Barakah

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A blessing, benefit, or divine grace believed in Islamic tradition to bring abundance, prosperity, and spiritual growth to those who receive or possess it
2. Divine blessing or spiritual abundance that multiplies benefits and brings prosperity in Islamic belief
3. A sacred grace or benediction from God that enhances the value and effectiveness of something material or spiritual

Etymology: Arabic "baraka" has a root meaning that most English speakers would never guess: it is tied to water. The Arabic root b-r-k, which also gives the word for a pool or pond, carries the sense of something that is settled, stable, and kept in place, and the notion of blessing grew out of that idea of abundance held and maintained. The same root also gave Arabic the word for a mallard, a bird named for its association with water, so the English word for a divine gift and the word for a duck share a remote ancestor. English borrowed the term directly from Arabic, where it is a common word in Muslim religious and everyday life. It appears in English writing as a term for the spiritual power believed to multiply good things, whether in a person, a place, a meal, or a family. Because it came straight from Arabic rather than through Latin or French, it keeps the original sound and feel of the source language.

Synonyms: blessing, prosperity