Article Surah 92 · Ayah 6
Who testifies to the ultimate good
Who testifies to the ultimate good
The word husna is the feminine equivalent of akhbar and in English it is a comparative (used to compare two things with suffix ‘-er’) or superlative verb (used to compare three or more things with suffix ‘-est’) and it means the ultimate or the best possible. Allah (swt) says that the truth is confirmed and attested but He (swt) did not tell us in what the truth was confirmed which is consistent with the theme of this surah which invites us to reflect deeply. It could be in obeying Allah (swt), or in Jannah, or in obeying the messenger (saw), or in giving to the poor, or in the testimony of faith. By not listing every possibility and by using the comprehensive term Al Husna (ultimate good), Allah (swt) has implied that they are all true.
The word tasdeeq is to know something is good and true but to also act upon it. For example, if you say fire burns and then touch it anyway it means you were either lying and that you did not think it was the truth or it means that you are not very smart and are insane. Sometimes a person may say that prayer is good to do but still does not perform it themselves. Confirming the truth in something should lead to positive action afterwards and the fundamental theme of this surah is action which is seen in the sequencing of this verse and the previous one. One would normally expect someone to first come to and confirm the truth, then to develop taqwa and then to give as a consequence. Yet, the sequence we see here is of first giving, then taqwa and then of confirming the truth. We can see that the sequence focuses on actions as giving is exclusively an action, taqwa is partly in the heart and partly seen in one’s actions with faith being purely a matter of the heart. Thus, the sequencing of the words focuses on actions. Furthermore, the closest word to sa’yakum (your efforts/actions) in verse four is an action – a’ataa, then taqwa which is partly action and then sad-daqqa which is a belief in the heart and this is part of the eloquence of the Quran. The word that most fits in with the theme of the surah is closest in proximity whilst the word furthest from the theme is also furthest in proximity.
Another interesting comparison here is between the nature of an individual and the nature of a society. When an individual confirms the truth he develops taqwa and as a consequence he gives charity. On a societal level however the first thing you have to do is give. One cannot be considered part of a society, whether he is a Muslim or non-Muslim, if he does not contribute in some way. Then this individual must abide by the law and be afraid of the consequences of breaking the law which is taqwa. Society then takes the final step and becomes the ideal society by confirming the truth and ultimate good. When one confirms the truth it means that he gave the right of Allah (swt) which he recognises as being binding upon him. This is manifested in his actions when he understands that when he gives charity he is giving what was not his in the first place. First and utmost though we recognise the right of Allah (swt) as being binding upon man because everything else like salah and zakat then falls under it.
Excellence of faith
We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
- Aristotle
Ihsan (Excellence in faith)...just thinking the word in my head has a special ring to it, brings a certain unique, inspiring feeling to my heart. This word, this topic moves me. I hope it has that effect on you as well. Our religion, our way of life is composed of three parts:
Iman
Islam
Ihsan
To discuss ihsan, we must briefly go through the first two, Iman and Islam.
Iman
Iman or faith must be mentioned as the first part of our deen because it serves as our roots. For many years of the Prophethood of Muhammad, Allah (God) revealed nothing except the concept of taqwa (God consciousness), ikhlas (sincerity) and Iman (faith). It was not until the hearts of the first Muslims became saturated and strong with true Iman did Allah (swt) begin introducing the next concept - Islam, to the Muslims.
ISLAM
After our roots are firmly in place and take hold within the rich soil of Iman and that is watered and nourished continually, we can begin understanding and encouraging the practice of Islam or submission to the will of Allah. This Islam, or submission, is like the trunk of the tree, sturdy, reaching up to heights. Muslim children are not required to pray until they are 7. Why? Because these first seven years are to be used by parents to plant the seed of Iman and help this seed to grow strong roots by teaching their children about Allah (swt), about jannah, about the miracles and the angels and preparing them to have a strong, balanced character. The "rules" of Islam come more easily to those who have prepared their hearts with Iman.
IHSAN
Ihsan, which means excellence in belief is the neglected 1/3 of our deen. It is to believe in God Almighty without the slightest speck of doubt. It is similar in idea to the bodhisattva concept the Buddhists hold. And, when attained, it is like the "icing on the cake," for the believer and his or her faith. "Ihsan is the fruit that blossoms from our planted trees and shows up when the roots are strong and nourished, free from disease and harmful insects. If we fail to nourish our Iman by submitting to Allah, we will bear no fruit and our soul will die. But look into the Islamic legacy. It is rich with ihsan. All the achievements in art, science, architecture, literature, geography, politics, economics, social movement, philosophy, medicine and more came from the Muslims' desire to attain ihsan. Ihsan is our lost treasure that we must unearth and revive.
