The Sunnah of Ihsan

I gratitude and thanks are due to Allah. We thank Him, praise Him, and seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the evil in our deeds and behavior. Whoever fears Allah indeed he is guided, and whoever loses Allah’s way indeed he is lost.

And I bare witness that there’s no God but Allah – Him Alone with no partners; and I testify that Muhammad (pbuh) is His servant and Messenger.
O Allah, praise, bless, and grant salvation to Muhammad (pbuh), to his family and all his companions, and to whoever is rightly guided through his example until the Day of Resurrection, Amen.

Dear brothers & sisters,

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:
“Indeed I have been sent in order to perfect for you your character”
Today, we reflect upon a very important sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), which is Al-Ihsan. Al-Ihsan means Al-Itqaan: striving towards perfection in everything that we say & do.
In fact allah command us to do ihsan in every day of life… The prophet said ;
“Verily Allah has prescribed proficiency in Allah all thing , Thus if you kill, kill well and if you slaughter laughter welll.- Muslim

When it comes in the context of speech, Ihsan means that you choose the best words when you speak to or with others. Allah (swt) commanded Prophet Muhammad (pbuh):
“(O Muhammad) Tell My servants to speak in the best possible manner”
So Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) taught us in his Sunnah:
“Who ever believes in Allah and the Day of Judgment, then let him say something good or let him remain silent”
When it comes in the context of deeds, Ihsan means that you choose the best deeds that are accepted by Allah, and you strive to perfect them. Allah (swt) said:
“Truly Allah is with those who keep their duty to Him, and those who are excelling in their deeds”
Keeping our duty to Him is choosing the best deeds that Allah accepts for us, and excelling in our deeds is perfecting them. And so Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:
“Allah loves that if you do something, you perfect it or excel in it”
Those who excel in their speech & deeds, Allah promised that He will shower them with His mercy:
“Indeed, the Mercy of Allah is very close to those who perfect their deeds”
If you strive do you your best in everything, then what other reward would Allah bless you with, except with the best rewards? For this reason, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) teaches us that Ihsan, striving towards perfection in everything that we say & do, was prescribed by Allah in everything that pertains to life!
“Indeed Allah has prescribed achieving perfection in everything!”
Once you strive to achieve perfection in your heart, your mind, your speech, your deeds, your character, your way of living, your dealing with others, everything; then you earn the love of Allah! Allah said in the Quran:
“And march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the pious ones. Those who spend (in Allah’s Cause) in prosperity and in adversity, and those who suppress their anger, and forgive the people, and Allah indeed loves those who strive for perfection in their deeds”
Allah treated us with Ihsan; He perfected things for us. He placed us created us in the best possible manner:
“Indeed, We created man in the best form and stature”
The senses, the arms, the legs, the spine, the heart, the brain, and so on. Allah sends a wake up call saying:
“And in the earth are so many signs for those who have faith with certainty, and in yourselves, do you not see (Our signs?)”
And so just like Allah based His treatment on Ihsan, perfection, we are ordered to base everything on Ihsan:
“And perfect, just like Allah perfected things for you!”

Dear brothers & sisters,

Not only that, He will also reward them with the best possible reward:
“Is there any reward for Ihsan other than Ihsan?”
Barakallahu