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The Meaning of Baraka in Arabic

By Guests Filed Under: Words

Meaning of barakah in Arabic — Photo by Yin Yin Low on Unsplash

The Linguistic Meaning

The word Barakah (بَرَكَة) in Arabic language has three meanings:

The first one is النَّمَاءُ وَالزِّيَادَة which means “growth and increase”. So when something has Barakah it increases.
The second meaning is الاِستِمْرَارِيَّة or “continuity”. The Arabs say إِبتَرَكَتْ السَّمَاء when the rain keeps on coming and coming. This is a verb taken from the noun Barakah (بَرَكَة).
The final meaning of Baraka is: ‘Something that remains in its place as though it sticks. So it’s not only increasing and continuing but it remains as well. This is why the words إبترك الجمل `the camel has kneeled` is used as the camels when they kneel, they stay in their place.

The opposite of Barakah is scarcity or lack of something.

‘Barakah’ In Daily Usage

The plural from the word Barakah is Barakat (بَرَكَات) and we use it in the greeting: ‘assalamu alykum wa rahmat allah wa barakatuh’ (which means “May the peace, mercy and blessings of Almighty be upon you”.

Another derivative is Tabarak “تَبارك” which is a verb meaning ‘blessed’ and it is used for only for the Almighty to denote that Allah is “the Blessed One” and He is the one Who bestows benediction and goodness.

Barak بَارَكَ is another verb which is used to convey the meaning that Allah, the Almighty, has showered His benediction on something. For example the saying باركَ اللهُ في المالِ الحلال (Allah has blessed wealth that is Halal) and also as a well-wishing prayer like: باركَ اللهُ فيك (May Allah bless you)

Mubarak مُبارك is a participle noun taken from Barakah which means a thing that is full of blessings and goodness. As in the saying رمضان شهرٌ مباركٌ (Ramadan is a blessed month). It is used also to ask Barakah for someone while congratulating them. For example, زواجٌ مبارك (Have a blessed marriage)

In summary Barakah is something good and beyond expectation which comes and continues to come, and it is preserved and protected. That is the notion of this beautiful word.

The Usage Of ‘Barakah’ In The Quran and Hadith:

The Quran refers to itself as Mubarak (Blessed) in several verses. Laylat al-Qadr, the night in which the Quran was sent down is refered to as Mubarak as well:

(وَهَذَا كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ مُبَارَكٌ)

(92) الأنعام

{and this is a Book which We have sent down, blessed}

(Al An’aam 92)

(إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ)

(3) سورة الدخان

{Indeed, we sent it down during a blessed night.}

(al Dukhan 3).

And the word تَبَارك Tabarak is used for several times as well:

(تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ)

(1) الفرقان

{Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion}

(Al forqan 1).

The word بركات Barakat which is the plural form:

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

{And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, we would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied so We seized them for what they were earning}

(Al a`raf 96)

And the verb باركنا Barkna is used in several surahs:

قال تعالى:(سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلاً مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِالأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ)

(1) سورة الإسراء

{Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al- Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed}

Al Isra`a (1)

(وَبَارَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى إِسْحَاقَ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِهِمَا مُحْسِنٌ وَظَالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ مُبِينٌ)

الصافات (113)

{And We blessed him and Isaac. Among the offspring of the two some did good and some plainly wronged themselves}

Al Safat (113)

‘Barakah’ In the Sunnah

The prophet (saw) had asked Allah Barakah for Medina:

عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: (اللهم اجعل المدينة ضعفي ما بمكة من البركة).

*رواه البخاري*

Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said:

(O Allah, increase in Medina twice the blessings (showered) on Mecca.)

(narrated by Al Bukhari).

Another example for Barakah is that the prophet Mohammad (ﷺ) advised us to take suhoor:

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم قال: (تَسَحَّرُوا؛ فَإِنَّ فِي السُّحُورِ بَرَكَة).

*رواه البخاري*

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Take Suhur as there is a blessing in it.” (Al Bukhari).

قال الطرماح:

تباركتَ لا مُعطٍ لشيءٍ مَنَعتهُ

وليس لِما أعطيتَ يا رب مانع

A beautiful rhyme of poetry by at-Tarmah reads O` blessed lord there is no force that can give what you have prevented and there is none that can prevent what you wanted to give.

