Can a Person’s Arrival Be a Source of Blessing? Shar‘ī Guidance
Taken from: Fatāwā Arkān-e-Islām
Is it correct to say that someone’s arrival is a source of blessing (barakah)?
Phrases like “Your presence brought us blessings” or “Blessings have arrived with you” are commonly used — what is the Shar‘ī ruling on such expressions?
Alḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ‘alā Rasūlillāh. Ammā ba‘d:
Generally, when people say things like:
◈ “Your visit is a source of blessing for us,”
◈ “Blessings have come with you,”
—they do not intend the same meaning as when the word barakah is used exclusively for Allah ﷻ.
Rather, their intention is that your presence resulted in good and benefit for us.
It is permissible to attribute barakah (blessing) to a person, as evidenced by the incident of Ḥaḍrat ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها losing her necklace.
When the verse of tayammum was revealed due to that incident, Ḥaḍrat Usayd ibn Ḥuḍayr رضي الله عنه remarked:
«مَا ِهىَ بِأَوَّلِ بَرَكَتِكُمْ يَا آلَ أَبِى بَكْرٍ»
“O family of Abū Bakr! This is not the first blessing that has come through you.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Book of Tayammum, Ḥadīth: 334; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book of Ḥayḍ, Ḥadīth: 367)
Barakah may be derived through two known and valid means:
Such as the Qur’ān, about which Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَهَـٰذَا كِتَـٰبٌ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ مُبَـٰرَكٌ﴾
“And this is a Book We have sent down, full of blessing…”
(Sūrat al-Anʿām, 6:92)
Manifestations of the Qur’ān’s barakah include:
◈ Victory for those who adopt it and strive through it.
◈ Salvation of nations from shirk through its guidance.
◈ Promise of ten good deeds for every letter recited.
◈ Increased productivity in one’s efforts and time.
Such as knowledge, or benefit received through the knowledge, teaching, or righteous efforts of a person.
Example: The earlier statement of Ḥaḍrat Usayd ibn Ḥuḍayr رضي الله عنه referencing the blessings through the family of Abū Bakr.
This is because Allah sometimes brings about certain outcomes through specific individuals that do not occur through others.
There are fabricated and baseless forms of “blessing,” such as:
◈ Claims by imposters that “so-and-so deceased saint (whom they call a walī) has blessed you.”
◈ These have no actual basis in reality.
◈ Sometimes, Shayṭān may assist such individuals, causing emotional or physical effects that deceive people.
◈ Such instances can become a source of great trial and fitnah.
To evaluate whether a particular barakah is real, consider:
◈ If the person is a true friend of Allah, pious, upright, adherent to Sunnah, and avoids innovations, then Allah may manifest blessings through him.
◈ But if the person is opposed to the Qur’ān and Sunnah, or promotes falsehood and deviance,
then any perceived barakah is illusory, and may even be a deception from Shayṭān to mislead others.
هٰذَا مَا عِندِي، وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَاب
This is what I hold to be correct. And Allah knows best what is right.
Taken from: Fatāwā Arkān-e-Islām❖ Question:
Is it correct to say that someone’s arrival is a source of blessing (barakah)?
Phrases like “Your presence brought us blessings” or “Blessings have arrived with you” are commonly used — what is the Shar‘ī ruling on such expressions?
❖ Answer:
Alḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ‘alā Rasūlillāh. Ammā ba‘d:
Generally, when people say things like:
◈ “Your visit is a source of blessing for us,”
◈ “Blessings have come with you,”
—they do not intend the same meaning as when the word barakah is used exclusively for Allah ﷻ.
Rather, their intention is that your presence resulted in good and benefit for us.
❖ Attributing Blessings to a Person Is Permissible
It is permissible to attribute barakah (blessing) to a person, as evidenced by the incident of Ḥaḍrat ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها losing her necklace.When the verse of tayammum was revealed due to that incident, Ḥaḍrat Usayd ibn Ḥuḍayr رضي الله عنه remarked:
«مَا ِهىَ بِأَوَّلِ بَرَكَتِكُمْ يَا آلَ أَبِى بَكْرٍ»
“O family of Abū Bakr! This is not the first blessing that has come through you.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Book of Tayammum, Ḥadīth: 334; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book of Ḥayḍ, Ḥadīth: 367)
❖ Sources of Blessing (Barakah)
Barakah may be derived through two known and valid means:
① Barakah through Sharʿīly Confirmed Sources:
Such as the Qur’ān, about which Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَهَـٰذَا كِتَـٰبٌ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ مُبَـٰرَكٌ﴾
“And this is a Book We have sent down, full of blessing…”
(Sūrat al-Anʿām, 6:92)
Manifestations of the Qur’ān’s barakah include:
◈ Victory for those who adopt it and strive through it.
◈ Salvation of nations from shirk through its guidance.
◈ Promise of ten good deeds for every letter recited.
◈ Increased productivity in one’s efforts and time.
② Barakah through Tangible and Known Means:
Such as knowledge, or benefit received through the knowledge, teaching, or righteous efforts of a person.
Example: The earlier statement of Ḥaḍrat Usayd ibn Ḥuḍayr رضي الله عنه referencing the blessings through the family of Abū Bakr.
This is because Allah sometimes brings about certain outcomes through specific individuals that do not occur through others.❖ False or Imaginary Barakah
There are fabricated and baseless forms of “blessing,” such as:
◈ Claims by imposters that “so-and-so deceased saint (whom they call a walī) has blessed you.”
◈ These have no actual basis in reality.
◈ Sometimes, Shayṭān may assist such individuals, causing emotional or physical effects that deceive people.
◈ Such instances can become a source of great trial and fitnah.
❖ Distinguishing Between True and False Barakah
To evaluate whether a particular barakah is real, consider:
◈ If the person is a true friend of Allah, pious, upright, adherent to Sunnah, and avoids innovations, then Allah may manifest blessings through him.
◈ But if the person is opposed to the Qur’ān and Sunnah, or promotes falsehood and deviance,
then any perceived barakah is illusory, and may even be a deception from Shayṭān to mislead others.
هٰذَا مَا عِندِي، وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَاب
This is what I hold to be correct. And Allah knows best what is right.
