Hadith 17: The Concept of ‘Ihsan
By Imam Nawawi
In the name of Allāh, the Most
Gracious, the Most Merciful;
All the praise and
Thanks is due to Allāh, the Lord of al-‘ālameen. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and that
Muhammad, Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam, is His Servant and Messenger
Abu Ya'la
Shaddad ibn Aus,(radiyallāhu’anhu),reported
that the Messenger of Allāh, (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam), said:
“Verily, Allāh has enjoined
excellence (‘ihsān) with regard to everything. So, when you kill,
kill in a good way; when you slaughter, slaughter in a good way; so every one
of you should sharpen his knife, and let the slaughtered animal die
comfortably.”
[Muslim]
Background
Al-‘Ihsān is a
comprehensive concept; it denotes doing things in the four components:
1. Sincerity:
Ikhlās;
2. Complete;
3. Elegant:
doing things in a graceful, nice manner; and
4. Correct:
doing things in the right way.
This concept is
translated by commentators and interpreters as Excellence. The term ‘Ihsan in itself is a
comprehensive concept, and could be translated word for word into English as
there is no equivalent word that gives its exact meaning. Therefore, it is
better to use it as it is.
Allah commands the Muslim to practice and apply
“Al-‘Ihsan” in all actions that they perform; hence it is an obligation (wajib).
Allāh the Almighty
says: “Verily, Allāh enjoins
Justice, and ‘Ihsan and giving help to kith and kin...” [Surah
Al-Nahl, 16:90]
Allah mentioned that the Concept of ‘Ihsan as main
purposes of the human creation.
Allāh says: “The One Who created death and life so that
He may test you which of you is best of conduct and He is All-Mighty as well as
All-Forgiving.” [Al-Mulk, 67: 2]
Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi (rahimahullāh) in his commentary of the verse says:
The phrase “One Who
created death and life so that He may test you which of you is best of conduct”
means: Firstly, that the Creator alone will decide who has done good or evil; Secondly,
it is not for us to propose a criterion for the good and the evil deeds but for
Almighty Allah; Thirdly, therefore, whoever desires to get through the test;Fourthly,
will have to find out what is the criterion of a good deed in His sight; and Fifthly,
is contained in the meaning of the test itself, that is, every person will be
recompensed according to his deeds, for if there was no reward or punishment
the test would be meaningless.
And the phrase “He is
All-Mighty as well as All-Forgiving” means it has two meanings and
both are implied here:
Firstly, that He is Almighty: in spite of being dominant over all His creatures, He is Merciful and Forgiving for them, not tyrannous and cruel; and Secondly, that He has full power to punish the evildoers: no one can escape His punishment; but He is forgiving for him who feels penitent, refrains from evil and asks for His forgiveness.
Firstly, that He is Almighty: in spite of being dominant over all His creatures, He is Merciful and Forgiving for them, not tyrannous and cruel; and Secondly, that He has full power to punish the evildoers: no one can escape His punishment; but He is forgiving for him who feels penitent, refrains from evil and asks for His forgiveness.
[Tafhim al-Qur'ān]
Lessons
The hadith contains
a principle and provides an example of applying that principle. This is a
Prophetic method, as mentioned previously, to enable Muslims to apply the same
principle to other similar situations. It can also be said that providing the
example is a way of explaining the principle so it is easily understood. Most
of the forty hadiths collected by Imam Nawawi (rahimahullāh) are of this
nature. It was also previously mentioned that Muslims have a tendency of taking
the example and forgetting about the principle. This may explain why Muslims
are reminded of this hadith only once a year, during Eid ul-Adha.
The concept of “‘Ihsan” means that a Muslim is a responsible person and
a person of quality where he does things in a very good manner, in a complete
sense, in a nice and tasteful way and is never satisfied with anything other
than a quality job in all that he or she does, motivated by realizing that Allāh prescribed ‘Ihsan to
everything and to all deeds.
The
term “‘amalan” in its selected form, as mentioned in Surah
Al-Mulk ayat 2, it implies to any kind of deeds. It is not just the religious
deeds (‘ibadah), but it also that we do must be lawful. It should be
done according to the concept of 'Ihsan and we should exert our efforts to live
up according to its implications. The way we look and dress, the way we eat,
the way we sleep, our work, our profession, our da’wah, teaching and
learning, our relationship with our family, relatives, neighbours, and with
others in general – ‘Ihsan should be observed and
applied in all these actions. These actions and good deeds can be considered
as ‘Ibadah thereof.
