Barakah
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In
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
, ''Barakah'' or ''Baraka'' ( ar, بركة "blessing") is a blessing power, a kind of continuity of spiritual presence and revelation that begins with God and flows through that and those closest to God. Baraka can be found within physical objects, places, and people, as chosen by God. This force begins by flowing directly from God into creation that is worthy of baraka. These creations endowed with baraka can then transmit the flow of baraka to the other creations of God through physical proximity or through the adherence to the spiritual practices of the Islamic prophet
Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد;  570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
. God is the sole source of baraka and has the power to grant and withhold baraka.


Islamic mysticism

Baraka is a prominent concept in Islamic mysticism, particularly
Sufism Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...
. It pervades Sufi texts, beliefs, practices, and spirituality. Sufism emphasizes the importance of esoteric knowledge and the spiritual union with God through the heart. Baraka symbolizes this connection between the divine and the worldly through God's direct and intentional blessing of those that are most reflective of Him and his teachings. Baraka is not a state, it is a flow of blessings and grace. It flows from God to those that are closest to God, such as saints and prophets. Those that have received baraka are thought to have the abilities to perform miracles (''
karamat In Sunni Islam, ''karamat'' ( ar, کرامات ''karāmāt'', pl. of ''karāmah'', lit. generosity, high-mindedness) refers to supernatural wonders performed by Muslim saints. In the technical vocabulary of Islamic religious sciences, the sin ...
''), such as thought-reading, healing the sick, flying, and reviving the dead. However, according to
Abd al-Karīm ibn Hawāzin Qushayri 'Abd al-Karīm ibn Hawazin Abū al-Qāsim al-Qushayrī al-Naysābūrī ( fa, , ar, عبد الكريم بن هوازن بن عبد الملك بن طلحة أبو القاسم القشيري; 986 – 30 December 1072) was an Arab Muslim sch ...
, a prominent Sufi mystic, the use of these miracles and the actual possession of these abilities are not indicative of a saint's status, however, the performance of these miracles by prophets is important to establish credentials.


Sources, transmission, and traditional importance

The ultimate source for barakah is God. Allah bestows blessings and barakah upon who he wills and what he wills and is not limited in any aspect.


Transmission through Sunnah

By following the practices and teachings of Muhammad, one can achieve baraka through the emulation of
Sunnah In Islam, , also spelled ( ar, سنة), are the traditions and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad that constitute a model for Muslims to follow. The sunnah is what all the Muslims of Muhammad's time evidently saw and followed and passed ...
. Because Muhammad is the source of Muhammadan baraka, by living in constant remembrance of the names of God and in accordance to Muhammad's Sunnah. Those that live the inner Sunnah within the heart, are those that reflect the Light of Muhammad (al-nur al-muhammadi) and the Muhammadan baraka. Those that live according to the Sunnah, live in constant remembrance of God, and live authentically from the heart are those to whom God opens the channel through which baraka can flow. By living in accordance to Muhammad, one can become worthy of God's direct blessing of baraka. If granted baraka, the saintly person is able to feel God's force from within and is nourished by the hadith while being guided by the baraka.


See also

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Al-Barakah Al-Barakah is an Arabic surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Abdulrahman Al-Barakah (born 1990), Saudi Arabian football player * Khaled Al-Barakah (born 1990), Saudi Arabian football player * Mousa Al-Barakah (born 1989), Qatari f ...
*
Basirah The following list consists of notable concepts that are derived from Islamic and associated cultural (Arab, Persian, Turkish) traditions, which are expressed as words in Arabic or Persian language. The main purpose of this list is to disambi ...
*
Spiritual gift A spiritual gift or charism (plural: charisms or charismata; in Greek singular: χάρισμα ''charisma'', plural: χαρίσματα ''charismata'') is an extraordinary power given by the Holy Spirit."Spiritual gifts". ''A Dictionary of the ...
*
Glossary of Islam The following list consists of notable concepts that are derived from Islamic and associated cultural (Arab, Persian, Turkish) traditions, which are expressed as words in Arabic or Persian language. The main purpose of this list is to disambig ...
*
The White Days The White Days or Ayyām al-Bīḍ ( ar, ایّام البیض) are specific days of each Islamic month; they are holy days according to the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. These days are the 13th, 14th and 15th of every month in the Islamic calendar. ...
*
Brakha Daily prayer in Mandaeism, called ''brakha'' in Mandaic (cognate with Hebrew ''berakhah'' and Arabic ''barakah'') or occasionally ''birukta'' (''birukhta''), consists of set prayers that are recited three times per day. Mandaeans stand facing n ...
(daily prayer in Mandaeism)


References


Works cited

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General references

* Coulon, C., et al. (1988). ''Charisma and Brotherhood in African Islam''. Oxford University Press. . * Meri, J.W. (1999)
Aspects of Baraka (Blessings) and Ritual Devotion among Medieval Muslims and Jews
'. ''Medieval Encounters''. 5, pp. 46–69. * Takim, L. N. (2006).
The Heirs of the Prophet: Charisma And Religious Authority in Shi'ite Islam
'. SUNY Press. . * Werbner, P., et al. (1998).
Embodying Charisma: Modernity, Locality and Performance of Emotion in Sufi Cults
'. Routledge. . {{Authority control Sufism Energy (esotericism) Esotericism Islamic terminology Islamic practices Spiritual gifts Spirituality Vitalism