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 often ...

(''

iman Iman, Imann, Imaan, Eman, Emaan, or Imman may refer to: Places * Iman, Iran, a village in Kalashi District, Kermanshah Province * The Iman River, the former name of the Bolshaya Ussurka River, a tributary of the Ussuri River in Russia's Primors ...

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

Meaning

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

, 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 Abraha ...

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 Sunni Islam, the Hadith of Angel Gabriel, Gabriel (also known as, ''Ḥadīth Jibrīl'') is a ''hadith'' of the Islamic prophets of Islam, prophet Muhammad (the last prophet of Islam) which expresses the religion of Islam in a concise manner. a ...

in which

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...

states, "

hsan is Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy (HSAN) or hereditary sensory neuropathy (HSN) is a condition used to describe any of the types of this disease which inhibit sensation. They are less common than Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Classif ...

to worship God as though you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, then indeed He sees you". ( Al-Bukhari and

Al-Muslim Abū al-Ḥusayn ‘Asākir ad-Dīn Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj ibn Muslim ibn Ward ibn Kawshādh Banu Qushayr, al-Qushayrī an-Naysābūrī ( ar, أبو الحسين عساكر الدين مسلم بن الحجاج بن مسلم بن وَرْد ب� ...

). 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 approval ...

"God has written ''ihsan'' on everything".

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

''Ihsan'' is one of the three dimensions of the Islamic religion (): # ''

'' – voluntary submission to God, expressed in practicing the five pillars of islam. # ''

Iman Iman, Imann, Imaan, Eman, Emaan, or Imman may refer to: Places * Iman, Iran, a village in Kalashi District, Kermanshah Province * The Iman River, the former name of the Bolshaya Ussurka River, a tributary of the Ussuri River in Russia's Primors ...

'' – 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 Muhsin (also spelled Mohsen, Mohsin, Mehsin, or Muhsen, ar, محسن) is a masculine Arabic given name. The first person known to have the name "Muhsin" was Muhsin bin Ali, the son of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatimah bint Muhammad. Islamic term I ...

''. 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 jurist 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 main ...

s 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, ...

s have focused their attention on ''ihsan''. Those who are ''muhsin'' are a

subset In mathematics, Set (mathematics), set ''A'' is a subset of a set ''B'' if all Element (mathematics), 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 ...

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 reli ...

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 H ...

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

* * *

External links

Hadith of Angel Gabriel
Hadith #2 from An-Nawawi's Forty Hadiths {{Authority control Sufism Islamic terminology Islamic ethics

Meaning

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

References

Sources

Further reading

External links