A person once argued with Ibrahim ibn Adham.
He said: There is no such thing as “barakah”, or blessing.
Ibrahim ibn Adham responded to him, saying: Do you know dogs and sheep?
The man said: Yes
Ibn Adham responded: Which of these animals has larger litters?
The man said: A dog can have up to seven puppies, while a ewe can give birth to up to three.
Ibn Adham said: If you look around you, which of these two species is larger in number.
The man said: I see a lot more sheep.
Ibn Adham replied: But aren’t sheep the ones we slaughter and eat, constantly reducing their numbers?
The layman said: Yes.
Ibn Adham said: That is barakah.
The man inquired: But why is that so? (Why would sheep deserve that barakah over dogs?)
Ibn Adham responded: Sheep sleep early and wake up before Fajr, so they seize the time of Mercy and barakah descends upon them. As for dogs, they stay up barking all night, then when it’s close to Fajr, they fall asleep. They miss the time of Mercy, so they don’t receive much barakah.
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I often wondered, are we depriving ourselves of barakah in our wealth and families with our late nights? May Allah make it easy…Ameen.
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