Different Words for Mother in Arabic

By Guests Filed Under: Infographic, Uncategorized

The words for ‘mother’ in Arabic are “Umm” (أم) and “Waleda” (والدة) However, in the Arabic language, a word may have many synonyms. But, no two are exactly the same. Each word has its uniqueness. A good example for this is ‘mother’ in Arabic.

‘Mother in the Quran’

The concept of motherhood in the Quran is sometimes expressed by the word “Umm” (أم) which is the most common. At other times it uses the word “waleda” (والدة) which literally means the woman who gives birth.

Differences between ‘Umm’ and ‘Waleda’

The term ‘Umm’ is more comprehensive and it also contains the meaning of the word “Waleda”, because in Arabic the stronger term includes the meanings of the weaker terms.

The Qur’an uses the word “mother” to show the good and holy origin of something. For, example,Mecca is the “mother” of all the villages

قال تعالى: “مصدق الذي بين يديه ولتنذر أم القرىومن حولها” [الأنعام:92]

“And this is a Book which We have sent down, blessed and confirming what was before it, that you may warn the Mother of Cities and those around it. Those who believe in the Hereafter believe in it, and they are maintaining their prayers.” (Quran, Al-An’am:92)

As you can see the Arabs apply the word ”Umm” broadly based on this concept.

As for the word ‘Waleda’, it is used specifically for the woman who gives birth to you. To understand this further, we can look to the Quran for several examples where the word ‘Umm’ goes much further than the states of pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. It represents a special relationship. The Holy Quran mentions that the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) are the mothers of the believers.

النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَىٰ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْوَأَزْوَاجُهُ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ [الأحزاب:6]

“The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than themselves, and his wives are [in the position of] their mothers.” (Al Ahzab 6)

The Mother in Arab Culture:

Motherhood was seen as something sacred even before the advent of Islam.

The Story of Amr ibn Kulthum and his mother:

We can see how great a position the mother held in the Arab society, in the story of Amr ibn Kulthum with his mother, immortalised in his poetry.

Amr ibn Hind, the king of Al-Hira, said to his companions: “Do you know any of theArabs who refuses his mother to serve my mother? They said, ‘Yes, Amr ibn Kalthoum!’

So Amr ibn Hind sent word to Amr ibn Kulthum and asked him to visit him and his mother. So Amr ibn kulthum came with his mother, Layla. When Amr entered the King’s dwelling, the king had recommended that his mother dismiss all the servants. When the two mothers were together, the king’s mother said, ‘O Laila give me that dish!’ Laila became so angry and she shouted, ‘O Humiliation, O humiliation!’ and complained that she was not her servant for her to command her.

Her son had heard her. He shouted, ‘No humiliation after today!’. Then he grabbed a sword hanging in the hallway and struck at the head of the king, while reciting his famous lines of poetry:

وَأَنْظِـرْنَا نُخَبِّـرْكَ اليَقِيْنَــا	أَبَا هِنْـدٍ فَلاَ تَعْجَـلْ عَلَيْنَـا
وَنُصْـدِرُهُنَّ حُمْراً قَدْ رُوِيْنَـا	بِأَنَّا نُـوْرِدُ الـرَّايَاتِ بِيْضـاً
عَصَيْنَـا المَلِكَ فِيهَا أَنْ نَدِيْنَـا	وَأَيَّـامٍ لَنَـا غُـرٍّ طِــوَالٍ

O Abu Hind, do not hasten upon us***Wait for us, and we shall inform you with certainty

That surely, we enter the battle with white flags***But we emerge with them reddened by drinking (blood)

And the days are ours, recently and long ago***When we rebelled against the king, unwilling to be submissive

The Mother in Islam

Amongst the clearest examples of Islam’s honouring women is the great status of the mother in Islam. Islam commands kindness, respect and obedience to parents.

“A man once asked the Prophet to whom he should show the most kindness. The Prophet replied: “Your mother, next your mother, next your mother, and then your father.” (Sunan of Abu-Dawood)

21 Ways to Say Hello in Arabic

By Guests Filed Under: Tips

Allah says in the Quran: “When a greeting is offered you, answer it with an even better greeting, or (at least) with its like. God keeps count of all things.” [Surah an-Nur].
Arabic has a rich variety of greetings and pleasantries. These vary in different regions. In this post, we have narrowed down 21 different ways to say hello or to greet like a native Arab. Not only should you know how to greet, but you should also know how to respond appropriately when greeted. The first impression is the most profound!

