The Barakah Effect

Islam: The gift we take for granted? For this Episode of The Barakah Effect podcast, we invite Adam Voo, a Chinese Malaysian from Sabah who reverted to Islam at the age of 28. An engineer, student of knowledge, teacher of deen, author, and father of four, Adam shares with us: ✅ His journey of discovering Islam coming from his upbringing in a Catholic family; his journey from anger, to curiosity,...

Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? In this episode, we interview the author of The Gift: Young Muslim Entrepreneur, Sajid Hussain. He shares practical lessons on how to build a successful business. Sajid has successfully launched over 12 businesses globally, 25 social charitable projects impacting millions, and provides coaching and consultancy to numerous prominent industry leaders...

Critical thinking. Just a buzz word? Or is it the missing ingredient to unlock a more meaningful and lasting learning outcome particularly in our youth? In this episode, we are joined by Ustadh Abdurrahman Chao, a Houston native who is a graduate from the Islamic University of Madinah and Vanderbilt University, and a passionate educator who is a firm advocate of empowering youth with critical thin...

Why are many from our youth so disconnected from Islam today? What does this have to do with education and critical thinking? In this episode, we are joined by Ustadh Abdul Rahman Chao, a graduate from the Islamic University of Madinah who is a passionate educator and a firm advocate of empowering youth with critical thinking, We derive lessons from his own journey of skepticism towards his surrou...

In this episode, we interview the founder of Dakwah Corner Bookstore, brother Farid Abu Ahmed. We discuss: ✅ Farid's origin story and how that led to the establishment of his businesses ✅ His roots and upbringing in Burma, experiencing first hand, the difficult persecution faced by the Rohingya people, after which he moved to Bangladesh and eventually to Makkah where he started off working odd j...

Is there a purposeful approach to raising kids in this digital age? How do we enable them to flourish in this exciting age of opportunities, while fostering adherence to the deen, building healthy family relationships, and instilling sound core principles that will set them up for success in the dunya and akhirah? In this episode, we are joined by the husband and wife team of Ahmad Fakhri & Jamila...

For this episode, we will be discussing breaking free from bad habits and addictions from the expert himself, Ustaz Wael Ibrahim. He is the founder of the Aware Academy, which is a platform dedicated to helping those who are struggling with pornography addiction. He is the author of several books, including CHANGE: A Motivational System for Breaking Free from Unwanted Habits, Especially Pornograph...

For this episode, we have a conversation with Ustadz Shareef El-Arbi to share some insights on the Barakah of Striving for Excellence - or ihsan - in Career and Deen, especially in seeking knowledge and da’wah. Ustadz Shareef El-Arbi is of Libyan-American descent and has lived most of his life in the United States of America. He has a Bachelor in Business Administration from the US and an MBA from...

For our fifth and final session of our Ramadan-themed series on Treasures from Qur'an, brother Faisal will be sharing some of his selected gems from the 66th Surah: At-Tahrim (i.e. the Prohibition). Surah At-Tahrim contains many unique lessons centering the themes of family, especially about responsibility and interactions, and how they ultimately relate to OUR individual responsibility and intera...

For this fourth session of our Ramadan-themed series on Treasures from Qur'an, brother Abdul Aziz will be sharing some of his selected gems from the 12th Surah: Yusuf Why did Allah mention this surah is the best of all stories? How can we relate the lessons from the story of Yusuf to our life? What was it about Prophet Yusuf alaihissalam that surprised our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ? Come, let's join us t...

For this third session of our Ramadan-themed series on Treasures from Qur'an, brother Syahmi will be sharing some of his selected gems from the 8th Surah: Al-Anfal. Why were there a thousand angels fighting alongside the Muslims during the battle of Badr? What was Allah response when the companions were busy with the distribution of wealth? What lessons can we derive from that? What are some of th...

This is the second session in our Ramadan special "Treasures from Qur'an", where brother Reeza is going to share with us some gems and valuable lessons from Surah Al-Mutaffifeen, the 83rd surah from the Qur'an. Who are the Mutaffifeen? Who are the Abrar and the Fujjar - and what awaits them in the akhirah? Join us as we reflect on Surah Al-Mutaffifeen, a Surah where Allah sends a strong reminder t...

