What is Ehsaan - Chapter 3

What is Ehsan ?

When the questioner asked “ what is ehsan “ , and the messenger of Allah (SA) answered that ehsan was to worship Allah believing that the worshipper was actallu seeing the worshipped one. One was seeing him. This is the minimum requirement. In this way the worship will be correct.

All the accomplishment of tasawwuf and tariqat is contained in these words; that equality of ehsan be achieved. Those who desire to acquire this quality of ehsan should seek the company of those who have already acquired it.

Some signs of the Last Day

When the questioner asked about the signs of the approach of the last day, the messenger of Allah (SA) mentioned only two of the countless signs; that women should give birth to the daughters who would order them about and treat them like servants, (as we are seeing today with our own eyes ). The word ‘ daughters’ is used here only as in example, but sons are also implied. Similarly, the word ‘ women’. Meaning mothers, has been used, but implying that since the mother is most to be obeyed and honored, if one could lord over her, one could not be expected to behave with due courtesy towards others.

Boasting over mansions

The other sign of the coming of the last day, predicted by the messenger of Allah (SA) , is that those who have neither shoes nor clothing will wear and make a living by lifting cattle and such will become owner of large mansions and boast and pride over their wealth. This can be interpreted in 2 ways : a) there will be a revolutions so that the most poverty stricken will become rich but will not have the ssense to put their riches to better use other than to boast about them.

The second meaning can be that these paupers, depriving themselves of sufficient food and necessities, will somehow accumulate enough, to construct tall mansions and boast about them among themselves.

Deaf, Dumb and naked kings :

The former interpretation is to be preferred and is borned out by a tradition from Abu Huraira (RA).

“ when u c that  the bare- footed , poorly dresses, deaf and dumb become kings….”

The traditions tells us that paupers will be so impoverished, also of the intelligence, that they will neither be able to speak the truth nor hear the truth, but if they somehow make enough to build mansions for themselves they will do no more than pride and boast about them.

Abu Huraira‘s Tradition closes with the words :

“The knowledge of the last day is hidden in these five things and is only with Allah , none besides.”

After the Gabriel tradition which informs us of the basic principles of Islam, we shall state the Islamic beliefs in some detail as they should be taught to the children.