The Way of His Excellency!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islam, Assalamu Alaikum. Jazakumullah Khayr for the encouraging response to my write-up ‘Ihsaan: Beyond Excellence’.

I intend to write a series of articles, Insha’Allah, entitled: Beyond Excellence: The Making of a Muhsin. This is the second part.

Excellence in everything is the Way of His Excellency!

Almighty Allah describes Himself in the Qur’an as ahsanul khaliqeen, the Best of creators.

فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ

“So blessed be Allah, the Best to create” (23:14)

Allah’s greatest blessing is that He has made us human beings – crown of all creations. He has given us the best stature. Man is indeed ahsanul khaliqeen’s ahsanu taqweem!

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الإنْسَانَ فِي أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ

“Verily We created man in the best stature.” (95:4)

اللَّهُ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الأرْضَ قَرَارًا وَالسَّمَاءَ بِنَاءً وَصَوَّرَكُمْ فَأَحْسَنَ صُوَرَكُمْ وَرَزَقَكُمْ مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ

“Allah, it is He Who has made for you the earth as a dwelling place and the sky as a canopy, and has given you shape and made your shapes good looking…..” (40:64)

 خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ وَصَوَّرَكُمْ فَأَحْسَنَ صُوَرَكُمْ وَإِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ

“He has created the heavens and the earth with truth, and He shaped you and made good your shapes, and to Him is the final return” (64:3)

Furthermore, Almighty Allah has blessed us with an excellent civilization – ahsanu deenan!

 وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ دِينًا مِمَّنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ وَاتَّبَعَ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَاتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ خَلِيلا

 “And who is better in religion than one who submits his face (himself) to Allah, and he is a Muhsin….” (4:125)

Moreover, Allah has lifted our position and status to that of the best of peoples – khairul ummah.

 كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ

“You are the best of peoples evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah….” (3:110)

Allah has given us a book that is the best.  Al Qur’an, know that, is Allah’s ahsanul hadith!

اللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابًا مُتَشَابِهًا مَثَانِيَ تَقْشَعِرُّ مِنْهُ جُلُودُ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمْ وَقُلُوبُهُمْ إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ هُدَى اللَّهِ يَهْدِي بِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ هَادٍ

“Allah has sent down the best statement, a Book (this Qur’an), its part resembling each other and oft-repeated…..” (39:23)

وَاتَّبِعُوا أَحْسَنَ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَأْتِيَكُمُ الْعَذَابُ بَغْتَةً وَأَنْتُمْ لا تَشْعُرُونَ

“And follow the Best that which was revealed to you from your Lord, before the chastisement comes on you of a sudden, while you perceive not!” (39:55)

وَلا يَأْتُونَكَ بِمَثَلٍ إِلا جِئْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَحْسَنَ تَفْسِيرًا

“And no example or similitude do they bring (to oppose or find fault in you or in the Qur’an) but We reveal to you the truth, and the better explanation thereof” (25:33)

Apart from blessing humanity with the Best Statement in the form of the Qur’an, Allah has also guided us through His blessed Messenger, Muhammad (sal), whose role model is Uswatun Hasana, the benchmark of and for excellence.

لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا

“You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah an excellent role model for him who hopes in Allah and the Final Day, and who remembers Allah much” (33:21)

Blessings and bounties of Allah are found everywhere.  The food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, the light that we need for our survival – all are provided to man in the best way.

الَّذِي أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ الإنْسَانِ مِنْ طِينٍ

“(It is) He Who created all things in the Best way” (32:7)

وَمِنْ ثَمَرَاتِ النَّخِيلِ وَالأعْنَابِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِنْهُ سَكَرًا وَرِزْقًا حَسَنًا إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَةً لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ

“And from the fruit of the date palm and the vine, you get out wholesome drink and food: be hold in this is a sign for those who are wise” (16:67)

قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُ عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّي وَرَزَقَنِي مِنْهُ رِزْقًا حَسَنًا وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُخَالِفَكُمْ إِلَى مَا أَنْهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ إِنْ أُرِيدُ إِلا الإصْلاحَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ وَمَا تَوْفِيقِي إِلا بِاللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ

 “And He has given me sustenance (pure and) good” (11:88)

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Part 1

Part 3