Spiritual excellence in Islam
Abraham ابراهيم, Animals الحيوانات, Character الأخلاق, Charity الصدقة, Creation الخلق, Excellence الإحسان, Forgiveness المغفرة, Gentleness الرفق, Godfearing التقوى, Hellfire جهنم, Hereafter الآخرة, Humility التواضع, Jesus Christ المسيح عيسى, Manners الأدب, Mercy الرحمة, Monotheism التوحيد, Paradise الجنة, Peace السلام, Quran Exegesis التفسير, Righteous Predecessors السلف الصالح‎
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Spiritual excellence (ihsan) is the highest level of righteousness and faith a Muslim can achieve in Islam. It is the state of being when a Muslim perfects his worship of Allah and his good character towards people. We should not be content simply to perform the minimum requirements of Islam, but rather we should strive toward spiritual perfection. Allah has made this lofty goal achievable for anyone who is willing to work for it.

Excellence is the way of Abraham, upon him be peace, and subsequently all of the prophets who came after him. It can be seen in his readiness to surrender and submit himself to the Creator in everything that he did.

Allah said:

وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ دِينًا مِّمَّنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ وَاتَّبَعَ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا

Who is better in religion than one who submits himself to Allah while being a doer of good (muhsin) and follows the religion of Abraham, inclining to truth?

Surat An-Nisa 4:125

Allah has praised excellence in several verses of the Quran. It is the combination of all good characteristics in Islam such as submission to the will of Allah, true faith, mercy, righteousness, and piety.

Forty Hadith on Mindfulness
Angels الملائكة, Character الأخلاق, Day of Resurrection يوم القيامة, Death الموت, Excellence الإحسان, Hereafter الآخرة, Humility التواضع, Manners الأدب, Mindfulness المراقبة, Modesty الحياء, Patience الصبر, Remembrance الذكر, Repentance التوبة, Satan الشيطان, Supplication الدعاء, Virtue الفضيلة
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Hadith 1
Excellence and Mindfulness الإِحسَان والمُرَاقَبَة

Umar ibn al-Khattab reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

الْإِحْسَان أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ

Excellence is to worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He surely sees you.

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 8, Grade: Sahih

Tawḥīd as a Mercy from Allah and Fitrah

I. Qur’ān Verses on Tawḥīd as a Mercy and Fitrah

1. Fitrah – Innate Tawḥīd

فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًاۚ فِطْرَتَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَاۚ لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِۚ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

« So set your face toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fitrah of Allah upon which He has created people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah. That is the correct religion, but most people do not know » (Sourate ar-Rûm 30:30)

2. The Covenant Before Birth

وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَنِي آدَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْۖ قَالُوا بَلَىٰ شَهِدْنَاۛ أَن تَقُولُوا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَٰذَا غَافِلِينَ

« “And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam — from their loins — their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying to them], ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said, ‘Yes, we testify.’ [This] – lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection, ‘Indeed, we were of this unaware.’ » (Surah al-Aʿrāf 7:172)

قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ‎﴿٣٩﴾‏

[Iblees] said, "My Lord, because You have put me in error, I will surely make [disobedience] attractive to them on earth, and I will mislead them all

إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ‎﴿٤٠﴾‏

Except from your servants the sincere ones

Quran Surah 15 Hijr verses 39 40

1. قُلْ أَمَرَ رَبِّي بِالْقِسْطِ وَأَقِيمُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَادْعُوهُ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ كَمَا بَدَأَكُمْ تَعُودُونَ ‎﴿الأعراف: ﴿٢٩﴾‏

Say, [O Muhammad], "My Lord has ordered justice and that you maintain yourselves [in worship of Him] at every place [or time] of prostration, and invoke Him, sincere to Him in religion." Just as He originated you, you will return [to life] - Quran Surah 7 Al Araf verse 29

2. هُوَ الَّذِي يُسَيِّرُكُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا كُنتُمْ فِي الْفُلْكِ وَجَرَيْنَ بِهِم بِرِيحٍ طَيِّبَةٍ وَفَرِحُوا بِهَا جَاءَتْهَا رِيحٌ عَاصِفٌ وَجَاءَهُمُ الْمَوْجُ مِن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُمْ أُحِيطَ بِهِمْ دَعَوُا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ لَئِنْ أَنجَيْتَنَا مِنْ هَـٰذِهِ لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ ‎﴿يونس: ٢٢﴾‏

It is He who enables you to travel on land and sea until, when you are in ships and they sail with them by a good wind and they rejoice therein, there comes a storm wind and the waves come upon them from everywhere and they assume that they are surrounded, supplicating Allah, sincere to Him in religion, "If You should save us from this, we will surely be among the thankful."

Quran Surah 10 Yunus verse 22

The Duas of The Prophets and The Pious

Allah SWT Says In The Quran:

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ إِنَّ

“Call upon Me, I will respond to you.”

Dua is such an important part of being a believer, that our beloved Prophet PBUH equaled it to worship. That’s why, Allah SWT has given us examples of duas made by the Prophets and pious people PBUT in The Holy Quran.

The Dua of Prophet Adam A.S

This is the first dua ever said by mankind. It was the dua of Prophet Adam A.S when he had committed his first mistake and turned to Allah SWT in repentance. This is a helpful dua to say for istighfar (seeking forgiveness).

رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

Rabbana thalamna anfusana wain lam taghfirlana watarhamna lanakoonanna mina alkhasireena

“Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers.” - (Quran 7:23)

The Dua Of Prophet Yunus A.S

This is the dua that was said by Prophet Yunus A.S when he was stuck inside the belly of a whale. He felt hopeless and turned to Allah SWT in repentance, begging for His Mercy. Another wonderful dua to say for istighfar and at times of hardship.

لَّا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