The superlative
form of the verb used in the same verse: “ahsan” implies that
all good deeds and actions that we do should be done in a competitive way.
However, competition in Islam is not for achieving personal interest but rather
for seeking the pleasure of Allāh.
The hadith mentions
one way of dealing nicely or being merciful with animals and that is in the
case of slaughtering. In another hadith the Prophet, (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam), said: “Whoever shows mercy even when slaughtering a bird,
Allāh will have mercy on him on the Day of Judgement.” [Recorded by
Al-Bukhari]
In another hadith,
the Prophet, (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam), related this story: “While a man was
traveling, he felt very thirsty. He found a well and went down to have a drink.
When he came out he found a thirsty dog. He said to himself, "This dog is
as thirsty as I was." He then went back inside the well and used his shoe
to bring out some water for the dog. Allāh was pleased
with him and forgave his sins because of he had done.” [Recorded by
Al-Bukhari]
In other hadiths
the Prophet, (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam), warns us not to frighten
animals. While he was with his companions he found a bird making a grieving
sound. The Prophet, (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), immediately said: “Who has
frightened this bird by taking its offspring?” Then he commanded: “Return back
her offspring.”
In another hadith the Prophet, (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam), warned Muslims not to harm animals. Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) : “A lady was put
into the hellfire because of a cat. She tied up the cat and did not give her
anything to eat nor did she allow it to look for food.”
One more ruling
concerning dealing nicely with animals is not to abuse the animals we use for
achieving certain work (i.e. carrying things) and not to overburden them. In
one hadith (which shows a prophetic miracle), the Prophet, (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam), was passing by a farm in Medinah when he came across a camel. The
camel approached the Prophet, (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam), as if it was telling him something. The Prophet, (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam), asked about the owner of the camel and called upon him and told him, “Your camel is
complaining that you overburden him with work, and gives him too little to
eat.” [Narrated by Abu Dawud, Al-Hākim, Imam Ahmad,
and others and it is an authentic hadith]
Shaykh Abdullah
bin Jibrin, a contemporary scholar, is in the view that animals should not be
used as a testing instrument in the lab (like what is being done in the West)
based on a basic ruling derived from this Hadith 17, where it is prohibited to
harm an animal. The testing is only allowed if it can be ensured that the
animal will not be harmed. All this shows that Islam is the religion of ‘Ihsan
and mercy, which is totally contrary to the image of Islam being promoted in
the West. Not only that, but this evidently proves that the West are the ones
who abuse and harm animals.
Even in Jihad (fighting
enemies), Muslims are to apply ‘Ihsan. We are not
allowed to kill the elders, children, women, and those who are not fighting.
When killing the aggressive enemy who deserves to be killed, ‘Ihsan has to be applied and
observed. We have to make sure not to cause any harm or suffering to anyone we
kill. The captives have to be treated with ‘Ihsan as well. It is Islam who introduced a new way of
dealing with captives. We are to free them on the basis of them teaching some
Muslims something beneficial.
Weapons that cause
mass destruction have been initiated, introduced and used by the West. Using
them contradicts with the concept of ‘Ihsan. But, how about when the enemies of
Islam use them against us? Some cotemporary scholars say that Muslims are
allowed to use them only in response and as a counter act.
Conclusion
By living in according
to the concept of ‘Ihsan and applying it to
all that a Muslim does, he or she will be rewarded and showered with mercy
and forgiveness from Allāh Almighty. Furthermore, by doing that, a Muslim will
ensure that he or she will pass the test and be amongst those of the best
conduct.
May Allāh Almighty us all
Guidance to the Right Path. The Guidance enables a person to be on the Path, accept and be grateful for the blessings that Allāh bestows every
second of every day. Humankind has the great need for Allāh, while,
acknowledging that Allāh has no need for us. He is All Powerful, All
Mighty.
The pious and
righteous will be rewarded with Jannah whilst the wicked, disbelievers, sinners
and evildoers would be in the blazing Hell Fire.
Allāh Almighty says: "Verily,
the Abrar (pious and righteous) will be in Delight (Jannah).And verily; the
Fujjar (the wicked, disbelievers, sinners and evildoers) will be in the blazing
Fire (Hell)." [Al-Infitar, 82:13, 14]
The believers
must constantly supplicate to Allāh Almighty for his guidance to the straight path,
righteous in our deeds and steadfast in Ad-Deen. The Prophet,
(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) taught the ummmah to seek Allāh’s forgiveness,
guidance, steadfast and hasanah.
