Barakah

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This article is about blessing power in Islam. For other uses, see Baraka (disambiguation).

In Islam, Barakah or Baraka (Arabic: بركة‎ "blessing") is a blessing power,[1] a kind of continuity of spiritual presence and revelation that begins with God and flows through that and those closest to God.[2]

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. 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.[3] 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), such as thought-reading, healing the sick, flying, and reviving the dead.[4][page needed] However, according to Abd al-Karīm ibn Hawāzin Qushayri, 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.[4][page needed]

Sources, transmission, and traditional importance[]

The ultimate source for barakah is God. Barakah flows from God through those nearest to him. The Qur'an, hadith, saints, prophets, Muhammad and his descendants are all considered powerful sources of barakah. Barakah often remains after death and graves are thought to transmit barakah from the afterlife or as a manifestation of the deceased's barakah.[5]

Transmission through saints[]

Saints, as transmitters of baraka, can send baraka to ordinary men[clarification needed] simply through their presence. As this hadith explains, "By means of the righteous Muslim, God repulses affliction from one hundred neighbors".[6][page needed] In this way, the saints provide a means for ordinary men[clarification needed] to connect with the blessings of God through baraka. A saint's shrine is said to emit baraka, which is why many followers of Islam visit shrines. This ritualistic act of visiting tombs and other holy places, such as shrines, to receive baraka is known as ziyara.[7][page needed]

Transmission through khirqa[]

Sufis pass esoteric knowledge and baraka from the master sheikh to the aspirant through the passing of the khirqa. The khirqa is the initiatory cloak of the Sufi chain of spirituality. This cloak initiates an aspirant into the silsilah, which is the chain of sheikhs that goes back to Muhammad. This chain serves as the channel through which baraka flows from the source of spiritual revelation to the being of the initiate.[6][page needed] There are two kinds of transmission (tanakkul) of baraka through the khirqa: khirqa-yi irada and khirqa-yi tabarruk. Khirqa-yi irada is characterized by the passing of baraka to the aspirant from the singular sheikh to which he has sworn. Khirqa-yi tabarruk, also known as the "frock of blessing", is characterized by the passing of baraka to the worthy aspirant from any sheikh that he has encountered.[8][page needed]

The silsilah chain created from the passing of the khirqa that confirms authenticity of many hadiths is known as the isnad. It was not until the late eleventh and twelfth centuries that the Sufi tradition began accepting this form of isnad as a means to transmit mystical knowledge and blessings.[9]

Transmission through Sunnah[]

By following the practices and teachings of Muhammad, one can achieve baraka through the emulation of Sunnah. 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.[9][page needed] 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.[2][page needed]

Controversy of seeking baraka[]

Seeking baraka has been a source of controversy throughout the Islamic world since the rise of Wahhabism. Through the act of ziyara, saints and the shrines of saints are seen as a means to access the baraka sent from God. Because of this, many within Islam see ziyara as a form of idolatry because it is felt that devotees may be looking towards the saints instead of towards God, Himself, for baraka.[10][page needed] Nevertheless, ziyara remains one of the most typical ritual practices of Islamic spirituality.[10][page needed]

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Schimmel 1994, pp. xiv
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Nasr, Seyyed Hossein (1972). Sufi Essays. Albany: State University of New York Press. pp. 35–36. ISBN 0873952332.
  3. ^ Oliver, Haneef James. (2002). The Wahhabi myth : dispelling prevalent fallacies and the fictitious link with Bin Laden. Victoria, B.C.: Trafford. ISBN 1-55395-397-5. OCLC 51274504.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Ernst, Carl W. (1997). The Shambhala Guide to Sufism (1st ed.). Boston, Massachusetts: Shambhala. ISBN 9781570621802.
  5. ^ JOSEF W. MERI ASPECTS OF BARAKA (BLESSINGS) AND RITUAL DEVOTION AMONG MEDIEVAL MUSLIMS AND JEWS1 in "Medieval encounters" 1999 NV, Brill Leiden p. 47-69
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Hoffman, Valerie J. (2009). Sufism, Mystics, and Saints in Modern Egypt. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press. ISBN 978-1570038495.
  7. ^ Karamustafa, Ahmet T. (2007). Sufism: The Formative Period. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0520252691.
  8. ^ Schimmel, Annemarie; Ernst, Carl W. (2013). Mystical Dimensions of Islam (Reprint ed.). Jakarta Selatan: Mizan. ISBN 978-9794337974.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b Brown, Jonathan A.C. (2009). Hadith: Muhammad's Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World (Reprint ed.). Oxford: Oneworld Publications. ISBN 978-1851686636.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b Seels, Michael A.; Ernst, Carl W. (1996). Early Islamic Mysticism: Sufi, Qur'an, Mi'raj, Poetic and Theological Writings. New York: Paulist Press. ISBN 0809136198.

References[]

Further reading[]

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