Aristotle once said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." Muhammad Ali, the famous boxer, also said, "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." Islam promotes excellence and teaches us how to be excellent in every aspect of our lives. Our religion, our way of life, is composed of three main parts:
(1) Iman
(2) Islam
(3) Ihsan
To discuss Ihsan(Excellence), we must briefly go through the first two, Iman(Faith) and Islam (Submission to Allah)
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 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(such as prayers, fasting, submission to the will of Allah, etc). 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 paradise, 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. "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 Ihsan, we will bear no fruit and our soul will die. Ihsan is our lost treasure that we must unearth and revive.
Ihsan, what does it mean? The answer was provided by the Messenger of Allah saws when he said:
"Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him. And even though you do not see Him, He sees you!” (Hadith)
Ihsan 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 many beautiful names of Allah.
"Is there any reward for Ihsan except Ihsan?" (Al Rahman 55:60)
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 fruits will be rewarded with Allah's form of Ihsan - (1)the sweetness of faith, (2)success in the world, and (3)the ultimate success in the Hereafter, which is Paradise. Indeed, Ihsan attracts such a high position before Allah.
So how does this relate to us right here, right now? Whether we're in high school, college, or grad students. Whether we're young people or old people in the workforce. Whether we're newly married, engaged, or waiting our turn. Whether we're brothers and sisters and aunts, uncles, cousins, and children. The question lies: 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're studying about for a 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 - 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, to please Him. That this is a chance for us to add something to our Life's Book that Allah will open on the Day of Judgment and look upon us with joy and be proud of us. For, as Professor Yusuf al-Qaradawi had 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 LOVES.
Imagine standing in front of Allah 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 do housework or you are going to the gym or playing football, 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 world. 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, the pursuit of excellence!
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Acknowledgement:
-Quran
-Hadith
-UCLA Sister Halaqa