‘Abdullah Ibn
‘Umar (radiyallāhu’anhu) said: We
counted Messenger's saying a hundred times during one single sitting: ‘Rabb ighfir li
wa tubb ‘alayya innaka antat-tawwābul ghafūrur -raheem’ (O Allāh, forgive me and
accept my repentance, for You are the Accepter of Repentance, Oft-Forgiving
Most Merciful). [Recorded by Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidzi].
Muslim Ibn Al-Harith reported that his father said, “The Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said to me, ‘When you performed Solāh Fajar, before you talk to anyone say, ‘Allāhumma ajirni minannar (O Allāh, I seek your protection from the Hell-fire)” seven times. If you should die on that day, Allāh will record for you protection from the Hell-fire. When you performed the Solāh Maghrib, say before you speak to anyone, “Allāhumma inni as ‘aluka al-jannah, Allāhumma ajirni minannar (O Allāh, I ask Paradise of You. O Allāh, I seek Your protection from the Hell-fire)” seven times. If you die during that night, Allāh will record for you protection from the Hell-fire.” [Recorded by Ahmad and Abu Dawud]
Commentary: This Du’ā, seeking for
Jannah and protection from An-Narr is
a Sunnah of Rasūlullāh
(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and it is highly
recommended to recite it not only after Solāh but in all situations.
In a narration of Abu Hurayrah (radiyallāhu’anhu),
who reported that the Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wa sallam) said: "If a
believer had full knowledge
of the chastisement of Allāh, none (but)
would covet His Jannah; and were an infidel to know the Mercy Allāh has, none would
despair of His Jannah". [Muslim] Commentary: The phrase “full knowledge of the chastisement, none would covet
His Jannah” means if a believer has complete understanding of the
level of Allah’s unhappiness towards their wrong-doing, they could not bring
themselves to even hope or desire to be allowed into Jannah. The phrase “and were an infidel to know the Mercy Allah has, none
would despair of His Jannah” means if an unbeliever has any idea of the
deepness of Allah’s generosity for forgiveness and or compassion, they will
never lose hope of being able to enter Jannah.
Commentary: Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wa sallam) indicates the torment from Divine wrath is very severe if
one had the knowledge of it. These are described to enable a sinner to save
himself from it and only desire the Jannah. It is only those who are obedient;
piety, Muttaqun and submitting to Him, faithfully and accordingly to Allah will
receive His Grace and Mercy,
while the disobedient will suffer the consequences of His Wrath. The Allāh’s
Mercy is immeasurable.
Anas bin Mālik (radiyallāhu’anhu) reported
that Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa
sallam) said: “Whoever asks Allāh for Paradise, “Allāhumma inni as
alukal-Jannah”, (O Allāh, I ask You for
Paradise) - three times, Paradise will say, ‘O Allāh, admit him to
Paradise. ‘Whoever seeks protection from the Fire, “Allāhumma ajirni
minan-nār” (O Allāh, protect me
from the Fire) three times, Hell will say, ‘O Allāh, protect him from
the Fire.’” [Recorded by At-Tirmidzi, 2572; Ibn Mājah, 4340. This is
a sahih hadith].
Abu Sāleh related
from one of the companions that the Allāh’s Messenger
(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) inquired a man, “What do
you say in your Solāt?” He said, “I say the Tashahhud and
then I say, “Allāhumma inni
asaluka al-Jannah wa a’udzu bika minan-nār (O Allāh! I ask of you
Paradise and seek refuge in You from Hell-fire).” But I cannot murmur
as good as you or Mu’adz (as eloquent as you are).” The Allāh’s Messenger
(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) said, ‘We ask concerning
Paradise and the Hell-fire.’” [Related by Ahmad and Abu Dawud]
‘Abdullah bin
Mas’ud (radiyallāhu‘anhu) reported that the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) used to say: "Allāhumma inni as
‘alukal-huda wat-tuqa wal-‘afafa wal-ghina (O Allāh! I ask You for
guidance, piety, chastity and self-sufficiency)". [Recorded by Muslim].
Commentary: Guidance here
means guidance at every turn of life and steadfastness on the path of truth.
Fear of Allāh is the greatest means of piety and strongest defense
against sins. Chastity is the state of being free from what is unlawful.
Self-sufficiency is the antonym of poverty and here it means the
self-contentment. What it implies is that one should not care for what people
possess. In view of all these qualities, the do’a of the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) mentioned in this Hadith is very comprehensive and valuable.