1- Assalamu alaikum – السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُمْ

“ Asalamu Alaikum” means “peace be upon you”. It’s an Arabic phrase but most Muslims from all around the world use this greeting despite their language background.
These words are also a dua (prayer). The appropriate response for it is “Wa Alaikum asalam” (And upon you be peace.), you can use it when meeting one person or a group of people.

2-Marhaban – مَرْحَبًا

“Marhaban” means “welcome”, and it’s an Arabic fusha word, it was taken from the word Rahhaba. The appropriate response for it is Marhaban bik for male and Marhaban biki for female or Marhaban bikum for a group of people.

3-Ahlan- أَهْلًا

Ahlan means ‘you are like family’, Arab people use this to welcome guests or friends when they invite them to their house or at any reception.

4-Ya Hala Bik – يَا هَلَا بِيكْ

Ya hala bik means ‘you are welcome’ and it’s an informal way of saying hello in the middle east. When visiting an Arab home your host is likely to say to you Ya hala bik.

5-Salam – السَلَامْ

This is the short version of ‘Assalamu Alaikum’. Salam means Peace, The word “salam” is mentioned almost 33 times in the Holy Quran. A Salam is one of the names of the Great Allah which means “Peace”.

6-Yatik al Afia – يَعْطِيكْ العَافِيَة

Yatik al Afia means ‘may God give you health and all the good things’. This greeting can be used as a hello or goodbye and it can be said to anyone, whether known or unknown to the speaker.
It can be also used to greet, especially in the Lebanese culture, The appropriate response for it is “Allah Y’afik”. This greeting should not be used in a very formal situation.

7- Ezayak for male – Ezayek for female – إِزَيَكْ أَوْ إِزَيِكْ

This word means How are you? It can be used for greeting and welcoming in the Egyptian culture, and it’s also considered an expression of hospitality.

8-Aslema – عَسْلَامَهْ

Aslema is an expression of hospitality used to welcome a guest, It’s a Tunisian expression to say hello to each other and it roughly translates to ‘I am grateful that you are alright’.

9-Ya Marhaba – يَا مَرْحَبَ

This word used throughout the middle east. Its a stronger ‘welcome’ than Marhaba. So iff you think Marhaba it’s not enough to show how welcoming you are, use Ya Marhaba.

10-Ahlan Fik – أَهْلًا فِيكْ

It means ‘welcome to you’. It can also can be used as a response to Marhaba.

11-Marahib – مَرَاحِيبْ

Marahib is the plural word of Marhaba which literally means a lot of welcomes and hellos. When visiting an Arab home your host is likely to say to you Marahib.

12-Awafi – عَوَافِي

It the plural of the word ‘good health’ in Arabic. It means ‘may you have a good health’.

13-Sabah Al Khayr – صَبَاحُ الخَيْرِ

Sabah Al Khayr means Good morning and it can be used in formal situations with people you do not know. It can be used for both hello and goodbye.

14- Masa Al Khayrمَسَاءُ الْخَيْرِ

Masa Al Khayr means Good evening and it also can be used to say hello and goodbye in formal situations with people you don’t know.

15- Sa’idat سَعِيدَاتْ

Sa’idat means ‘Happy’, which is sometimes used as a casual hello in some Arabic countries.

16-Sho el Akhbar – شُو َاْلأَخْبَارْ

Sho el Akhbar means ‘what’s the news?’ And it’s frequently used to start a conversation with people you already know.

17-Naharak Saeed – نَهَارَكْ سَعِيدْ

It means “Have a great day”, and can be used as Hello and Goodbye in formal situations.

18-Kifak – كِيفَكْ

Kifak means How are you? It can be used after saying Hello.

19-Hala Wallah – هَلَا وَالله

Hala wala means ‘hello’ and Wallah means ‘by Allah’. This phrase is commonly used in Gulf countries.

20-Ahlan Wa Sahlan – أَهْلًا وَ سَهْلًا

Ahlan Wa Sahlan is Arabic Fusha which means ‘like family, and at ease’, The appropriate response for it is “Ahlan Bik”.

21-Ahlin – أَهْلِينْ

In Lebanon and syria, people say Ahlin instead of Ahlan, which has the same meaning.