What Is Barakah (Blessing)?

Barakah (Arabic: بركة; also spelled baraka) is pronounced BA-ra-kah.

Meaning

Barakah is the blessing God places in something, so that it produces more good than its size suggests. A modest salary that covers a family’s needs with peace of mind has barakah; a large one that never seems enough may not. A short hour of focused work, a simple meal shared by many, a long and useful life — these are all described as having barakah.

Muslims believe barakah comes from God and is connected to how we act. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught that honesty in business brings it, and deception removes it:

…if both the parties spoke the truth and described the defects and qualities (of the goods), then they would be blessed in their transaction, and if they told lies or hid something, then the blessings of their transaction would be lost…

How Muslims use it

Muslims pray for barakah constantly: Barakallahu fik — “May God bless you” — is a common way of saying thank you, and newlyweds, new homes and new babies are greeted with prayers for barakah. Many Muslims say that gratitude, giving charity, starting with Bismillah, keeping family ties and waking early for the dawn prayer bring barakah into their lives.

Example

“Their shop is small, but they are honest with every customer — there’s barakah in it.”

Learn more in Wealth and Money in Islam.