Ihsan...what does it mean? Like so many other Arabic words that I have mentioned, it has a vast array of meanings. It cannot be summed up prettily in one English word or phrase. Ihsan is excellence. It is perfection. It is beauty. It is balance, harmony, discipline, good character, softness, gentleness, improvement, drive, will power. Ihsan is a human reflection, a human attempt to achieve a high level in the areas covered by the revealed 99 beautiful names of Allah (swt).
In Surat Ar-Rahman, (Quranic chapter "The Merciful"), Allah (swt) uses one of the most powerful and difficult to use literary devices - the rhetorical question. If you have studied literature to any extent, you will know that the rhetorical question can only be used in very special, particularized situations and it can only be used when the author has much confidence and much leverage in the answer and the motivation for asking the question. The rhetorical device is amazing because, as it gives the answer to the question away, it leaves the reader to contemplate deeply on the meaning of the question, and the profound reasons behind the obvious. Allah (swt), in Surat Ar-Rahman, conquers this literary device and uses it in truly miraculous ways.
"When a man says I cannot, he has made a suggestion to himself. He has weakened his power of accomplishing that which otherwise would have been accomplished."
Muhammad Ali
In Surat Ar-Rahman, the most frequent rhetorical question asked is, "then which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?" and is asked 31 times out of a total of 78 verses in this chapter of the Quran. However, stuck in between 2 of these 31 rhetorical questions is another, more subtle, yet incredibly powerful ayah. It reads, "Is there any reward for ihsan except ihsan?"
This rhetorical question is amazing on a myriad of levels. I would like to share three levels of meaning for this rhetorical question:
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(1) Those who sincerely strive in Allah's Cause and attain ihsan in both their worship and their everyday activities will be rewarded for this level of excellence by being blessed by Allah (swt) with the sweetness of faith. They will be some of the few people who have walked the face of the earth and tasted this level of faith. God-consciousness will be continuous, and everything these few do will be geared for a higher purpose. They will have attained ihsan and in return, they will feel ihsan in their hearts.
(2) Those who sincerely strive in Allah's Cause and attain ihsan in both their worship and their everyday activities will be rewarded for this excellence by being blessed by Allah (swt) with success in this dunya (life of the world). This can be seen in our history, in our Golden Age. The Muslims of that time attained ihsan in their rituals and in their other activities. Allah rewarded this ihsan with ihsan - the excellence in this dunya that we read about - the amazing art, architecture, philosophy, medical advances, etc.
(3) Those who sincerely strive in Allah's Cause and attain ihsan in both their worship and their everyday activities will be rewarded for this excellence by being blessed by Allah (swt) with the ultimate success, the ultimate ihsan - that of jannah (heaven) in al-akhira ( hereafter).
So in summary, that one little rhetorical device in 55:60 is hidden, but it packs a huge punch. Those who realize the value of ihsan, who reach and strive and work for ihsan, who nourish their roots and groom their trunk in order to bear plentiful, amazing fruit will be rewarded with Allah's form of ihsan - the sweetness of faith, success in the dunya, and the ultimate success in al-akhira.
So how does this relate to us right here, right now? Whether your in high school, college, or grad students. We're young people in the workforce. We're newly married, engaged, or waiting our turn. We're brothers and sisters and aunts, uncles, cousins, and children. We're youth group leaders or mentors or committee heads in MSA/MSU. What does ihsan mean in our lives?
It means that every day, when you're in a boring class and get handed an assignment for a 15 page paper or you learn about a comprehensive final exam, or you get a huge project from your boss, or your mom asks you to make dinner or clean your room or your brother or sister asks for help with homework or to play with you outside - that you stop...that you stop the immediate negative reaction that we've been trained to play over and over again when it comes to these sorts of things and do the right thing, which is to remain positive.
We stop, and we realize that this is our opportunity for ihsan. That this is another opportunity for us to make our intentions for Allah (swt), to please Him. That this is a chance for us to add something to our Life's Book that Allah (swt) will open on the Day of Judgment and look upon us with joy and be proud of us. For, as Professor Yusuf al-Qaradawi has mentioned,
Allah loves when one of you is given a task, that he or she does it in the most excellent manner.
Sheikh al-Qaradawi didn't say that Allah "likes" when you do things with ihsan. He didn't say that Allah thinks it's "ok" or "cool" or "alright." One of the greatest scholars of Islam says that Allah "LOVES" when we do things with ihsan. Allah LOVES. Think about that for just a second and let it sink in. Think about the last time someone you respected/admired told you that they loved something you did. How did that make you feel? You were beaming for days, most likely. You remembered what they said and how they reacted and you kept replaying it in your head again and again. Imagine then, how amazing it would feel to do something that Allah (swt) LOVES.
Imagine standing in front of Allah (swt) on the Day of Judgment and having Him tell you all the things that you did that He LOVED. Imagine how you would feel.
