What is meant by the supplication in the witr prayer, "And bless for us in what You have given," and the meaning of blessing in wealth, children, and knowledge.
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The Shaykh :Sahih Ibn Hibban 7:117, and what is the meaning of blessing?
Blessing, yes. The scholars say that it is abundant, lasting good. They trace this to the derivation of the word, for it comes from al-barakah, which is a gathering of water. The barakah, which is a gathering of water, is something vast, with much, stable water. So blessing is abundant, lasting good.
From what?
From wealth, from children, from knowledge, from what?
The students: From everything.
The Shaykh : From everything. Whatever Allah the Mighty and Majestic has given, you ask Allah for blessing in it, because if Allah does not bless you in what He has given you, you are deprived of much good.
How many people have much wealth, but they are counted among the poor? Why?
Because they do not benefit from their wealth. You find that they have uncountable amounts of wealth, but they are stingy with their family in spending, and with themselves, and they do not benefit from their wealth.
And it is the norm that one who is in this state and is stingy with what is obligatory upon him, Allah will unleash calamities upon his wealth that will take it away. Many people have children, but their children have not benefited them. They have undutifulness and arrogance toward the father, to the extent that the son sits with his friend for long hours, talking to him, feeling at ease with him, and confiding his secrets to him. But when he sits with his father, he is like a bird caged in a cage—may Allah protect us from that—he does not feel at ease with his father, does not talk to him, does not confide anything of his secrets to him, and finds even seeing his father burdensome. Are these people blessed in their children?
No.
Blessed. Blessing is also in knowledge.
You find that some people have been given much knowledge by Allah, but they are in the position of an unlettered person. The effect of knowledge does not appear in their worship, nor in their morals, nor in their behavior, nor in their dealings with people. Rather, knowledge may bring them arrogance over the servants of Allah, haughtiness toward them, and contempt for them. And this person does not know that the One who bestowed knowledge upon him is Allah, and that if Allah had willed, he would have been like these ignorant people. Is that not so?
Fine, you find that he has been given knowledge by Allah, but people do not benefit from his knowledge, not through teaching, not through guidance, not through writing. Rather, it is confined to himself. Allah has not blessed him in his knowledge, and this is undoubtedly a great deprivation.
And bless for us in what You have given
وبارك لنا فيما أعطيتBlessing, yes. The scholars say that it is abundant, lasting good. They trace this to the derivation of the word, for it comes from al-barakah, which is a gathering of water. The barakah, which is a gathering of water, is something vast, with much, stable water. So blessing is abundant, lasting good.
in what You have given
فيما أعطيتFrom wealth, from children, from knowledge, from what?
The students: From everything.
The Shaykh : From everything. Whatever Allah the Mighty and Majestic has given, you ask Allah for blessing in it, because if Allah does not bless you in what He has given you, you are deprived of much good.
How many people have much wealth, but they are counted among the poor? Why?
Because they do not benefit from their wealth. You find that they have uncountable amounts of wealth, but they are stingy with their family in spending, and with themselves, and they do not benefit from their wealth.
And it is the norm that one who is in this state and is stingy with what is obligatory upon him, Allah will unleash calamities upon his wealth that will take it away. Many people have children, but their children have not benefited them. They have undutifulness and arrogance toward the father, to the extent that the son sits with his friend for long hours, talking to him, feeling at ease with him, and confiding his secrets to him. But when he sits with his father, he is like a bird caged in a cage—may Allah protect us from that—he does not feel at ease with his father, does not talk to him, does not confide anything of his secrets to him, and finds even seeing his father burdensome. Are these people blessed in their children?
No.
Blessed. Blessing is also in knowledge.
You find that some people have been given much knowledge by Allah, but they are in the position of an unlettered person. The effect of knowledge does not appear in their worship, nor in their morals, nor in their behavior, nor in their dealings with people. Rather, knowledge may bring them arrogance over the servants of Allah, haughtiness toward them, and contempt for them. And this person does not know that the One who bestowed knowledge upon him is Allah, and that if Allah had willed, he would have been like these ignorant people. Is that not so?
Fine, you find that he has been given knowledge by Allah, but people do not benefit from his knowledge, not through teaching, not through guidance, not through writing. Rather, it is confined to himself. Allah has not blessed him in his knowledge, and this is undoubtedly a great deprivation.