Ihsan (Excellence)
The highest level of worship: to worship Allah as if one can see Him.
Ihsan (excellence) is the highest level of religious practice in Islam. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) defined ihsan in the Jibril hadith: "That you worship Allah as if you see Him — for even though you do not see Him, He sees you" (Sahih Muslim). Ihsan represents the spiritual dimension of prayer.
Regarding prayer, ihsan is about praying with full awareness of Allah's presence (muraqabah), with humility (khushu), and with complete devotion. It is not enough merely to perform the physical movements of prayer — ihsan requires that the heart be fully present. Imam al-Ghazali dedicated large portions of his "Ihya Ulum al-Din" to describing ihsan in prayer.
Ihsan is the third level in the famous triad: islam (outward practice), iman (inner faith), and ihsan (spiritual excellence). Imam al-Nawawi included the Jibril hadith as the second hadith in his famous 40 Hadith, underscoring its fundamental importance. Striving for ihsan in prayer is a lifelong journey for the believing Muslim.
Related terms
Zakat (Alms)
The obligatory alms that the Quran mentions alongside prayer.
Muwalat (Continuity in Prayer)
The requirement of continuous and coherent performance of the prayer's parts.
Isha (Night Prayer)
The fifth and final daily prayer, performed when darkness has fallen.
Mab'ath (The Prophet's Calling)
The day when Prophet Muhammad received the first revelation and was called to prophethood.
Al-Kafi (The Sufficient)
The most important Shia hadith collection, with extensive chapters on prayer.
Nisf Sha'ban (Mid-Sha'ban)
The 15th of Sha'ban — the birthday of Imam al-Mahdi and a night of forgiveness.