In Surah Al-Kahfi, Allāh mentioned that when they were tested (prosecuted), the "Sleepers of the Cave",they made this du'a To Allāh: “Rabbana ātina mil ladunka
Rahmatañ wahaiyi’ lana amrīna rasyada (Our Lord!
Bestow on us Mercy from yourself, and facilitate for us our affair in the Right
Way!)” [Al-Kahfi, 18:10]
‘Abdullāh Ibn Mas’ud (radiyallāhu’anhu) reported: One
of the supplications of the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) was:"Allāhumma inni as ‘aluka
mujibati rahmatik, wa ‘aza ‘ima maghfiratika, was-salāmata min kulli ithmin,
wal-ghanimata min kulli birrin, wal-fawza bil-jannati, wannajata mina-nar (O Allāh! I beg You for that
which incites Your Mercy and the means of Your forgiveness, safety from every
sin, the benefit from every good deed, success in attaining Jannah and
deliverance from Fire)."[Al-Hakim].
Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir recorded that Umm Salamah (radiyallāhu’anha), said that the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) used to supplicate: ‘Ya muqallibal-qulubi, thabbit qalbi ‘ala deenik (O Controller of the hearts make my heart steadfast in Your religion).”Rasulullah (Sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) then recited: Rabbana la tuzia’qulubana ba’ daiz hadaitana wahab Lana min laduñ karahmah; Iñnaka an tal wahhāb. (Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after Thou have guided us, and grant us mercy from Thou. Truly, Thou are the Bestower.) (Ali-'Imran, 3:8) [This is recorded by Muslim and At-Tirmidzi]
Anas Ibn Mālik (radiyallāhu’anhu)
who said: “The supplication most often recited by Rasūlullāh
(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam): Rabbana-ātina-fid-dunya hasānah, Wa fil-ākhirati-hasānah, Wa-qina-‘ādzabānnār-nār (O
Lord! Bestow upon us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that
which is good, and save us from the punishment of the Fire).’” (Al-Baqārah
2:201) [This is recorded by Al-Bukhāri,
Muslim, and Tarmidzi]. At-Tarmidzi (rahimullāh)
said: “Hasānah is very comprehensive and includes in all kinds of good and benefits of
this world and of the Hereafter. Good health, wealth and satisfaction of the
world and good status in Jannah, forgiveness from sins and Allāh’s bounties and favours in
both worlds are included in this du’ā’” [Recorded in Jāmi’
At-Tarmidzi]
Abu Mūsa Al-Ash’ari (radiyallāhu‘anhu) reported: The Messenger of
Allāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa
sallam) said to me, “Shall I not guide you to a treasure from the treasures of
Jannah?'' I said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allāh!'' Thereupon
he (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: (Recite) ‘Lā hawla wa lā quwwata illa
billāhil [‘aly-yul ‘Azeem]’ (There is neither
change of any condition nor power except by Allāh [the Most High,
the Most Magnificent]).'' [This is recorded by Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
And Allāh Almighty Knows
best.
[Excerpted from a commentary on Hadith 17: "The
Concept of ‘Ihsan”, 40 Hadiths Of Imam Nawawi, By Dr. Jamal Ahmed
Badi, via IC Truth]
Please See:
1.Strengthening
the Levels of Worship; 2. Ihsan
Addendum:
2. Our journey in seeking goodness will not only make us better people, better Muslims, but will guide us to heaven
Addendum:
1.Ihsan: Nothing Heavier
in the Scales
By Sa’adiah Humayun
In
the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;
All
the praise and Thanks is due to Allāh, the Lord of al-‘ālameen. I testify that
there is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muhammad, Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wa sallam is His Servant and Messenger.
With people, ihsan (excellence) is a
display of good manners (akhlaq). What might excellence be with Allāh? He,
above all, is most deserving of this attitude.
A couple of days back I was talking to a friend about
a certain particular colleague of ours who can be very persistent at times, and
very annoyingly so that I've found myself on the brink of exploding sarcasm a
fair few times while dealing with her.
Nothing too strong, I assure you.
Commenting on my own behavior, I said to this friend
of mine, “At least you have a
patience range. Mine finishes where it starts.”
Now coming back to the day at present, while I was searching for references
on ihsan and good character, the first hadith that I
came across was:
It was narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wa sallam) said to Al-Ashaj ibn
'Abd Qays (radiyallāhu’anhu): “You have two qualities that Allāh and His
Messenger love.” Al-Ashaj
(radiyallāhu’anhu) became overjoyed and said: “What are the two qualities, O Messenger of Allāh?” The Prophet
(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Forbearance
and patience.” (Recorded by Muslim)
Imagine my euphoria!
