One of the most awe inspiring scenes in nature is to witness how a barren desert after a few drops of rain suddenly blooms into a bewildering tapestry of colours. Each seemingly dormant seed has a locked in potential which patiently awaits just the minimum amount of nourishment to reach its fullest destiny. Reflecting on nature which is also a creation of Allah Almighty gives us a greater insight into our own creation. We are not merely physical beings. We have been blessed with intelligence, a conscience, an ability to reflect, and above all a spirit or a ruh. Primordial covenant In terms of genesis our spiritual being predates our physical creation. In its primordial state our spirit was imbued with a potential to realise its Creator. It affirmed this in response to the question "alastu birabbikum"
'am I not your Lord?' (7:172) posed to it at the beginning of time. Each soul has the latent capacity to once again reach towards the Creator and to accept it alone as the Ultimate Reality. It has the capacity to return to Allah in a purified state as it was in the beginning of all Creation. In the Hadith of Gibraeel The Prophet Muhammed (SAW) defines Ihsan as “worshipping Allah as if you see him”. For the believer who perfects his or her daily Salah, there is an endless opportunity to re-enact this primordial submission and surrender of the human soul before Allah Almighty. If it is within Insan (mankind’s) nature to be forgetful, performance of the daily prayer is a constant source of reminder, support and comfort for the toiling human soul to maintain his or her ethical and moral balance. Allah in His Infinite Wisdom sends His Messengers and His Revelation to make man realise his latent potential for spiritual and moral growth. If mankind fulfils this primordial covenant, it acts true to its nature and it will be successful. If it chooses otherwise it is not acting in synchrony with its latent potential and suffering, failure and hardship will thus be its lot. Qur’an as spiritual nutrition The language of the Qur’an as Allah’s Final Revelation addresses humankind in a manner which helps it to reach deep within itself, to answer man’s eternal quest for happiness and what the purpose and significance of this life here is all about. It wants mankind’s life here to be eminently successful. It wants to beautify human character. It wants to instill good ethical values in human beings. It wants human beings to realise the potential they have within themselves to imbue their character with compassion, mercy, tenderness... all attributes of Allah Almighty Himself. The earthly advent of Islam makes its entry with the revelation of the Qur’an. This makes it the fountainhead of our entire spiritual existence. It serves as mankind’s most direct source of Divine Guidance. Islam, Iman and Ihsan are tributaries which lead off from this fountain fertilising hearts and minds to attain an ability for self reflection. Its words and ideas serve as nourishment for a soul seeking a way to connect to its Creator. Mankind is the only creation of Allah Almighty which has been blessed with the ability to think and reflect on the Divine Creative Power. This Godly part struggles relentlessly for dominance and an escape from the demands of the physical material self which is inclined towards evil and forgetfulness. Some end their lives completely oblivious of their Creator, others may submit (reach the state of Aslama or Islam), or even attain to faith (Iman). It is only a select few who advance beyond submission and faith to Ihsan or as Sachiko Murata (The Vision Of Islam) puts it, “to bring one’s motivations and psychological qualities into harmony with one’s activity and understanding.” In this titanic struggle for success the ruh searches for guidance like a parched plant longs for those nourishing drops of rain after a severe drought. Ihsan is one of those life giving, rejuvenating forces the Qur’an speaks of so often. It is mentioned in various contexts. The golden thread which runs through all of them is that it refers to behaviour on the part of humans which has Divine sanction or attains Divine pleasure. Ihsan is thus a recipe for attaining closeness to the Creator (taqarrub ilal lah). As rain fertilizes a seed, in like manner the Qur’an and in particular its emphasis on Ihsan nourishes the ruh allowing it to blossom and to reach its fullest potential. Ihsan is a clarion call from the Qur’an for human beings to move far away from mediocrity. If Tasawwuf or the esoteric aspect of Islam is pre eminently associated with transforming the human character it is a sine qua non that it must base its principles and practices on the words of the Qur’an. Ihsan It is therefore no wonder that the Qur’an refers to Ihsan in more than two hundred verses. Often interpreted as beauty or goodness or excellence, Ihsan implies striving for such qualities both within human beings and in the environment around them; thus individuals with Ihsan, are recognised by their ethical behaviour as well as by their sense of aesthetic appreciation. Allahu Jamal Wa Yuhibbul Jamil states a Hadith (Allah Is Beautiful and He Loves Beauty). Jamal is a unique attribute of Allah. Humans can never reach to that category but Ihsan is eminently attainable by all human beings. Ihsan or doing something good, with excellence, with a certain care for its execution, aware of one’s attitude in its performance suggests a degree of refinement, of a higher standard of performance or setting a new benchmark. This can apply to worship, or to any mundane activity. It applies not only towards the vertical relationship with Allah Almighty (Ibadat) but also in one’s horizontal relationship with human beings (muamalat.) Thus to be a muhsin is to be an embodiment of perfection, of sincerity in worship, of good ethical conduct. Hsn is the trilateral root from which the various shades of meaning of Ihsan are derived from; hence hasuna, hasan, hasanah, ahsana, yuhsinu, ahsin and muhsin share the same shades of meaning. Each human being on this earth is a traveler, from birth till she or he meets Allah. Our life’s journey is marked by many a significant event. For some it can be a profound loss; yet for others it can be a moment of overwhelming Divine Generosity. Some can experience the finest of human kindness whilst others experience hatred, jealousy, and deliberate misunderstanding. Some can remain in their spiritual doldrums whilst for others there are moments of profound insight. Ihsan caters for all categories of human contingency. It shows the way out of any situation toward success (falah).