Ahlan ya Ramadan! For this year in Ramadan (2022 / 1443H), the team at The Barakah Effect are hosting a special series of Live episodes dedicated to sharing some reflections (tadabbur), extracting some important life lessons and practical wisdoms from our personal favorite surah of the Qur'an.  For the first in the series, brother Amir shares his selected gems from the 92nd surah: Al-Layl

Have you ever felt the quality of your Ramadan could be better? The reality for many of us is, we are bogged down with a multitude of distractions that take us away from experiencing the true sweetness of fasting and other acts of ibadah in the blessed month of Ramadan. But what if it is said, despite our many responsibilities there are ways to improve the quality of our Ramadan? In this episode,...

We have all felt this in our lives. Sometimes, our iman takes a dip. We might feel weak and demotivated from worshipping Allah. We feel helpless, vulnerable, lost, and wrestle with thoughts of losing hope altogether. Are these feelings normal? Should we feel guilty about having these thoughts? What should we do if we feel this way? How did the righteous people of the past handle these feelings? Jo...

The Prophet ﷺ said, "The most beloved deeds to Allah are those done consistently, even if they were little." (Narrated by Al-Bukhari) One of the keys to achieving success in any areas of life is consistency. And the same holds true for our righteous deeds as Muslims: consistency is the key to barakah. Major achievements from the examples of our righteous predecessors, the companions, even the Prop...

Stay tuned... Season 2 of the Barakah Effect podcast is coming up. إن شاء الله!

“Jom sembang politik!” Apakah perasaan anda ketika mendengar penyataan ini? Tak sabar nak kongsi pendapat?  Tak sabar nak dengar pendapat? Adakah tidak sembang tentang politik menunjukkan kita tidak peduli hak-hak kita ataupun masa depan anak-anak kita? Politik tidak dapat dipisahkan daripada kehidupan. Kerana apa yang berlaku dalam dunia politik akan beri impak dalam hidup kita. Namun tahuka...

We all have life experiences that we aren't proud of. Failures, mistakes, a dark sinful past, perhaps even traumatic life experiences which have profound long term impacts in our lives and they can be very difficult. Because of these “negative experiences”, sometimes we live a life paralyzed by fear, we stick in our comfort zones, afraid to take action or refuse to reach out, or live a bitter and...

“And cooperate with one another in righteousness and piety" This profound and often quoted ayah from Surah Al Ma'idah is one of the key essence of Al Islam: to work together for the sake of Allah, towards the achieving the pleasure of Allah As we explored in the previous episode, it does not necessarily mean that we have to be an Ustadh to be able to participate in giving da’wah. Everyone has some...

"Convey from me, even with a single ayah” (Muslim) These words are one of the inheritance that Rasulullah ﷺ left for his Ummah, and we are fully aware that da’wah is one of the greatest deeds that one can invest in for the akhirah,  But, I’m not an Ustaz, how can I give da’wah? Is there a way for us, common muslims to also gain the rewards that Allah had promised for the one who conveys His r...

Does it matter who gets the credit? It's often a thought that plague us in our day to day matters, especially in the setting of the professional working environment. On one hand, we might say, "we should uphold the quality of sincerity, don't be so calculative about our contributions, just be grateful and patient on whatever the outcome is”. This is an exemplary attitude, but how can we address th...

Is the COVID-19 pandemic is planned by the “hidden hand”? or a cover-up by the Government? Before the real big event occurs? Are the bad things that happen in this world is a plot by evil people? What about 5G? Can it control our minds and body? Are these facts or just conjectures? In this week's episode of #TheBarakahEffect podcast, we discuss the topic of Conspiracy Theories: Debunk, Embrace or...

The great companion Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud رضي الله عنه once said: "Train yourselves upon goodness, for indeed goodness is found in that which is habitual" When we reflect upon these words, we find that it is precise and transcends any time period, as it is the nature of human beings to have habits and routines. But how can we effectively apply this statement practically in our lives today? In this e...

If you feel that implementing the Sunnah is difficult, this episode is for you. One of the evident proofs that we sincerely love our beloved Prophet ﷺ is that we follow his teachings and his guidance in all aspects of our lives. And by following the Prophet ﷺ is a sign of our love for Allah. As mentioned in the Quran, Surah Ali 'Imran, 31, Allah said: "Say (O Prophet): “If you really love Allah, t...