Ihsan ( ar, إحسان , also romanized ''ehsan''), is an Arabic term meaning "to do beautiful things", "beautification", "perfection", or "excellence" (Arabic: , ). Ihsan is a matter of taking one's inner
faith
Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as "belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion".
Religious people ofte ...
(''
iman'') and showing it in both deed and action, a sense of social responsibility borne from religious convictions.
Meaning
In
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
, Ihsan is the Muslim responsibility to obtain perfection, or excellence, in worship, such that
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
try to worship
God as if they see Him, and although they cannot see him, they undoubtedly believe that He is constantly watching over them. That definition comes from the
Hadith of Gabriel in which
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mon ...
states, "
hsan isto worship God as though you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, then indeed He sees you". (
Al-Bukhari and
Al-Muslim). According to Muhammad's
hadith
Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approva ...
"God has written ''ihsan'' on everything".
In relation to ''islam'' and ''iman''
''Ihsan'' is one of the three dimensions of the Islamic religion ():
# ''
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
'' – voluntary submission to God, expressed in practicing the
five pillars of islam.
# ''
Iman'' – belief in the
six articles of faith.
# ''Ihsan'' – attaining perfection or excellence in the deployment of righteousness on Earth including doing good things for the benefit of others, and advocating for the oppressed and the vulnerable.
In contrast to the emphases of ''islam'' (what one should do) and ''iman'' (why one should do), the concept of ''ihsan'' is primarily associated with intention. One who "does what is beautiful" is called a ''
muhsin''. It is generally held that a person can only achieve true Ihsan with the help and guidance of
God, who governs all things. While traditionally
Islamic jurists have concentrated on ''islam'' and
theologians
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the s ...
on ''iman'', the
sufi
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...
s have focused their attention on ''ihsan''. Those who are ''muhsin'' are a
subset
In mathematics, set ''A'' is a subset of a set ''B'' if all elements of ''A'' are also elements of ''B''; ''B'' is then a superset of ''A''. It is possible for ''A'' and ''B'' to be equal; if they are unequal, then ''A'' is a proper subset of ...
of those who are ''
mu'min'', and those who are ''mu'min'' are a subset of
muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
s:
Some
Islamic scholar
In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...
s explain ''ihsan'' as being the ''inner'' dimension of Islam whereas
shariah
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the ...
is often described as the ''outer'' dimension. ''Ihsan'' "constitutes the highest form of worship" (). It is excellence in work and in social interactions. For example, ''ihsan'' includes sincerity during Muslim prayers and being grateful to parents, family, and God.
References
Sources
*
*
*
Further reading
*
*''The Mysteries of Ihsan: Natural Contemplation and the Spiritual Virtues in the Quran'' by James W. Morris
External links
Hadith of Angel GabrielHadith #2 from An-Nawawi's Forty Hadiths
{{Authority control
Sufism
Islamic terminology
Islamic ethics