The Lived Experience of Barakah in Business: A Study of Muslim Entrepreneurs in Pesantren Communities

Abstract

Islamic business ethics has gained increasing attention as scholars seek to understand how spiritual values influence economic behavior. Within this context, the concept of barakah, commonly translated as “blessing,” remains underexplored as a lived and experiential reality among Muslim entrepreneurs in pesantren communities. While previous studies have focused on legal compliance and financial outcomes, little is known about how barakah is subjectively understood and manifested in daily business practices. This study investigates how pesantren-based entrepreneurs perceive and embody the meaning of barakah in their entrepreneurial lives. Using a descriptive phenomenological approach, this study reveals that barakah functions as a multidimensional compass that shapes moral decisions, spiritual fulfillment, and communal well-being. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten Muslim entrepreneurs affiliated with pesantren institutions in East Java, Indonesia. Data were analyzed thematically using NVivo software, following eidetic reduction and thematic clustering to extract the essential structures of experience. Four interrelated themes emerged: spiritual anchoring, ethical deliberation, communal responsibility, and transcendent purpose. These findings suggest that barakah is not merely a theological abstraction but a deeply internalized moral framework that guides business conduct beyond material success. The results contribute to a richer understanding of value-driven entrepreneurship in Islamic contexts, and offer a foundation for future research on the spiritual dimensions of economic life, Islamic ethics, and qualitative methods.