The Meaning of Ihsan and the Intended Meaning of the Righteous
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Question:
The questioner: Who are the righteous (al-muhsinin) mentioned in many verses of the Qur'an? Is the meaning the same?
Answer:
The Shaykh: Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) says: : [Surat al-Baqarah:195], and He the Majestic and Exalted says: [Surat al-Nahl:128]. So ihsan (excellence in worship) is: performing the obligatory duties, avoiding the forbidden, and striving in the various types of good beyond that, such as giving charity to the poor, comforting the needy, helping in good, visiting the sick, interceding for the oppressed and supporting them, restraining the oppressor, saying "may Allah have mercy on you" to one who sneezes, returning the greeting, initiating the greeting, enjoining good, forbidding evil, calling to Allah, and teaching people good...
The Shaykh: Thus, the people of ihsan are those who perform the obligatory duties and refrain from the forbidden, and yet they strive in the avenues of good and in good deeds that are not obligatory upon them, striving in them until they attain much good from them. As in the hadith, when he (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about ihsan, he said:Sahih al-Bukhari 50.
The one who excels in worship worships Allah as if he sees Him, as if he is observing Him. If he does not attain this level, he strives to believe that Allah is watching him and that Allah is aware of his deeds. He keeps this observation in mind until it makes him bolder in doing good deeds, hastening to acts of obedience, refraining from what is forbidden, and attending to what is obligatory. This is the one who excels in worship; he strives for every good, whether obligatory or recommended, and keeps his distance from every evil and from everything that should be avoided, even if it is not forbidden. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
The questioner: Who are the righteous (al-muhsinin) mentioned in many verses of the Qur'an? Is the meaning the same?
Answer:
The Shaykh: Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) says: :
And do good; indeed, Allah loves the doers of good.
وَأَحْسِنُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَIndeed, Allah is with those who fear Him and those who are doers of good.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ مُحْسِنُونَThe Shaykh: Thus, the people of ihsan are those who perform the obligatory duties and refrain from the forbidden, and yet they strive in the avenues of good and in good deeds that are not obligatory upon them, striving in them until they attain much good from them. As in the hadith, when he (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about ihsan, he said:
To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is looking at you.
أن تعبد الله كأنك تراه فإن لم تكن تراه فإنه يراكThe one who excels in worship worships Allah as if he sees Him, as if he is observing Him. If he does not attain this level, he strives to believe that Allah is watching him and that Allah is aware of his deeds. He keeps this observation in mind until it makes him bolder in doing good deeds, hastening to acts of obedience, refraining from what is forbidden, and attending to what is obligatory. This is the one who excels in worship; he strives for every good, whether obligatory or recommended, and keeps his distance from every evil and from everything that should be avoided, even if it is not forbidden. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.