Sarcasm aside, I was afraid that when I will get down
to writing this piece, I will find a fair few traits I need to improve upon
myself.
It is enough for anyone to exercise patience knowing that it is highly appreciated by the Almighty
Allāh, and yet we tend to lose control in the heat of the moment as all sense and
reason fly by, and we are left satiating our own egos.
Sad, right?
Excellence with Others
As long as you are minding your own business, giving other people their due
rights and making sure you wrong nobody, it's perfectly fine. You are in the
clear. But when you strive to add beauty to the relationships or add an extra
effort to make someone's day, that is ihsan (excellence). That is empathy.
To put it short, it is about putting
yourself in another person's place and feeling what he is going through, and
reacting accordingly.Then it gets relatively easier to keep your temper in check, forgive, sympathize and connect with that person
on a higher level.
But why, you would ask, would anyone
bother to go to such lengths to understand people?
Why should we even care to analyze human
psyche, gauge people's emotions, then painstakingly exhibit
a range of good manners that the situation requires (and the
person might not even deserve)?
It can be tiresome, pussyfooting around
people's sensitivities.
Here is why:
Prophet Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa
sallam) was asked about piety (taqwa), and Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) replied: “Piety is to show good manners.” (Muslim)
Amazing, right?
You can be in a state of worship even through your interpersonal skills. And believe me it's easy. Being nice is easy. Really! What's difficult
though is to keep hold of your patience when dealing with extremely aggravating
individuals who never fail to get on your nerves. And even when you do manage to interact with them with strained patience, you sometimes express your utter
annoyance to another person to get it out of your system.Well, that just killed
your ihsan. And all of us do this
all the time unintentionally. No surprises there. But this is a fine point we
need to get a grip on.
And what's even more difficult is to
practice this control within our own families. Theirs is the real
testimony we should be striving to attain. Enough said. We all know our score
there.
Allāh Says: “Those who spend (in the way of Allāh) in prosperity and in
adversity, who repress their anger and who forgive people; and Allāh loves
those who are virtuous.” (Ali-‘Imran, 3: 134)
These were all the big chunks from good
manners. But the list doesn't end here.
‘Abdullāh ibn Mas’ūd (radiyallāhu’anhu)
quotes the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) as saying:"Should there be three of you, then
let not two of them be in conversation to the exclusion of the third, because
this will hurt him." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Small Things Matter
For example you find yourself in a class
where there are just a few people you are familiar with. You take your seat
next to a group of people you think you will get along with. Some didn't even
acknowledge your presence and continued to talk among themselves. Others just
glanced your way and listened on. But one of them broke away to greet you and
even tried a jab at a small conversation. Who would you respect the most from
them? No guesses there. The last person just won you over.
Keeping someone company, even though he
might not be a very good friend of yours but you decide to spend time with him
until his work is done, is great and very magnanimous of you. Teaching rocket
science to a fellow student lagging behind and even lending a sympathetic ear
to a person narrating his ordeals qualifies you as a good person.
But in all this glory, do remember that
your intentions should be purely to seek Allāh's approval here. Or it is all
wasted if you tire yourself in serving others and expect them to return the
goodness in the same magnitude, or you just helped because you wanted to leave
a nice impression on so-and-so. It will leave one anyway- but that's all you're
getting then. For if you pass the intentions stage, then, the Prophet Muhammad
(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:
"There is nothing heavier in the scales than good manners." (Abu Dawud)
Excellence with Allāh Almighty
So, with people, ihsan (excellence) is a display of good manners (akhlaq). What might excellence
be with Allāh? He, above all, is most deserving of this attitude. When the
Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was asked about this, he replied:
“You fear Allāh as if you are seeing Him, because if you cannot see Him, He
is watching you.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Solāh every solāh like it is your last. Just like you gave people your
undivided attention while you were with them, lose yourself in Allāh while you
stand before Him.
And in all this awesomeness, pray your second standing is easier where you
will have to settle the score with your people and your Lord.
And Allāh Almighty knows best.
[Excerpted from “Ihsan: Nothing Heavier in the
Scales” by Sa’adiah Humayun, Via On Islam, Sunday, 12 August 2012; Saadia Humayun is currently enrolled in
a biomedical engineering program and also a diploma holder in
Qur’ānic studies. She is interested to write Islamic articles. She is
writing about her latest infatuations and blogs at http://callofthedusk.wordpress.com ]
2.Reaching the Level of Ihsan.
