The Barakah Effect

Through these modern times in the 21st century, emotional intelligence (often referred to as EQ) is often regarded as a superpower that can supercharge our Relationship building, stronger personal resilience, effective leadership, fostering collaboration, personal development, adaptability, empathy, and even in influencing others, and is often viewed as one of the crucial ingredients for long-term...

Since October 2023, the world has witnessed the horrors of the gen0cide and mass murders taking place in Pale$tine, specifically in G@za. As we speak, isr@el has killed more than 37,000 civilians - mostly women and children - in addition to over 80,000 severely injured. In an unprecedented act of violence, isr@el has dropped over 70,000 tons of bombs on the strip, exceeding World War 2 bombings in...

Pernahkah anda terfikir: Bagaimana caranya menjadi sahabat sejati Al-Quran? Apa yang bezakan seseorang yang hanya membaca Al-Quran dengan yang benar-benar menghidupkannya dan hidup bersamanya setiap hari? Pada episod kali ini, kita bersama Ustaz Syazani Jemy yang akan berkongsi tentang perjalanan luar biasanya. 1. Mengenali Ustaz Syazani - Ketahui bagaimana beliau memulakan perjalanan sebagai seor...

How has your Iman and Ibadah been post-Ramadan? Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali encapsulated the life and outlook of the high-aspiring believers beautifully in these words: “The entire life of this dunya is a month of fasting for the muttaqeen, and their ‘Eid al-fitr is the day of meeting their Lord. And most of the days of fasting have already passed, and the ‘Eid of meeting is swiftly approaching” (Lataa’i...

For our final episode in our series on Treasures from Quran this Ramadan, join us as we hear brother Syahmi share his reflections from Surah Ad-Duha: How Allah comforts the Prophet ﷺ in his times of sadness, reassuring him that He has not neglected him. Join us at TBE as we finish off these final, most blessed nights of Ramadan, and find assurance and confidence in our hearts through the words of...

An old man once asked the Prophet ﷺ to teach him to recite the Quran. Encountering initial difficulty in reciting, the old man requested the Prophet ﷺ to teach him a comprehensive surah, to which the Prophet ﷺ then taught him surah Al-Zalzalah. What amazing virtues Surah Al-Zalzalah contain; a short yet comprehensive surah. It was reported Abu Bakar r.a cried upon hearing these verses when it was...

Surah Kawthar, a short surah in the Quran, yet it is considered one of the greatest gifts to our Prophet ﷺ. In our 3rd series this year of Treasures from Qur'an, join us on a journey with Aziz, as we discover gems from this short and beautiful surah, such as: •⁠ ⁠The meaning of Surah Kawthar and its connection to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ •⁠ ⁠The description of Al-Kawthar, a river and pool in Par...

Among the amazing miracles of the Quran and the comprehensiveness of Islam is that Allah doesn’t just legislate personal obligations, rituals, Do’s and Dont’s, but also a holistic approach in ethics of behavior: both as an individual, as well as a community. Surah Al-Hujurat is filled with amazing wisdoms on the subjects of social psychology, character building, conflict resolutions, diversity and...

Ahlan ya Ramadan! This year, 2024 / 1445AH, The Barakah Effect team returns with our sessions on tadabbur (reflections of the Qur’an), where we uncover and sharing some key inspirations, practical applications as we discover of some of our favorite surah from the Book of Allah. Kicking off our first session this year, brother Reeza shares some deep insights and practical character lessons from sur...

Ikhlas (Sincerity) is truly an amazing matter of our deen Simple to understand, yet profound in its implications; it is one of the conditions for the acceptance of deeds, and one of the most important keys to seeking Barakah (blessings) from Allah. Yet, none of us will truly know how sincere we truly are, until we meet Allah! As humans, we will always be struggling with our intentions, as we find...

Why are there so many differences of opinions in fiqh and different madhhabs? Which madhhab is the best and most correct? In this review of the book “The Evolution of Fiqh” by Dr Bilal Philips, we take a historical journey from the first generation of Islam to our present day to gain context and an understanding of how the Islamic fiqh of jurisprudence has evolved through the periods of time to wh...

In this episode, we tackle the common challenge of procrastination and share effective strategies to overcome it. Join us as we explore the negative consequences of delaying tasks and how they can lead to missed opportunities. We begin by discussing the definition of procrastination and its psychological impact. Through personal anecdotes and experiences, we open up about our own battles with proc...

