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
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
In
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 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 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
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 "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 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 ...
'' – 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''. 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 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 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
*
*
*
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