By Idris Tawfiq
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious,
the Most Merciful;
All the praise and Thanks is due to Allāh,
the Lord of al-‘ālameen. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except
Allāh, and that Muhammad, Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam is His Messenger.
1.When we have reached the level of
“Ihsan” as Muslims, we have reached the level Allāh wants us to be
As adults, we lose much of the simplicity we once knew as children.Islam is
very simple; but as adults we make it seem so very complicated. The message of
Islam has existed since the beginning of time, and its message is for all
people. The message of Islam can be summed up as follows: There is one Allāh;
and that Allāh speaks to His Creation. All the rest is amplifying that
message.
Such a simple message speaks to the hearts of all. Imagine those miners in
Chile who were trapped underground for many weeks. Whether they were religious
men or not, they would each one of them have prayed to be saved. Whether or not
people accept the fact that Allāh exists, troubles and tragedies often
mean He is the first one they should turn to.
In a simple way, Islam answers that need of men and women. Without popes or
priests interceding on their behalf, Islam teaches that we can all bow down to
our Creator and speak to Him directly. As Muslims, we should never forget this
simplicity of Islam.
It is when we do forget it in talking to others, that we can make it sound
like any other organized religion. And modern men and women are not too fond of
organized religion. There comes a point, though, when we need to deepen our
faith. Those new to Islam want to grow in their faith. They want to become
better and better all the time.
It is relatively easy to declare the words of “Shahadah” (Testimony of faith:
that there is no Allāh but Allāh, and that Muhammad is His Messenger), but it takes the rest
of one's life to live up to those words. If we don't progress from that first
day when we accepted Islam, then we have not made much progress in becoming
better Muslims, have we? This deepening comes both in terms of knowledge and in
the way we behave.
Think about our studying French. If our knowledge of French stayed at the
same level as it was when we were seven years old, then we would have a
childish knowledge of French. It is the same with Islam. If our knowledge of
Islam stays the same as the very first day we learned about it, then our
knowledge hasn't deepened at all. If, as adults, we relate to others in the
same way as a child of seven, our understanding of behavior and relationships
hasn't grown.
To become better Muslims, then, we need to make progress. This applies
either to those who accepted Islam when they were seventy years old or to those
who were born Muslims. New Muslims can often feel overwhelmed with all the
details they have to learn about Islam. The danger here is that all these
details can turn into facts to be learned, rather than ways of helping us to
become better.
It isn't always helpful to use Arabic words in
explaining things to those who have newly embraced Islam, but there is one
Arabic word which is very important here, which we need to understand. This
word is “Ihsan”. From the beginning of time He planned that we would be
Muslim, the person He wanted us to be. And when we are laid in the grave we
will finally have become that person. So, how do we grow as Muslims? How do we
become better? How can we possibly ever be like Prophet Muhammad (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wa sallam)?
In a Hadith from Abu Ya'la Shaddad ibn Aus, (radiyallāhu’anhu), who reported
that the Messenger of Allāh, (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), said:
“Verily, Allāh has enjoined
excellence (‘ihsān) with regard to everything. So, when you kill,
kill in a good way; when you slaughter, slaughter in a good way; so every one
of you should sharpen his knife, and let the slaughtered animal die
comfortably.”
[Recorded by Muslim]
Al-‘Ihsān is a comprehensive concept; it denotes doing things in the four
components:
1. Sincerity: Ikhlās;
2. Complete: having all the necessary ;
3. Elegant: doing
things in a graceful, nice manner; and
4. Correct: doing
things in the right way.
This concept is translated by commentators and
interpreters as Excellence. The term ‘Ihsan in itself is a comprehensive concept, and
could be translated word for word into English as there is no equivalent word
that gives its exact meaning. Therefore, it is better to use it as it is.
Allah commands the Muslim to practice and apply “Al-‘Ihsan”
in all actions that they perform; hence it is an obligation (wajib).
Allāh the Almighty says: “Verily, Allāh enjoins Justice, and ‘Ihsan
and giving help to kith and kin...” [Surah Al-Nahl, 16:90]
Allah mentioned that the Concept of ‘Ihsan as main purposes of
the human creation.
Allāh says: “The One Who created death and life so that He may test
you which of you is best of conduct and He is All-Mighty as well as All-Forgiving.”
[Al-Mulk, 67: 2]
Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi (rahimahullāh) in his
commentary of the verse says:
The phrase “One Who created death and life so that He may test you
which of you is best of conduct” means: Firstly, that the Creator
alone will decide who has done good or evil; Secondly, it is not for us to
propose a criterion for the good and the evil deeds but for Almighty Allah; Thirdly,
therefore, whoever desires to get through the test;Fourthly, will have to find
out what is the criterion of a good deed in His sight; Fifthly, is contained in
the meaning of the test itself, that is, every person will be recompensed
according to his deeds, for if there was no reward or punishment the test would
be meaningless.
