"Is there any
reward for Ihsaan other than Ihsaan" [55:60]
Whoever submits
himself to God and is a Muhsin (one who is good)
then his reward is with his Lord, on such shall be
no fear, nor shall they grieve [2:112]
IHSAAN is a basic theme in the Quran. It relates to
those human qualities and behavior, which are related to
goodness and desired by God. A person who practices
Ihsaan is called a Muhsin and its plural is Muhseneen.
We can judge the importance of Ihsaan by the fact that
God has expressed love for Muhseneen in the Quran,
greater than any other human quality[i]. (read about
Qualities God loves)
Literal Meaning In Arabic
Ihsaan has a wide meaning. Its root word is H-S-N,
which means [ii]:
- To do right
- To improve
- To be in a desirable condition or in a proper
state
- To decorate or embellish
- To treat with kindliness
Qualities associated with Ihsaan in the Quran
Following qualities are associated with Ihsaan in the
Quran [iii]:
- To forgive the faults of others [5/13, 3/134]
(read about forgiveness)
- To spend wealth for the welfare of humankind
[2/195, 3/134] (read about stewardship of wealth)
- To strive against evil in the way of God [29/69,
9/120] (read about Jehad)
- To be generous [2/236]
- To be humble [2/58, 9/91, 5/82-85, 7/56]
- To be righteous, to fear God and be patient
[12/90]
- To establish As-Salat and pay Zakat [31/3,
11/114-115]
Reward for practicing Ihsaan
There are many rewards promised for those who are
Mushin[iv]. A Mushin:
- Shall have no fear nor shall he/she grieve
[2/112]
- Muhsin is considered the best person in God’s
system [4/125]
- A Muhsin has the most trustworthy support
[31/22]
- The Ihsaan can never go waste [77/44, 51/16,
46/112]
Relevance to us
An environment free from fear, prejudice and
favoritism is impossible without Ihsan. We need
forgiveness, generosity, struggle, humbleness and sense
of righteousness for promoting this environment. For
this we need to change ourselves As God said:
"God does not change a
people's lot unless they change what is in their
hearts" [13/11]
Conclusion
Ihsaan is the most desirable quality in a Muslim. To
be a Mushin, a person must practice acts of goodness
towards humankind, be humble, fear God and strive
against evil in the way of God. Such a person is
promised an immense reward from God.
Notes & References
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[i] In five verses of Quran God has expressed love
for Muhseneen 2/195, 3/134, 3/148, 5/13, 5/93
[ii] Hans Wehr dictionary of Modern Arabic
[iii] Forgiveness 5:13 … and forgive them and
overlook. Verily, God loves Al-Muhsineen 3:134 Those who
spend (freely), whether in prosperity, or in adversity;
who restrain anger, and pardon (all) men;- for Allah
loves Al-Muhsineen;-
Spending wealth for Charitable causes 2:195 And spend
of your substance in the cause of Allah, and make not
your own hands contribute to (your) destruction; but do
good; for Allah loveth those who are Muhseneen 3:134
Those who spend (freely), whether in prosperity, or in
adversity; who restrain anger, and pardon (all) men;-
for Allah loves those who do good;-
Those who strive in the God’s cause 29:69 And those
who strive in Our (cause),- We will certainly guide them
to our Paths: For verily Allah is with Al-Muhseneen.
9:120 That is because they suffer neither thirst nor
fatigue, nor hunger in the cause of God, nor they take
any step to raise the anger of disbelievers nor inflict
any injury upon an enemy but is written to their credit
as a deed of righteousness. Surely, God wastes not the
reward of the Al-Muhsineen
Generosity 2:236 There is no blame on you if ye
divorce women before consummation or the fixation of
their dower; but bestow on them (A suitable gift), the
wealthy according to his means, and the poor according
to his means;- A gift of a reasonable amount is due from
those who wish to be Muhsineen.
Humility and Sincerity 2:58 And remember We said:
"Enter this town, and eat of the plenty therein as ye
wish; but enter the gate with humility, in posture and
in words, and We shall forgive you your faults and
increase (the portion of) those who are Al- Muhseneen."
9:91 There is no blame on those who are weak or ill or
who find no resources to spend, if they are sincere and
true to God and His Messenger. No ground can there be
against the Muhsineen. And god is oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful. 5:82-85 …. You will find the nearest to the
believers those who say: “We are Christians…they are not
proud….their eyes flowing with tears….God rewarded them
Gardens under which rivers flow, they will abide therein
forever. Such is the reward of Al-Muhseneen. 7:56 Do no
mischief on the earth, after it hath been set in order,
but call on Him with fear and longing (in your hearts):
for the Mercy of Allah is (always) near to those are
Muhseneen.
Righteousness and Patience 12:90 They said: "Art thou
indeed Joseph?" He said, "I am Joseph, and this is my
brother: Allah has indeed been gracious to us (all):
behold, he that is righteous and patient,- never will
Allah suffer the reward to be lost, of those who are
Muhseneen."
Performing As-Salat 11:114-15 And perform As-Salat at
the two ends of the day and in some hours of the night.
Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds. That is a
reminder for the mindful and be patient; verily, god
loses not the reward of the AlMuhseneen.
[iv] 2/112 Nay,-whoever submits His whole self to
Allah and is a Muhsin,- He will get his reward with his
Lord; on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
4/125 And who can be better in deen than one who submits
his face to God; and he is a Muhsin. And follows the
deen of Ibrahim Hanifa. And God did take Ibrahim as a
Khalil – friend. 31/22 Whoever submits his whole self to
Allah, and is a Mushin, has grasped indeed the most
trustworthy hand-hold: and with Allah rests the End and
Decision of (all) affairs.
Disclaimer: Some interpretations of the Quran seek
esoteric meanings for the concept of 'Ihsaan' which is
not the purpose of this article. Esoteric means hidden
or deeper knowledge or teachings that are possessed or
understood only by a few.
