Understanding Ihsan

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Understanding Ihsan

Mr. Rahman:

Perhaps I misunderstood the definition of "ihsan."

During the night of my perceived ihsan, I was teaching myself how to pray using an explanatory book, "The Muslim Prayer Book" by Maulana Muhammed Ali, when I was struck with what I can describe as an overwhelming realization of God and the Truth behind Islam.

Months later, while reading the book "Islam" by Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood, I read that ihsan is a "realization" and that "ihsan implies that a person really is making a consious effort to be 'in communication' with God." Reading that section reminded me of that night when I was trying to teach myself how to pray and the powerful awareness I had.

From your description, it sounds like I either misinterpreted the explanation in the book or the book did not explain the true meaning of ihsan. Either way, these new discoveries are exciting for me and the more I learn the more interested I become.

Last July I spoke the Shahada to myself for the first time, but I have read conflicting information that states that the shahada must be with two witnesses. I have many questions and look forward to meeting with someone.

Again, thanks for all your help.

- Tim, 13 February 2004

Answer

Dear Mr. ...:

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah.

I did not realize till receiving your last email that you are already a Muslim. I, therefore, open this letter with salam, the traditional greeting of peace that is peculiar to Muslims, which means "may peace and blessing of Allah be upon you and also His mercies". My congratulations to you on becoming a Muslim and I welcome you back to Islam since all people are actually born into Islam before choosing their own ways when they grow up.

Yes, the shahada has to be taken in front of two witnesses. It is, as if, one wants to declare, open and loud, to the whole world that he has now accepted the true religion of God and joined the fraternity of the believers. My preference would be for you to come to the Friday prayer at the earliest possibility so that your shahada can be done right after the prayer service by the Imam. This will help the Muslims to come to know you as it will also give you an opportunity to know the Muslim community. This is such a joyful event that I will be glad to arrange this and be with you at that time if you like. If you would not prefer this, then you can declare the shahada in front of two Muslim brothers, and that will suffice. You may already know this, but once the shahada is declared, all of your past sins will be forgiven and you will start a new life like a newly born baby does.

Maqsood, formerly Rosalyn Rushbrook, is author of many books on Islam and her opinion deserves serious considerations. The explanation of what ihsan is all comes from a hadith of the Prophet. In short, while one day the Prophet (p) was sitting amidst his companions, a man came (who was actually angel Gabriel) and asked him several questions. One of these questions was "what is ihsan?". The Prophet's answer was something like this: "Ihsan is you worship God as if you see Him and if you cannot achieve that state then worship Him as if He sees you."

From this hadith, scholars have understood ihsan in various forms, all of which can be considered to be complimentary of one another.

Maqsood's explanation comes out very close if one looks at the words of this hadith. Therefore, I would consider both her explanation as well as your understanding to be valid.

Some scholars haven even taken a deeper look at the meaning of Ihsan, beyond just a temporal state, into an achievement where a believer's conscience is always in zikr (remembrance) of God so much so that it becomes almost part of his subconscious. If we ask: what kind of a salat will one make if he is making it, say, right in front of God? Obviously, he will be in full conscience and remembrance of God and he will spend his full effort in making a best salat that will be pleasing to God, as opposed to just getting done a required ritual and then moving on with his business. That is the temporal state of Ihsan in which he makes that best salat (like you did in your experience). Now, if one extends that to his full sphere of life, that is the permanent state of ihsan that a believer can achieve.

In that state, he or she does all that God enjoins and stays away from all that He prohibits not because he just wants to follow the law but because he likes and enjoys it. Thus, it becomes, as if, part of his nature. Everything good emanates from him, and we can call such a person a "godly" person in Western terms, or a true Khalifa (vicegerent) of God in Islamic terms.

Based on this, one can imagine the state of a believer in a triangle like this:

I H S A N
I S L A M
I M A N

The base or foundation of this triangle is Iman, loosely translated as 'faith'. If faith is there, then the believer submits himself (or herself) to God, which requires him to perform the pillars of Islam and abide by the commandments of God. He does these as a matter of following the laws which he is required to abide by. Then, if he continues to climb the ladder, he reaches the state of Ihsan where following God's commandments and doing good becomes part of his nature. He likes what God likes and he dislikes what God dislikes.

Such a state is not an angelic state where one never commits a sin. It is instead a humane and quite achievable state where he is overwhelmingly in the state of Ihsan and committing a minor sin is more of a mistake or fall then a normal behavior.

This is just one of the explanations of ihsan, or perhaps how I understood it to be. Ultimately, Allah (swt) and His Prophet (p) know best what ihsan is and what its practical implications are.

The experience in salat you mentioned is very real, as it has been experienced by other new Muslims as well in one way or another. One of them is Dr. Jeffery Lang, whose experience was very similar to yours. Born a Catholic, he turned into an atheist and remained as such for a decade throughout his academic career, until becoming a Muslim. Like you, he was also trying to make his first salat by following a book, and in the middle of it, he suddenly felt an experience similar to yours. It was so powerful and overwhelming that he actually started shaking uncontrollably. This experience is mentioned in his first book, 'Struggling to Surrender'. I will be very glad to send you a copy of this book if you send me your address.

Once again, welcome to Islam, and I hope and pray that Allah (swt) will continue to guide and bless you throughout your life.

Regards,

- Mushfiqur Rahman, 13 February 2004

Text of the hadith mentioned above

Narrated by Abu Huraira:

One day while Allah's Apostle was sitting with the people, a man came to him walking and said, "O Allah's Apostle! What is Faith?"

The Prophet (p) said, "Faith is to believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Apostles, and the meeting with Him, and the Resurrection."

The man asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What is Islam?"

The Prophet replied, "Islam is to worship Allah and not worship anything besides Him, to offer prayers perfectly, to pay the zakat, and to fast the month of Ramadan."

The man again asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What is Ihsan?"

The Prophet said, "Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not achieve this state of devotion, then consider that Allah sees you."

The man further asked, "O Allah's Apostle! When will the Hour [i.e., the Day of Judgment] be established?"

The Prophet replied, "The one who has been asked knows no more than what the questioner does, but I will describe to you its portents. When the lady slave gives birth to her mistress, that will be of its portents; when the bare-footed naked people become the chiefs of the people, that will be of its portents. The Hour is one of five things which nobody knows except Allah. Verily, the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah (alone). He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs." (31.34)

Then the man left.

The Prophet said, "Call him back to me." They went to call him back but could not see him. The Prophet said, "That was Gabriel who came to teach the people their religion."

[Bukhari]

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