And the phrase “He is All-Mighty as well as All-Forgiving” means
it has two meanings and both are implied here:
Firstly, that He is Almighty: in spite of being
dominant over all His creatures, He is Merciful and Forgiving for them, not
tyrannous and cruel; and Secondly, that He has full power to punish the
evildoers: no one can escape His punishment; but He is forgiving for him who
feels penitent, refrains from evil and asks for His forgiveness.
[Tafhim al-Qur'ān]
Although the contact of hadith was when doing sacrificing but the Allāh’s Messenger
(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told Muslims that Allāh
Almighty has enjoined excellence (‘ihsān) with regard to everything.
It means doing everything in a good way each time which emphasised the “significance of
al-Ihsan”.
Acquiring facts is very useful, but it won't lead us to heaven! I once
received an email from a Muslim in the UK, saying: "I am a born Muslim and
I want to become one!" In other words, this man recognized that it is a
lifetime's achievement to become the kind of Muslim Allāh wants us to be.
Translating it into an English word, though, is very
difficult. Enough to say, that when we have reached the level of “Ihsan”
as Muslims, we have reached the level Allāh wants us to be. When we
understand what “Ihsan” is, we will have understood what it is to be a
Muslim. The word “Ihsan” comes from an Arabic root word that means a
number of things.
This root word can mean: to do right; to improve; to
be in a desirable condition or in a proper state; to decorate or embellish; and
to treat with kindliness. The word also means perfection ; excellence while
doing anything. In Arabic, one who practices “Ihsan” is called a “Muhsin”.
The plural of “Muhsin” is “Muhsineen”. We know that Allāh loves
“Muhsineen”.
It is because he tells us so in the Qu’rān:
“Whoever submits himself to Allāh and is a Muhsin
(one who is good) then his reward is with his Lord, on such shall be no fear,
nor shall they grieve.”
(Al-Baqarah, 2:112)
What a remarkable progress we will have made in life if we no longer fear
or grieve. Isn't that something the whole world is looking for? In the two
parts of this article, then, we will try and see how Muslims can grow and grow
in their faith until they reach that level that is truly loved by Allāh. There
have been many academic articles written about “Ihsan” and its meanings, but
that is not our purpose.
Our purpose is to show that by doing this and this we can become better. We
might even choose to abandon the word“Ihsan” altogether, preferring instead to
talk about "good Muslims" or "real Muslims." Sometimes, those
who have embraced Islam reach the stage where they think it is all done and
that they have achieved everything necessary for them to be real Muslims.
Being Muslim, though, means more than knowing the
correct way to perform ablution or the correct postures to use in solāh. New
Muslims need to be aware of the progress they can continue to make in their
spiritual journey within Islam. This is very exciting, knowing that they can
continue to experience what they first felt when they declared“Shahadah”. They will come to
know that this is a path which takes time and therefore needs patience,
knowledge and practice, one day at a time, as faith grows from one stage to the
next. They will learn that it is possible for us all, every day, to be better
Muslims.
“Ihsan” includes sincerity during solāh and
being grateful to parents, family, and to Allāh. In part two we will try to
learn some of the qualities associated with “Ihsan” in the Qur’ān, and
even learn some of the rewards promised for those who are “Muhsins”.
2. Our journey in seeking goodness will not only make us better people, better Muslims, but will guide us to heaven
Of all the words used to translate the Arabic word “Ihsan” into English, my preferred word
is Goodness. This may not be technically correct, but it sums up for us what we
are trying to achieve in becoming better Muslims. We are, in fact, trying to be
better people, people who think of Allāh and be good to others all the
time.
When we reach “Ihsan”, the level of real goodness in our
lives, everything we do is for Allāh's sake – and people will see it! There are
some people we meet in life who have a big impact on us because they are such good
people. As Muslims, we strive each day to become like those people.
How wonderful it would be if people in Britain or the
USA or Australia would point to a Muslim in the street and declare him or her
to be a Muslim because of the goodness of their lives. Such a person would not
only be faithful to prayer and eager to do everything the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa
sallam) did, but would be a good husband and father. He would be a loyal
and trustworthy friend, an honest and conscientious worker, a kind and generous
person. In attributing everything in his life to Allāh, that person would have
become a “Muhsin”, one who has reached the
level of “Ihsan”.
