When Blessing is Not a Thing: Niʿmah and the Return to the Blueprint

Word Journeys: Niʿmah | نِعْمَة Usual Translation: Blessing Literal Layers: Softness, ease, clarity, living well-being Key Verse: " Wa mā bikum min niʿmatin fa-min Allāh " — "And whatever niʿmah is in you, it is from Allah." (Qur’an 16:53) Rethinking Blessing: Not What You Have, But What You Are Becoming The word niʿmah is frequently translated as "blessing," and so we grow up imagining blessings as gifts: a home, health, income, loved ones. Tangible, countable things. But the Qur'an, in its intricate, soul-oriented language, gives us something deeper. In 16:53, Allah says: وَمَا بِكُم مِّن نِّعْمَةٍ فَمِنَ ٱللَّهِ Wa mā bikum min niʿmatin fa-min Allāh "Whatever niʿmah is in you , it is from Allah." Notice the phrasing: bikum — in you , not ʿindakum — with you or lakum — for you . This verse is not about what we possess. It’s about what lives inside us. Niʿmah as a State of Being Linguistically, niʿmah shares roots with words...