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
Du'a al-Qunut (The Qunut Supplication in Witr)
The special supplication recited during the last rak'ah of the Witr prayer.
Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice)
The greatest Islamic holiday, celebrated in remembrance of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son.
Tartib (Order in Prayer)
The correct sequence of the prayer's actions and the daily prayers.
Sujud al-Tilawah (Prostration of Recitation)
A prostration performed when reciting or hearing specific Quranic verses.
Hajj (Pilgrimage)
The annual pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the five pillars of Islam, obligatory for every Muslim with the ability.
Tawaf (Circumambulation of the Kaaba)
The ritual of walking seven times around the Kaaba counterclockwise as part of Hajj and Umrah.