There are many places in the Qur’ān where we read about “Ihsan” and those who practice it.
Allāh tells us: “Indeed,
Allāh loves the doers of good.” (Al-Māidah,5:13)
In another place Allāh says: “And spend in the
way of Allāh and do not throw (yourselves) with your (own) hands into
destruction (by refraining). And do good; indeed, Allāh loves the doers of
good.” (Al-Baqarah, 2:195)
And again Allāh says: “Indeed, he who
fears Allāh and is patient, then indeed, Allāh does not allow to be
lost the reward of those who do good.” (Yusuf, 12:90)
The question for us is how to reach a level of
goodness. How do we become good persons? How do we become really good Muslims,
whose goodness is obvious to everyone?
Well, obviously, such goodness isn't given to
everyone. Even the one who is most steadfast and diligent in observing the five
daily prayers at the proper times is not always generous and kind. Even the one
who can tell us everything about Islam and lecture on its merits to big
audiences is not always a gentle and caring person.
There are some people who each day divertingly hear
the birds singing in the trees, whilst other people only hear background noise.
There are some whose hearts are touched by the suffering of the poor in their
midst, whilst others only find beggars a nuisance.
Reach The Level Of Ihsan
So, as Muslims, what do we do to reach the level of “Ihsan”? We can only give a few hints, and even
then all of our efforts will depend on Allāh's grace. It is He who gifts us
with goodness. A combination of all of these things will help us in our journey
to be better.
1-The one who would be a better
Muslim needs, first of all, to know enough about Islam. Prophet Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) urged us to: “Seek knowledge as far as China." To our dying die we need to be thirsty to
understand more about
the message of Islam, which has touched the hearts of billions of people
throughout history.
2-In order to be good we need to do
good things. In fact, we become good people by the good things we do. Observing
Solāh five times a day cannot but alter our lives.
Helping the poor or those in need cannot but touch our own hearts.
3-We need to think very carefully
who our friends are. If we are surrounded by bad people, or by people whose lives are
consumed in materialism or violence, their behaviors will affect us, too. If
our friends are gentle and kind, surely some of their kindness will rub off on
us?
4-The Greek philosopher, Socrates,
tells us that: "the unexamined life is not worth living." In other words, we need to be constantly asking ourselves what our
motives are, what our hopes and aspirations are, and why we want to be good
Muslims. By constantly asking ourselves questions we avoid the danger of
complacency and of doing things just because we have always done them.
We need, for example, to ask ourselves why we do the
things we do as Muslims? Why do we perform ablution “wudhu”? Why do we wear hijab? Why do we perform
solāh? Of course, we do them because Allāh tells us to do them. But our
lives as Muslims can be enriched beyond measure by seeing all of these things
as gifts, not just as duties.
5- It is important for us to take
time out and to reflect, muhāsabah. If it is important in a football game for the players to take time
out and discuss their strategy to win the game, how much more important it is
for us, as Muslims, to take time out and consider our strategy in life. Apart
from the formal times for prayer, we should set aside a few moments from time
to time to ponder on where we are in our spiritual journey. At such times we
can give thanks for all the blessings in our lives. How often we take for
granted the things that are most important to us. We only cry when we have lost
them. In rendering thanks to Allāh for His kindness, we become
better people.
6-If we need a benchmark, a measure of how we are
progressing as Muslims, we
need only to look at the way we treat other people. Are we courteous and kind
to those we meet? Do we greet others with the best of manners?
7- Finally, even though there is an
immense gap between our desire and the reality, we might ask ourselves how much
we are like Prophet Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Sure, we can perform solāh five times a day, but how alike are we to the best of men ever to
have lived. If we strive to be like him, we can only become better. We might
never reach our goal, but at least we will make progress day by day.
Allāh Almighty tells us: “And those who
strive for Us – We will surely guide them to our ways. And indeed, Allāhis with
the doers of good.”
(Al-Ankabut, 29:69)
Our journey in seeking goodness will not only make us
better people, better Muslims, but will guide us to Jannah itself.
And Allāh Almighty knows best.
[Excerptrd from “Becoming Better Muslims - How to Reach the Level of
Excellence (Ihsan)” By Idris Tawfiq, Via On Islam Saturday, 15 February
2014; Idris Tawfiq is a British writer who became a Muslim five years
ago. For many years, he was head of religious education in different schools in
the United Kingdom. Before embracing Islam, he was a Roman Catholic priest. He
now lives in Egypt. You can visit his website here.]
