The Means of Attaining Barakah in Food (Part 1)

The Sunnah of the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) regarding the means of attaining Barakah in Food

Meaning of Barakah:

Ibn Mandhoor said in Lisaan Al-‘Arab: “Al-Barakah is growth and increase.”

Al-Manawi said in Faid Al-Qadeer, on the authority of Ar-Raaghib who said: “Al-Barakah is the continuance of divine goodness in something. This is derived from the motionlessness of water in the well. The Mubarak is the person who has that good in him.”

An-Nawawi (Rahimahullaah) said: “Blessed food is food by which nourishment is attained, the end of which is safe from harm, and which strengthens one on obedience to Allaah.” [Sharh Muslim by An-Nawawi]

Accordingly, the blessing of food means its growth and increased benefit to the body, its prevention of harm to the body, and it’s strengthening the person on obedience to Allaah.

Barakah is the goal one wants to attain from everything, i.e. wealth, children, food, etc. There is no good in anything whose Barakah is removed.

The Food of the Muslim

Ibn Mandhoor said: “Food is a comprehensive name for everything that is eaten.”

Al-Mulla ‘Ali al-Qari said in Mirqat Al-Mafateeh, in explanation of Mishkat al-Masabeeh: “It also includes what is taken as a drink.”

The Means of attaining Barakah in Food

The Sunnah of the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) has explained specific means of attaining the Barakah of food in detail, after taking the general means which have clearly been mentioned in the Qur’an; belief in Allaah and righteous deeds.

Allaah says in Surat al-A’raaf (7:96):

وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَىٰ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَاتٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَـٰكِن كَذَّبُوا فَأَخَذْنَاهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ

“And if the people of the towns had believed and had the Taqwa (piety), certainly, We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth, but they belied (the Messengers). So We took them (with punishment) for what they used to earn (polytheism and crimes, etc.).”

1) Measuring or Weighing the Foodstuff

Al-Miqdam ibn Ma’dikarib al-Kindi narrated that the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Measure your foodstuff and you will be blessed.” [Al-Bukhaari, no. 2128]

Ibn Battal (Rahimahullaah) said: “Measuring is desirable on what one spends on his family (dependents). The Hadeeth means: Weigh your foodstuff with a known measurement to be sufficient for the period that you determine.” [Fat’h al-Baari]

Al-Mulla Qaari said that Al-Mudhhar said: “The purpose behind weighing foodstuff is to know the amount that man needs to take as a loan and to sell and buy. If he does not measure, then what he sells or buys is unknown and this is impermissible. Also, if he does not measure what he spends on his family, it might be less than what suffices them, hence it will cause harm to them, or it could be more than what suffices them and he will not know what he will store for the whole year. Therefore, the Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) commanded us to weigh the food in order to be aware and sure. Whoever takes the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) into consideration will surely find great Barakah in this world and great reward in the Hereafter.”

Bear in mind that there is no contradiction between this Hadeeth and the Hadeeth reported by ‘Aishah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha) when she said: “The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) died and there was nothing in my house that a living being could eat, except some barley lying on a shelf. So, I ate of it for a long period. And I measured it and (after a short period) it was consumed.”

Ibn Hajar (Rahimahullaah) said in Al-Fat-h: “It is apparent to me that the Hadeeth of Al-Miqdam is referring to foodstuff which is bought. The Barakah is attained in it by measuring it, carrying out the command of the Law-Maker [Allaah and His Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)]. If one does not carry out the command regarding it by weighing it, the Barakah will be removed and this is due to the evil consequences of disobedience. The Hadeeth of ‘Aishah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha) on the other hand refers to weighing the food that she had at home to examine it, therefore it diminished. And Allaah knows best.”

Al-Mulla Qaari said in Al-Mirqaat: “Weighing at the time of selling and buying is commanded in order to establish justice, and in doing so there is Barakah and goodness.”

However, at the time of spending the food, counting and checking it is forbidden. The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told Bilal: “O Bilal! Spend in charity and do not fear any diminishment from the Owner of Majesty (Allaah).” [Authenticated by Al-Albaani in Saheeh At-Targheeb, no. 921]

It was narrated that Abu Umamah ibn Sahl ibn Hunaif (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) said: “One day we were sitting in the masjid with a group of the Muhajireen and Ansaar. We sent a man to ‘Aishah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha) to ask permission to come to her. She said: ‘A beggar came to me one day when the Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was present, and I ordered that he be given something, then I called for it and looked at it. The Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘Do you want that nothing should enter or leave your house without your knowledge?‘ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Don’t be hasty, O ‘Aishah. Do not count what you give; otherwise Allaah will count what He gives you.” [Authenticated by Al-Albaani in Saheeh An-Nasaa’i, no. 2549]

In another narration from Asma bint Abu Bakr (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhuma) that she came to the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and said: “O Prophet of Allaah, I do not have anything but that which Az-Zubair brings to me. Is there any sin on me if I give a small amount of that which he brings to me?” He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Give whatever you have, and do not withhold what you have, lest Allaah withhold provision from you.” [Authenticated by Al-Albaani in Saheeh An-Nasaa’i, no. 2551]

Shaikh Ibn ‘Uthaimeen (Rahimahullaah) said in his commentary on the Hadeeth of ‘Aishah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha) in the Book of Ar-Riqaq in Saheeh Al-Bukhaari: “As for the Hadeeth of ‘Aishah in which she said: ‘So, I ate of it for a long period and measured it, and (after a short period) it was consumed’ it is an indication that if a person measures a thing and begins noticing whether it increased or decreased, then its Barakah (blessings) will be removed. Therefore, the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said to ‘Aishah: ‘Do not count what you give, lest Allaah will count what He gives to you.‘ Meaning, do not determine things, otherwise Allaah will deal with you according to what you determine. If one entrusts the matter to Allaah and eats from it till it finishes, that is more blessed for him, and this is something that has been tried.” [End Quote]

Shaikh ‘Abdul-Kareem al-Khudair (Hafidhahullaah) said in his explanation of Al-Bukhaari regarding the Hadeeth of ‘Aishah: “If we look at the barley which was with ‘Aishah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha), she ate from it for a long period of time. But when she measured it, it finished. This indicates that the matter had Barakah when there was no checking, careful examination, nor waiting for when it would finish. Undoubtedly, such an action is more deserving of attaining Barakah. However, when she weighed the barley and knew its amount, it finished.” [End Quote]

Based on the aforementioned statements of the ‘Ulama, there are three states of food:

First: At the time of buying the food

At this time, it is compulsory to weigh foodstuff in order to maintain rights. Barakah is hence attained by carrying out the command of the Law-Maker.

Second: When the foodstuff is stored at home

One should not weigh, observe, or examine as to whether it has increased or decreased, for the Barakah will then be removed from it. One should rather leave it, putting his trust in Allaah and relying on Him to put Barakah in it.

Third: When one takes from the foodstuff which is stored, either to cook from it or spend from it on his family.

He should weigh or measure it, based on the general statement of the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam): “Measure your foodstuff and you will be blessed”, and in order that the Muslim should not be extravagant in what he cooks, such that he cooks more than what suffices the family, nor niggardly, such that it will not be sufficient. Rather, he takes the suitable amount for his state. This is what people nowadays follow when they say: “We used two kilos of such and such with two eggs in order to bake a cake”, for example.

Sources:

  Sharh Saheeh Al-Bukhaari by Shaikh Ibn ‘Uthaimeen and Shaikh Al-Khudair

  Fat-h Al-Baari by Ibn Hajar