Barakah – it’s something that all Muslims seek. The unexplainable increase in time, wealth and impact is one of the greatest blessings that Allah S.W.T. can grant to His servants.
We should all strive to seek barakah in every aspect of our work, engaging with our work on a spiritual level as if it is an act of worship by itself.
What our scholars in the past understood was that, work without barakah has only a limited amount of benefit and impact, while having barakah in your work means it is impactful, lasting and has optimal benefit.
Having a connection with Allah S.W.T. is what will bring us to success in our endeavours.
Sadly for some of us, we tend to disregard this important spiritual aspect of work and have not experienced the powerful link between barakah and work. When in reality, we need to understand that spirituality is the foundation to improve our work habits as well as the quality of our work.
So how do we gain these beautiful blessings and experience barakah in our work, career and journey in accumulating wealth. Here we have four practical ways to enhance barakah in the workplace!
Before we start on any work, let’s ask ourselves: “Why am I doing this?”
Beyond the answers of “I have to” or “because my boss asked me to”, dig deeper and reflect on the end result of doing the work – who will benefit from it? How will your work help to improve the quality of lives of others? Am I doing the work for the wrong reasons? Am I doing this for the sake of Allah S.W.T.?
Every work, no matter how small we might think it to be, will have some sort of impact on others.
Spend a few minutes reflecting and connecting it with your work, and see how your intentions are directed for the right reasons.
Most of the scholars were very conscious of being in a state of ritual purity before embarking on any important task. They do so by performing wudhu (ablution) or ghusl.
Imagine, not writing anything before performing our ablution and being in a state of purity.
If you’re wondering what performing ablution has to do with our work, it is about being in a spiritual state that is favourable to bringing barakah into our work.
Remember, it’s important to purify our intentions and approach our work as if it is an act of worship – just like we take our ablution before performing our prayers.
Working hard is part of every aspect of life – not just when we’re talking about our careers. And while it is an important habit to implement in our lives, it is equally important to always remain content and grateful. Acknowledging that our sustenance has already been decreed by Allah S.W.T. is something that we should remember, and not take for granted.
When we work hard for the sake of Allah S.W.T. and complement this with our gratitude for our sustenance, it is then that we will experience barakah in our earnings.
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger S.A.W. said, “Allah said, ‘O son of Adam! Spend, and I shall spend on you.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]
According to the hadith above, giving charity increases barakah in the money that you have. Of course, only when it is done for the sake of Allah S.W.T.
If you wish to experience barakah in your life, always have the intention to do an act of charity every day. It does not have to be monetary, but any action with the right intentions can be a simple act of charity.
