Sidi Masoud Qazen delivers a Khutbah about striving for the par excellence state of for a believer (Ihsan) that we may experience in spurts in our life, but to always maintain our basic state of submission: Islam and Iman.
This sermon was delivered at the Muslim Community Center of East Bay (MCC East Bay) in Pleasanton, California on Friday, March 29, 2019.
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Masoud Qazen is a community member, a scientist by profession, and MCC Sunday School Quranic instructor. He spends his days coaching executives to become better at problem solving to bring new products to the market. He has studied Arabic and Quran with many teachers, including scholars from the Bay. In his free time, he tackles the Bay Area mountains with his bike and fellow Muslim biking group.
Ihsan is part of the three dimensions of Islam
Ihsan (Arabic: إحسان) is an Arabic term meaning "perfection" or "excellence" (Ara. husn). It is a matter of taking one's inner faith (iman) and showing it in both deed and action, a sense of social responsibility borne from religious convictions. In Islam, ihsan is the Muslim responsibility to obtain perfection, or excellence, in worship, such that Muslims try to worship God as if they see God and although they cannot see God, they undoubtedly believe that God is constantly watching over them.
That definition comes from the Hadith of Gabriel in which the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) states: "[Ihsan is] to worship God as though you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, then indeed He sees you". (Al-Bukhari and Al-Muslim).
Ihsan, meaning "to do beautiful things", is one of the three dimensions of the Islamic religion (Ara. ad-din): islam, iman and ihsan. In contrast to the emphases of Islam (what one should do) and Iman (why one should do), the concept of ihsan is primarily associated with intention. One who "does what is beautiful" is called a muhsin. It is generally held that a person can only achieve true ihsan with the help and guidance of God, who governs all things. While traditionally Islamic jurists have concentrated on Islam and theologians on Iman, the Sufis have focused their attention on Ihsan.
Some Islamic scholars explain ihsan as being the inner dimension of Islam whereas shariah is often described as the outer dimension:
From the preceding discussion it should be clear that not every Muslim is a man or woman of faith (mu'min), but every person of faith is a Muslim. Furthermore, a Muslim who believes in all the principles of Islam may not necessarily be a righteous person, a doer of good (muhsin), but a truly good and righteous person is both a Muslim and a true person of faith.
Ihsan "constitutes the highest form of worship" (ibadah). It is excellence in work and in social interactions. For example, ihsan includes sincerity during Salah (Muslim prayers) and being grateful to parents, family, and God.
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