So when you have a test or a paper or you have to mow the law or you are going to the gym or playing football or doing an MSA event, do it with ihsan! Don't just "be," don't just get by, don't just pass. Be EXCELLENT, strive for PERFECTION, be the BEST in your class, show the world how Islam inspires you to attain ihsan!
We are given just a few moments in this dunya. Each breath is a priceless jewel and when it passes it never returns...make this moment, this breath, this heart beat one that resounds with ihsan (Excellence)!
Iman..........ISLAM...........IHSAN
Al-Ihsan is faith’s third level
Deen has a number of domains: The first is Islam. This domain is wide to an extent that even the hypocrite enters within it and is called a Muslim and is treated like the Muslims, because he has submitted to Islam outwardly.
So therefore, he enters within the domain of Islam. And the person who is weak in Imaan, enters the domain of Islam, but he has nothing from Imaan except a mustard seed of it.
The second domain: It is more restricted and more specific — the domain of Al-Imaan. The hypocrite in belief does not enter into it whatsoever. Rather, only the people of Imaan enter into it, and they are two categories: Those who are complete in Imaan and those who are deficient in Imaan. So, the sinful believer and dutiful believer both enter into it.
The third domain: It is more restricted than the second one — the domain of Al-Ihsan. It just as the Prophet (peace be upon him) made it clear. No one will enter into it except the people of complete Imaan.
Al-Ihsan means to perfect something and complete it. It is derived from Al-Husun which means Al-Jamaal (beauty). It is divided into categories:
First, perfection of what lies between the servant and his Lord. Secondly, perfection of what is between the servant and the rest of the people; and thirdly, doing well and perfecting what you do. When a person makes something or does an action, then it is obligatory upon him that he perfects it and does it completely.
The Messenger (peace be upon him) said that when Jibreel (peace be upon him) told him that “Ihsan is that you worship Allah as if you were seeing Him, and even though you do not see Him, He certainly sees you.”
So Ihsan between the servant and his Lord is his perfecting the action, which Allah has made a duty upon him, that he does it correctly, purely and sincerely for the sake of Allah the Almighty. So, an action which is done sincerely for Allah Almighty, and by following the Messenger (peace be upon him).
The Prophet (peace be upon him) made it clear that Ihsan is of two levels, one of them being higher than the other: The first level is that you worship Allah as if you were seeing Him such that your certainty and Imaan in Allah reaches such a level that it is as if you are actually seeing Allah with your eyes. You have no hesitancy or doubt, rather it is as if Allah is in front of you, He the Perfect and Most High, and you are seeing Him openly.
You worship Him as if you are seeing Him out of a complete faith and sincerity. Allah Almighty will not be seen in this world, rather He will only be seen in the Hereafter. However, you see Him with your heart as if you are seeing Him with your eyes,and for which there are great rewards for them.
Rewards include an opportunity to see Him with their eyes in the abode of bliss. He, the Most High, said: “For the people of Ihsan there will be the best reward of Paradise and something extra.” (Qur’an, 10:26)
This “something extra” is looking upon the face of Allah. Since they perfected their deeds in this world, Allah will give them the best rewards, which is Paradise. And He will increase the rewards, which is having an opportunity to see Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
Therefore, one should worship Allah as if he/she is witnessing Him, upon love and longing to meet Him. You feel delighted in being obedient to Him and you feel calm. This is the path for the people of Ihsan.
The second level: If you do not reach this tremendous level, then you worship Him upon the path of Al-Muraqabah(watchfulness) such that you know that Allah sees you, knows your condition, and knows what lies within yourself.
Therefore, it is not befitting that you should disobey Him and contradict His command when He sees and observes you. This is a good state, however, it is less than the first one.
So, since you believe that He sees you, you therefore perfect your worship, because you know that Allah is seeing you. Imagine, if you are in front of a person of high status, and you obey him just because you know that he is seeing you, would it be possible that you be negligent in your duties that too in front of him?
In sum, Ihsan has two levels. One of worshipping Allah with heart: It is that you worshipping Him as if you are seeing Him from the strength of your faith in Him; and second, as if you are worshipping Him knowing that He sees you and observes you, therefore, you do not disobey Him and disobey His command.
This is the level of Al-Ihsan and it is highest of the levels of the religion. Whoever reaches this level, he has reached the highest of the levels of the religion. Before it is the level of Iman, and before that is the level of Al-Islam.
Evidence for Al-Ihsan
The best reference to Al-Ihsan is found in the Holy Qur’an.
