Overview

A Prophetic clarification of 55:60 connects worldly Ihsaan to its ultimate, excellent recompense.

Prophetic Context

هَلْ جَزَاءُ الْإِحْسَانِ إِلَّا الْإِحْسَانُ

Anas bin Malik narrated that the Messenger of Allah recited this ayah and asked: “Do you realise what your Rabb said?” They replied: “Allah and His Messenger are more knowledgeable.” He said: “He is saying: Should the compensation for the one I have blessed with Tawheed be anything other than Jannah”.

Language points and insights

Ihsaan emerges from beauty and goodness, and extends to mastery, beneficence, and deep God-consciousness.

Essence and Roots

  • الإحسان relates to حُسْن — “beauty” and “goodness”.
  • From أَحْسَنَ: doing something well, beautifully, proficiently; expending effort to do it well.
  • Applies to any action approached in the best way.

Beneficence: Others and Self

وَاعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا ۖ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا

“Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him and do good (Ihsaan) to the parents” (36)

An-Nisa’ 4:36

إِنْ أَحْسَنتُمْ أَحْسَنتُمْ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ

“If you do good, you do good for your own selves” (Al-Israa’: 7)

Al-Israa’ 17:7

Ihsaan in Worship

“Ihsaan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, but if you do not see him, then (be conscious that) Allah sees you”.

Ihsaan may also imply doing one’s best within one’s situation; people’s Ihsaan can differ due to differing realities.

Breadth of Meaning

  • Mastery and excellence in any undertaken action.
  • Doing good to others and, consequentially, to oneself.
  • Conscious presence before Allah in all acts.

Meaning of 55:60 — the Two-fold Ihsaan

The ayah binds worldly excellence to its excellent, divine recompense.

First “Ihsaan”

The good that a person does in this world — belief and righteous acts.

Second “Ihsaan”

The reward such a person attains in the Hereafter.

Outcome

One who does their best, fears standing before their Lord, submits to Him, and does good to others, will attain the best reward in Paradise.

All the rewards of Jannah mentioned in this Surah are manifestations of Allah’s Ihsaan to those who did Ihsaan in the Dunya.

Open-ended Reward and “Extra”

A perspective that leaves the recompense of Ihsaan open — beyond what words can capture.

Alternative Understanding (Al-Imam Ar-Raazi)

Leaving the recompense of Ihsaan open can imply Allah offers something beyond the descriptions of Jannah stated so far in this Surah — as if human imagination cannot grasp its fullness: there is something more.

“The Best and Extra”

لِّلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا الْحُسْنَىٰ وَزِيَادَةٌ

“For those who have done good is the best [reward] and extra” (26)

Yunus 10:26

Divine Recognition of Effort

Ihsaan from Allah acknowledges the Ihsaan of His servants.

Acknowledgment and Appreciation

إِنَّ هَٰذَا كَانَ لَكُمْ جَزَاءً وَكَانَ سَعْيُكُم مَّشْكُورًا

“[And it will be said], "Indeed, this is for you a reward, and your effort has been appreciated” (22).

Al-Insan 76:22

Key takeaways

Practical mindsets distilled from the explanation.

Approach actions with beauty, skill, and your best possible effort — this is Ihsaan’s core.

Ihsaan extends outward (doing good to others) and inward (its benefit returns to you).

Worship with presence: as if seeing Allah — or know that He surely sees you.

Worldly Ihsaan begets an excellent Hereafter recompense — Jannah — and, beyond that, “extra”.

Allah’s Ihsaan toward His servants includes acknowledging and appreciating their sincere effort.