Learning the True Teachings of Islam (series) | Al-Ihsan (Excellence)
Ihsan is the greatest and highest station in Islamic religion. Ihsan means excellence, perfection, and doing things in a beautiful and righteous way, the Hadith Jibril teaches us that the religion has three great levels are
ISLAM, IMAAN and IHSAN
Jibril asked the Prophet
مَا الإِحْسَانُ؟
What is Ihsan?
The Prophet Muhammad answered
أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ
To worship Allah as though you see Him and if you do not see Him, then know that He sees you.
This is one of the highest levels that a believer can reach and it is the highest guidance because no one misbehave in the presence of Allah.
Why ihsan matters because ihsan transforms your relationship with Allah from merely performing an action into performing that action with consciousness of Allah.
You pray knowing that Allah sees you, you speak knowing that Allah hears you, you deal with people knowing that Allah knows how you treat them, you preach knowing that Allah is watching how and why you are preaching, You disagree with someone knowing that Allah is watching your disagreement mood.
This is ihsan, Allah says
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
Indeed, Allah does not allow the reward of those who do good with excellence to be lost.
The Muhsin/Muhsinah is the person who does things with excellence, Islam does not teach us to pursue truth without character but teaches us to combine truth with excellence, knowledge with wisdom, and dawa with beautiful conduct. Do you know the number of people who embrace Islam by proohet’s character is way more than those accept Islam through Jihad or preachuing.
وَأَنْزَلَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ وَالْمِيزَانَ
He sent down the Book in truth and the balance pay attention to the combination
بِالْحَقِّ وَالْمِيزَانِ
Truth and balance, Truth is essential But the way we communicate truth also matters you may possess the truth but if you deliver it with arrogance, humiliation, hatred, and abuse, you may drive people away from the very truth you claim to represent this is why wisdom is so important in our words and actions.
ادْعُ إِلَىٰ سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ
Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good manner look carefully at the language of the Quran
بِالْحِكْمَةِ
With wisdom.
وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ
And with beautiful instruction. The Quran does not simply tell us to call people. If you want to engage in dawa you need knowledge of what you are calling people to. Second, you need knowledge of yourself. You must understand your own emotions, weaknesses, intentions, limitations, and character. And third, you need knowledge of the people you are calling.
1 who are they
2 what do they understand
3 what language will they appreciate
This is wisdom dawa is not simply speaking, but communicating truth in a way that allows people to hear, understand, reflect, and respond positively.
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ
إِنَّمَا بُعِثْتُ لِأُتَمِّمَ مَكَارِمَ الْأَخْلَاقِ
I was sent to complete noble character, his dawa was not separated from his character but his message was together with his manners. the famous incident recorded in the Sunnah a funeral procession passed before the Prophet and he stood up when he was told by his companions that it was the funeral of a Jew.
Prophet respond
أَلَيْسَتْ نَفْسًا؟
Was it not a human soul? Look at the profound lesson the person was not a Muslim yet the Prophet recognized his humanity.