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
Barakah (Blessing)
Divine blessing and abundance, obtained through worship and good deeds.
Salat al-Hajat (Prayer of Need)
A voluntary prayer performed when one has a specific need or wish.
Ghusl (Ritual Full-Body Washing)
The complete ritual washing of the entire body, required in certain situations.
Shahadah (Declaration of Faith)
The first pillar of Islam: the testimony that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger.
Du'a al-Qunut (The Qunut Supplication in Witr)
The special supplication recited during the last rak'ah of the Witr prayer.
Du'a Jawshan al-Kabir (The Great Armor)
A long supplication with 1000 of Allah's names and attributes, recited during Ramadan nights.