Ihsan in Each and Everything
How great the Ihsan of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) is!
He is the most forbearant, most patient and kindest person.
Ihsan should be applied in everything and every act done by the Muslim. Ihsan obligates the Muslim to master his work or the task he has to accomplish. The Muslim should bear in mind that Allah (AWJ)1 knows how he works, and sees how loyal and honest he is at his work, whatever the work might be, as long as it is permissible. The Muslim should be perfecting his work whether it is for the sake of Almighty Allah or it is for the present life, because if he has pure intention, then even his work that he does for an aim in the present life is an act of worship too. Each and everything in this life should be done with the intention to please Allah (AWJ). We will be rewarded for anything that we do it in the right way, by avoiding the forbidden and doing the permissible. Even satisfying the sexual desire with the spouse, the person will be rewarded for it, because he/she avoided the forbidden. Narrated Abu Dharr (RA)2 that the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) said: "Every day the sun rises charity (Sadaqah) is due on every joint of a person. To greet his brother is Sadaqah, to promote for good is a Sadaqah, to forbid vice is a Sadaqah, to remove harm from the road is Sadaqah, and in man's sexual intercourse (Boda') there is a Sadaqah. Performing two rakas of Dhoa prayer equalizes all these deeds.'' They (the Companions) said: "O Messenger of Allah, is there reward for him who satisfies his sexual need among us?'' He said, "You see, if he were to satisfy it with something forbidden, would it not be a sin on his part?"3
The word Boda' mentioned in the hadith means in the Arabic language 'Sexual Intercourse' or 'Sexual Organ'. So, if a man sleeps with his wife, they will be rewarded if they both have clear intention. Each act in the present life, provided that the act is religiously permissible and you do it having a pure intention, is counted as an act of worship to Allah (AWJ). Yet, this act or work should not keep you from any right Allah (SWT)4 has over you. For example, if a person is working in his shop, and he hears the Adhan (Call for Prayer), yet he stays in his shop and does not go to perform prayers, saying that he is still at work and his work is a sort of worship! This is not the right method to master or perfect your work. If your daily job leads you to be negligent or unaware of your worship to Allah, or a right that Allah has over you, then it is not an act of worship and vice versa. If your job does not limit you or ban you from fulfilling the acts of worship, and the rights of Allah over you and you have a pure intention of doing this work for the sake of Allah, then you are doing an act of worship and you will be rewarded for it. Worship is as vast as life, as it will be explained later Insha’Allah. Ihsan is a shadowy big tree; the fruits of this tree are good rewards in the present life before the hereafter. Any work that you master and perfect, with a pure intention, then it is an act of worship to the Creator.
Having clear intention in everything you do, as I mentioned, is the second degree of Ihsan after Ihsan with Allah (AWJ).
Hasanat5 is a tree branched from a bigger blessed tree, namely the tree of Ihsan. The Muhsin, the one who performs Ihsan, garners the fruits of Ihsan for each and every act he does in the present life, before the biggest and most valuable rewards in the Hereafter.
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(1) AWJ: Aza-Wa-Jal [Glorified and Sublime be He].
(2) RA: Radya Allah anhu/anha [May Allah be pleased with him/her]
(3) Recorded by Imam Muslim, Kitab al-Zakah, Bab Bayan Ism al-Sadaqah Yaqa'u 'Ala Kulli Naou Men al-Marouf, Hadith No. 1006
(4) SWT = Suhanahu wa Ta'ala [Glorified and Exalted Be He]
(5) Hasanat: When a good deed is done a Muslim gains positive points called hasanat or thawab. When a person is brought before God for judgment their good deeds will be weighed-up against their bad deeds (ithim).
