Footsteps of the Pious

Ever since I heard it, this part of an ayah in the Quran echoed in my heart: 

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

Certainly, God loves the Muhsineen (those who strive to achieve excellence in faith and good deeds). (Quran 2:195)

My heart yearned to be one of those. One of those that God loves, and those that God Himself says are the doer of good. One of those that get that elusive Ihsan.

In the journey to learn more about the Arabic language and the Quran, the word "Ihsan" keeps revealing its new dimensions. In fact, a popular hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) mentions various levels of faith:

Islam is that you must not associate anything with Allah, and establish prayer, pay the poor-rate (Zakat) and observe (the fasts) of Ramadan.

Al-Iman (the faith) is that you affirm your faith in Allah, His angels, His Books, His meeting, His Apostles, and that you believe in Resurrection and that you believe in Qadr (Divine Decree) in all its entirety.

Al-Ihsan is that you fear Allah as if you are seeing Him, and though you see Him not, verily He is seeing you.

(Reference: Sahih Muslim 10)

My strive to learn more about and try to reach the level of Ihsan was shattered when another ayah in the Quran gave me a stark realization.

قَالَتِ الْأَعْرَابُ آمَنَّا ۖ قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَٰكِن قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الْإِيمَانُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ ۖ وَإِن تُطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ لَا يَلِتْكُم مِّنْ أَعْمَالِكُمْ شَيْئًا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

The bedouins say, "We have believed." Say, "You have not [yet] believed; but say [instead], 'We have submitted,' for faith has not yet entered your hearts. And if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not deprive you from your deeds of anything. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." (Quran 49:14)

Forget Ihsan, there is a lot to be done before I can call myself a Mu’min (one who has Al-Iman). I have submitted but faith has yet to enter my heart. So, I tried to learn with a little more dedication, a little more focus, hunting for little more resources, seeking a little more guidance... Somedays it felt like I am getting there! They call it sweetness of Iman, when your heart feels calm by remembering Allah ﷻ, when you begin to understand how much gratitude you owe Him for every single breath you take, when you start to realize that no one can love you or have your back like He does.

I was getting somewhere, or so it seemed. Until learning another ayah and its lessons once again is stimulating some reflections…

  

مَا كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was one inclining toward truth, a Muslim [submitting to Allah]. And he was not of the polytheists. (Quran 3:67)

Ibrahim AS, a prophet of God looked up to as a role model by almost all religions of the world, lived a life that was dedicated, focused and inclined towards Allah ﷻ. A life that is an example of sacrifices and striving for the sake of God, that is unmatched in human history. And that Ibrahim AS - Allah ﷻ tells us - was a MUSLIM (one who has Islam – someone who submits Himself to God and is at peace with this submission).

I call myself a Muslim, I have been on the path of Islam for a few years alhamdulillah. I was striving for Ihsan, but then I realized there is Iman that I need to look for first. And now, I am back to even more basics. There are milestones of Islam to pass through before the gates of Iman are opened, and the ambitions of Ihsan can be dreamed about!

SubhanAllah, this Quran does more than showing us the way! 

Sometimes when we walk for a while, we start to feel a bit tired, and sit down to rest and take deep breaths, looking back and thinking to ourselves – Thanks to God, we have come a long long way from where we used to be. Quran helps us to see that distance travelled and to feel and express this gratitude. But at the same time, through the same Quran, God reminds us to not keep looking at the rear-view mirror. Yes, we can and should glance at the rear view mirror once in a while, but we have to also bring our attention back to the windscreen and the path in front of us – which shows us that there is a long, long, long way to go... We might have travelled some significant distance, but there are miles and miles to go before we sleep!

Thankfully, our Rabb has given us access to the best provisions for this upward journey. The guiding light and safety harness of Quran, and footsteps for us to follow.