Assalamualaikum - hi friends! For this episode, I reviewed one of my favourite books: “Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if your life depended on it.”  Authored by Chris Voss, former FBI hostage negotiator for over 20 years, Chris shares some practical, tried-and-tested negotiation tactics, bringing forth many interesting real-life applications throughout his hostage negotiation experienc...

How is your iman after Ramadan? Do you feel like your righteous deeds have taken a dip (or a tumble) since the arrival of Shawwal? If you’re anything like us, this slump we’re experiencing makes Ramadan might feel like such a distant past: though it’s barely even been a month! Feelings like these are normal. What we SHOULD do is pick ourselves up, reforge our motivation and regain our focus. Join...

Al-Fatihah. We recite this surah a minimum of 17 times a day, every day - even more so if we do additional sunnah prayers, especially throughout this blessed month of Ramadan. Yet, how many of us truly ponder and reflect upon its meanings, let alone internalize them and translate them into action? How many of us truly feel the great honor of repeatedly reciting the greatest surah in the Final Reve...

Sabbihisma rabbikal a'laa - "سَبِّحِ ٱسْمَ رَبِّكَ ٱلْأَعْلَى" - The opening words of a surah we hear being recited every night in Ramadan, on witr prayers at the end of Solat Taraweeh. And even more so, as some imams recite every Friday in Jumaah prayers.  What is the significance of this surah?  What are the key messages behind them, and hence, what are the wisdom behind why the Pr...

Of the amazing miracles of the Quran is that its concise words are filled with depth and can make the heart tremble out of awe and submission. These are parts of the reasons why the Quran is a mercy to the believers, a constant reminder and guidance to a straight path for the ones who reflect and whose hearts are attentive. Come & join us this Sunday 2nd March 2023 on the 11th day of Ramadan 1...

Allah started off by reminding us all about the reality of a human being- that we were once nothing, unknown to the world - so that we are humbled by the greatness of Allah and realize that we are not anything except with the Will and the Power of Allah.  Brothers and sisters, these are the beginning words of Allah in Surah al-Insan. Hence, in the second part of "Treasures from Qur'an&quo...

Ahlan ya Ramadan! The "Treasures from Qur'an" series returns, as the team at The Barakah Effect are hosting a special series of Live episodes dedicated to sharing some reflections (tadabbur) of some of our favorite surah and ayah from the Book of Allah. Come & join us this Sunday 26th March 2023 on the 4th day of Ramadan 1444AH, as together, we ponder and reflect upon the Divine...

A common thing we share with everybody else is that we all are in pursuit of happiness. Some tirelessly chase after money, while others obsess about finding the perfect spouse. Today, we see so many people do unbelievable things all in the name of "happiness". So this begs us to ask: what is the true meaning of happiness? Where can we actually find contentment in this chaotic world we live in? In...

Ever seen this pocket-sized book lying around somewhere? Perhaps you've seen it been given out like free doorgifts at a walimah. You might have seen some iteration of it as a digital application in the Appstore or Google Play. So, what is it? And why is it so popular? This is Hisnul Muslim - translated as "Fortress of the Muslim", compiled by Said Al-Qahtani. This important book captures the recor...

Do you fear public speaking? It affects more of us than you think. In fact, studies show that up to 75% of the population experience this debilitating anxiety. And if you, like us at The Barakah Effect happen to be in that majority, this episode is for you! Can we rise above our fears of public speaking? It might just be that key to unlock our potential for growth; to galvanize, empower and inspir...

Assalamualaikum. Hi friends! It's Faisal here and for this episode, I review "Good to Great" by Jim Collins. It's a title that you've probably heard so many times it's practically become a professional cliché or a corporate meme by now 😂. In this book, which is arguably one of the most influential and often cited business books of our modern times, author Jim Collins and his team produce a work b...

In this episode, we discuss the art of collaboration and working with others. The habits of likeable people; the kind of people you want to work with, who are appreciated when present and missed when they are away. Is it a skill we can learn? Or is it something that we are innately born with? We cover two important aspects: 1. Why should we talk about it, and who is it for? 2. Becoming more likeab...

Assalamualaikum, I’m Abdul Aziz. I'll be the first to review a book for the TBE's new book review segment. I don’t know about you guys, but there was a time in my life “I was wondering why does Allah create us and the universe.” I was too shy to ask the teacher and would always ignore searching for the answer too. I was browsing through a bookstore one day when I came across this thin book titled...