Al-Ihsaan is the opposite of behaving badly, and it means
that a person strives to do what is good and to repel harmful things. So he
strives to benefit the servants of Allaah through his wealth, position,
knowledge and his person. So as for the case of doing good with ones wealth,
then he spends and gives in charity, and pays the zakaat, and the best of the
types of doing good through wealth is the zakaat since it is one of the pillars
of Islaam, and one of its great foundations. A person’s Islaam will not be
complete without it. It is the charity most loved by Allaah, the Mighty and
Majestic, and that is followed by that which it is obligatory upon a person to
spend upon his wife, mother, father, children, brothers, children of his
brothers, sisters, paternal uncles, paternal aunts, maternal aunts, and so on.
Then by charity given to the poor and to the rest of those deserving of charity
– such as students of knowledge for example.
As for the case of doing good by means of ones position,
then it is that people are found in different levels. Some of them have status
with someone in authority and so strive to benefit the people by means of his
position. So if a man comes to him and requests that he should intercede for
him with the one in authority then he does so, either to repel some harm from
him or to attain some good for him, As for doing good by means of his
knowledge, then it is that he strives to pass on his knowledge to Allaah’s
servants, in open and private gatherings and assemblies. Even if people sit
socially, to drink coffee, then it pertains to good and fine behaviour that he
should teach the people. Even if you are in a public gathering it is from what
is good that you teach the people. However wisdom is to be used in this matter.
So you should not weary the people making it a habit that every single time you
sit in a gathering you admonish and address the people, since the Prophet used
to give them admonition now and then, and not too frequently. This is because
the souls become weary and bored. When they become bored they become languid
and weak and may even come to dislike what is good merely because of the
frequency with which the per son stands and addresses them.
As for seeking to benefit the people with ones person, then
the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam said: “… that you help a man to mount
and ride his riding beast, or you lift up his luggage on to it for him, is a
charity” [Reported by al-Bukhaaree (Eng. Transl. 4/90-94/no. 161) and Muslim
(Eng. transl. 2/483-484/ no. 2204)]. So you help this man to carry his luggage,
or you guide him to the correct road to take and so on, all of this pertains to
ihsaan. So this is with regard to striving to do good to the servants of
Allaah.
As for ihsaan in the worship of Allaah, then it is that you
worship Allaah as if you were seeing Him, as the Prophet ( said. So worship
done in this way, that a person worships his Lord as if he were actually seeing
Him is worship that is accompanied by yearning and seeking. So a person will
find that his soul encourages him upon worship done in this way, since he is
yearning for the one he loves. Therefore he worships Him as if he were seeing
Him, and he directs his heart to Him and turns to Him and seeks to draw near to
Him, He the One free of all imperfections and the Most High.
“Then even though you do not see Him, then He certainly sees
you.” This part shows worship done whilst fleeing and fearing, and is therefore
the second level of ihsaan. So if you do not worship Allaah, the Mighty and
Majestic, as if you are seeing Him and seeking Him and your soul is encouraging
you towards Him, then worship Him keeping in mind that He sees you. So you will
then worship Him as one who fears Him and seeks to flee from His retribution
and punishment.
This level is held by those having knowledge of these
affairs to be lower than the first level. Worship of Allaah, the Perfect and
Most High, is, as Ibn al-Qayyim, rahimahullaah, said: ‘Worship of the Most
Merciful is utmost love of Him, along with the worshippers submission and
humility, they are its two pillars.’ So worship is built upon these two
matters: utmost love, and utmost humility and submission. Love causes one to
desire and seek, and humility causes one to fear and flee. This is ihsaan in
the worship of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. If a person worships Allaah in
this manner, then he will become one who is pure and sincere in his worship of
Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. He will not desire with his worship that he is
seen by the people, or heard of, nor will he desire their praise. It will be
the same to him whether the people notice him or do not notice him.
He will worship with ihsaan in every condition. Indeed part
of the completion of purity and sincerity of worship (al-ikhlaas) is that a
person should seek not to be seen by the people when he worships, and that his
worship should be a secret between him and his Lord. That is unless there is
some benefit for the Muslims or for Islaam in his performing it openly, for
example if he is a person who is followed and taken as an example and he wishes
to manifest his worship to the people so that they should take it as an example
to follow; or that he manifests his worship so that his companions, friends and
associates should follow his example, then this is good. This benefit which he
takes account of may be more excellent and greater than the benefit of keeping
it hidden. Therefore, Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, has praised those who
spend of their wealth in charity secretly and openly. So whenever performing it
secretly is better and more beneficial for the heart, and causes one to be more
humble and submissive, and to turn to Allaah more attentively, then they give
in secret. But when performing it openly produces benefit for Islaam, due to
manifestation of its prescribed practices, and will mean that the people follow
this persons example, then they do this openly. The Believer looks to what is
most appropriate. So whatever is most appropriate and most beneficial in
worship, then it will be what is most complete and most excellent.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-`Uthaymeen
Explanation of the Three Fundamental Principles of Islam
Explanation of the Three Fundamental Principles of Islam
