Ihsan Poyraz

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 (''iman'') and showing it in both deed and action, a sense of social responsibility borne from religious convictions.

Meaning

In Islam, Ihsan is the Muslim responsibility to obtain perfection, or excellence, in worship, such that Muslims 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 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 "God has written ''ihsan'' on everything".

In relation to ''islam'' and ''iman''

''Ihsan'' is one of the three dimensions of the Islamic religion ():
# ''Islam'' – 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 on ''iman'', the sufis have focused their attention on ''ihsan''. Those who are ''muhsin'' are a subset of those who are ''mu'min'', and those who are ''mu'min'' are a subset of muslims:

Some Islamic scholars explain ''ihsan'' as being the ''inner'' dimension of Islam whereas shariah 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

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Further reading

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*''The Mysteries of Ihsan: Natural Contemplation and the Spiritual Virtues in the Quran'' by James W. Morris

External links

Hadith of Angel Gabriel
Hadith #2 from An-Nawawi's Forty Hadiths

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Sufism
Islamic terminology
Islamic ethics