Fatabarakallahu ahsanul khaliqin (23:14) is an example of Allah Almighty using a derivative of the term Ihsan to describe the creation of human beings. Man is fashioned out of clay and his entire embryogenesis is described in remarkable detail. One is filled with a deep sense of awe and reverence when we reflect that despite our small and insignificant origin, with what latent capacity we have been blessed with. Allah invites us to ponder on the Ihsan with which He Lovingly created us all. Blessed are those who when they ponder on the creation of Allah and their hearts are filled with a yaksha (loving, reverential fear of Allah) in their Hearts. (35:28).
Wa hasuna ulaika rafiqa (4:69) is an affirmation of the rich rewards which await those who pay heed to Allah and his Messenger (SAW). They will be rewarded with the companionship of the Prophets (nabiyyin), those who never deviate from the truth (siddiqin), those who bear witness to the truth with their lives (shuhada) and those who live righteous (salihin) lives. These are best role models for humanity. Their lives are a manifestation of Ihsan in practice.
Wa bil walidayni Ihsana (17:23) is an explicit command from Allah Almighty for the kind and compassionate treatment of parents. They are the first significant others we encounter on our journey in life. They nurture us and care for us with love and compassion. Caring for them is a deeper expression of the Ihsan we carry in our hearts as we struggle to express our gratitude for their endless sacrifices when we were young and weak.
Id fa’billati hiya ahsan (41:34) is a call by the Qur’an to repel evil with good. It uses the term ahsan which is the superlative form of Ihsan. It guides in our relationship with those who not only differ with us but use whatever material advantage they may have to sow seeds of enmity and tyranny. This capacity to turn enemies into friends is a capacity one has to earn and acquire. Ebrahim Moosa in his seminal work Ghazali and the Poetics of Imagination puts it well when he talks about a “future marked by friendship and just coexistence – as a real possibility among a plurality of discursive communities.” Wallahu yuhibbul muhsinin (3:134) The Qur’an uses the term muhsinun (doers of good) in several places to indicate characteristics of human behaviour which find Divine Pleasure. This is thus an open invitation for the reader to transform his or her life in accordance with what promotes peace, stability, honesty, truthfulness and integrity in society. In short acquisition of Ihsan leads to good ethical practices. The above verses are but a small measure of the vast ocean of meaning and significance contained within the various expressions of Ihsan in the Qur’an. Qalb ... the seat of Ihsan Any thinking, reflecting being is forever confronting questions such as “why am I here?”, “what’s the purpose of my creation?”, “how do I find an element of peace and contentment within myself?” The Qur’anic concept of Ihsan in relationship to man’s origins and his subsequent journey throughout life emphasizes the need for a moral and ethical anchor in one’s life. Tasawwuf or the mystical, inner dimension of Islam helps to actualise Ihsan in both worship and human interaction.
Worship in Islam is not simply the moving of the tongue and the limbs. They are only witnesses to what is contained within the heart. Similarly Ihsan which finds its abode within the Qalb or heart is at the seat of all our deepest emotions, feelings and aspirations. A heart filled with Ihsan is at once Allah conscious, sensitive, responsive, caring, compassionate; a true example of beauty from within (an ethical being) and simultaneously conscious of beauty which surrounds itself ( having a strong appreciation of the aesthetic.)
Dr. Muhammed Rafiq Khan is a Paediatrician in private practice in Cape Town. He also holds an
Honours degree in Social science and Humanities from the University of Cape Town. | 
