing from among the fingers of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ), and no doubt, we heard the meal glorifying Allah, when it was being eaten (by him).[Bukhari 3579]

The result of Barakah (blessing) is purity of the soul and goodness of the heart and a joyful life and comfort and contentment with what one has earned and with what Allah has decreed and by repeating:

Oh Allah, give us Barakah (blessing) in what you have given us. 

I say what you have heard and I seek forgiveness from Allah for me and you from every sin. So seek forgives from Him, Verily He is Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

Barakah (blessing) is a grace from Allah. For whoever Allah has given Barakah to in what He has given has good and benefit even if it is a small amount.  And whatever has the Barakah (blessing) removed is bad and does not benefit even if it is a lot.

Barakah (Blessing) is brought about by being conscious of Allah, obeying Allah, and stopping at His limits

وَلَوۡ أَنَّ أَهۡلَ ٱلۡقُرَىٰٓ ءَامَنُواْ وَٱتَّقَوۡاْ لَفَتَحۡنَا عَلَيۡہِم بَرَكَـٰتٍ۬ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَـٰكِن كَذَّبُواْ فَأَخَذۡنَـٰهُم بِمَا ڪَانُواْ يَكۡسِبُونَ (٩٦)

Holy Quran Chapter Al Araf 7. 96: And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened [i.e., bestowed] upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth;

وَأَلَّوِ ٱسۡتَقَـٰمُواْ عَلَى ٱلطَّرِيقَةِ لَأَسۡقَيۡنَـٰهُم مَّآءً غَدَقً۬ا (١٦)

Holy Quran Chapter Al Jinn 72.16: And [Allah revealed] that if they had remained straight on the way, We would have given them abundant rain [i.e., provision].

And Allah Almighty said about the people of the book:

 وَلَوۡ أَنَّہُمۡ أَقَامُواْ ٱلتَّوۡرَٮٰةَ وَٱلۡإِنجِيلَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡہِم مِّن رَّبِّہِمۡ لَأَڪَلُواْ مِن فَوۡقِهِمۡ وَمِن تَحۡتِ أَرۡجُلِهِم‌ۚ مِّنۡہُمۡ أُمَّةٌ۬ مُّقۡتَصِدَةٌ۬‌ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ۬ مِّنۡہُمۡ سَآءَ مَا يَعۡمَلُونَ (٦٦) ۞

Holy Quran Chapter Al Maedah 5.66: And if only they had upheld [the law of] the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to them from their Lord [i.e., the Qur’ān], they would have consumed [provision] from above them and from beneath their feet.

So let us pledge consciousness of Allah in ourselves, in our homes, in our markets and in our parks. 

We seek honesty in our words and in our dealings. Swearing by Allah to sell commodities wipes away the Barakah (blessing).

Steadfastness in prayer and raising the family upon it is Barakah (blessing):

 وَأۡمُرۡ أَهۡلَكَ بِٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَٱصۡطَبِرۡ عَلَيۡہَا‌ۖ لَا نَسۡـَٔلُكَ رِزۡقً۬ا‌ۖ نَّحۡنُ نَرۡزُقُكَ‌ۗ وَٱلۡعَـٰقِبَةُ لِلتَّقۡوَىٰ (١٣٢)

Holy Quran Chapter TaHa 20.132: And enjoin prayer upon your family [and people] and be steadfast therein. We ask you not for provision; We provide for you.

Steadfastness to the Quran and raising your children upon it is barakah (blessing) and remembrance. 

وَهَـٰذَا كِتَـٰبٌ أَنزَلۡنَـٰهُ مُبَارَكٌ۬ فَٱتَّبِعُوهُ وَٱتَّقُواْ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُرۡحَمُونَ (١٥٥)

Holy Quran Chapter Al Anam 6.155: And this [Qur’ān] is a Book We have revealed [which is] blessed, so follow it and fear Allah that you may receive mercy.

Oh Allah give us Barakah (blessing) in our lives and our deeds and in our spouses and in our children. And in our wealth and in our time. And in our health and well-being. And make us blessed wherever we are. Indeed you are All Hearing, Answering. 

I conclude this article and send prayers of blessings and peace upon your Prophet as your Lord commanded:

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَـٰٓٮِٕڪَتَهُ ۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّۚ يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيۡهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسۡلِيمًا (٥٦)

Holy Quran Chapter Al Ahzaab 33.56: Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace.

O Allah, guide us with those whom You have guided, grant us well-being among those You have granted well-being, be an ally to us along with those whom You are an ally to, and bless what You have bestowed upon us, and save us from the evil of what You have decreed.  For verily You decree and none can decree over You. He whom You support can never be humiliated. Glory is to You, our Lord, You are Blessed and Exalted.

O Allah, We ask You for all that is good, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we seek refuge with You from all evil, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we ask You for the good that Your servant and Prophet has asked You for, and we seek refuge with You from the evil from which Your servant and Prophet sought refuge. O Allah, we ask You for Paradise and for that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed, and we seek refuge in You from Hell and from that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed. And we ask You to make every decree that You decree concerning us good.

Remember Allah, the Great – He will remember you. Thank Him for His favors – He will increase you therein.  And seek forgiveness from Him – He will forgive you. And be conscious of Him – He will provide you a way out of difficult matters. And, establish the prayer.