Allah Almighty says “Allah is with those who fear Him and are dutiful to Him; and He is with those who are people of ihsan.” (Qur’an, 16:128)
He says “And place your reliance upon the Almighty, the Bestower of mercy. He who sees you when you stand to pray. And who sees your movements along with those who pray along with you. Indeed! He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.” (Qur’an, 26:217-220)
He also says: “And you are not (O Muhammad) engaged in any matter nor do you recite the Book of Allah, nor do you do any action (O people), except that We are witness in your deeds when you do them. And not even that which is of the weight of the tiniest ant is hidden from your Lord on the earth or in the heavens. Nor is there anything smaller than that or greater than it except that it is written in a clear Book.” (Qur’an, 10:61)
These are the clear references for the first level of Al-Ihsan: “Allah is with those who fear Him and are dutiful to Him, and He is with those who are people of ihsan.” (Qur’an, 16:128)
The ayah proves that Allah is with the people of ihsan. They are those who worship Allah as if they were seeing Him, so Allah is with them in a specific sense of Ma’iyyah — the Ma’iyyah with regard to aiding, helping, and tawfeeq (guiding them to and granting them attainment of correctness).
And His saying, He the Most High: “And place your reliance upon the All-Mighty, the Bestower of Mercy. He who sees you when you stand to pray. And who sees your movements along with those who pray along with you.” (Qur’an, 26:217-219)
To be continued next week
Source: Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalathah by Sheikh Salih Al-Fawzan
Courtesy: salaf-us-saalih.com
Perfection of faith
The Quran is guidance for believers and all of humanity. Its style is full of variation, with instructions and prohibitions appearing alongside stories, parables and more besides. The unique style of its verses not only made it captivating for its first listeners, and ensured that it would be cherished and memorized by millions, but it also presented a challenge for anyone who doubted its divine origin.
According to many scholars, the defining quality of the Quran is how so much meaning is conveyed in words of small number and great beauty. In this series, Sohaib Saeed, founder of Quranica and graduate of Al-Azhar University, explores some short phrases from the Quran which can be treated as guiding principles for life.
Although they have meanings which suit their context of relevance and place in their respective surahs (chapters), they also carry wisdom which transcends those contexts and invites reflection.
This series is intended to aid reflection on the Quran, and listeners are encouraged to memorize these short phrases or verses along with their meanings, and make them part of their daily lives and conversations. Each episode contains clips from the Quran vocalized by a variety of reciters.
This podcast is from Reading Islam’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.
Shall the reward of good be anything but good? (Quran 55:60)
The word translated here as good (ihsan) can otherwise be translated as excellence and seeking perfection. Along with Islam and Imaan, Ihsan is one of the three core dimensions of the faith as elaborated in the famous hadith of Jibreel (angle Gabriel peace be upon him).
When the angel Gabriel came to meet with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and ask him a series of questions in order to teach those around him the essentials of the faith. He asked him: “what is Islam?”
And the Prophet replied him with those things we now know as the five pillars of Islam.
He asked him “what is Imaan (faith?)”
And the answer came with the essential articles of faith: To believe in God, His Angels, His books, His messengers, , and the Last Day, and the predestination both good and bad of it.
The third question: “what is ihsan (excellence)?”
And the answer came from the prophet in a way that is both marvelous and enigmatic. He said is to worship Allah as though you see Him for though you see Him not, yet surely He sees you.
So this is the first meaning of ihsan that we have be aware of: it is to perfect our faith to believe in God and worship Him alone- to make worship only and solely for Him as elaborated in chapter Al-Ikhlas 112.
The second meaning is to do better and to improve ourselves. And this is something which many people understand is a virtue when it comes to the body to develop and train the body, and to train and develop the mind by learning new things; but also Islam sees the essential nature of developing and training the soul, the spirit and cleaning the heart.
The third meaning is to seek after perfection, perfection in all things. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Indeed God has prescribed perfection in every action” So this means that whatever that we do, we do it in the best way, the most perfect way, the most correct way, the most sincere way, and the most kind way to others.
And this leads us on to the fourth meaning of Ihsan. Ihsan is something which extends to others, doing good spreading benefit. Indeed in common language nowadays, people refer to philanthropy and those who are generous and supporting the causes of the needy as muhsineen; they are people who spread good and benefit and perfect the society around them.
Following from this, we can mention one more meaning and sense of the word Ihsan and this word we can take a verse from the chapter Yusuf (Josef peace be upon him) (12:36).
The people who entered the prison with him wanted to ask him about some dreams they had in order to interpret those dreams for them and after the request they said to him: “indeed we see you as one of the muhsineen”. What does this mean is that whether they were observing the perfection of his character, or whether it was a perfection and excellence in his knowledge in the way that means he is seen as one of the muhsineen.
Here we will ask ourselves a serious question, indeed a painful one: When people look at the Muslim societies today, would they say to us “indeed we see you as muhsineen? When they look towards the Muslim communities living as minorities in other societies, would they see this minority as contributing to the society so that they would say that we are the muhsineen?
All of this follows from seeing God in everything we do and knowing that He sees you. And there is no reward for ihsan except ihsan. Doing good in this life will lead to good in this life even before the hereafter.
Shall the reward of good be anything but good? (Quran 55:60).