ihsan (al-’iḥsān)

(Language: Arabic)

Short Description: Sanctifying virtue, spiritual beauty

Long Description: In the famous ḥadīth of Jibrīl (Gabriel), the Prophet distinguished between al-islām (abandonment to the Divine Will), al-īmān (faith) and al-iḥsān, which he defined as: “To worship God as if thou seest Him; for if thou seest Him not, verily He seeth thee.”

Sources: Introduction to Sufi Doctrine (by Titus Burckhardt)

Notes & References: See Sufism: Veil and Quintessence (Chapter “The Quintessential Esoterism of Islam.”)