As-Salaam alaikum,
In the well known Hadith reported in Sahih Muslim (1.37:hadith No. 8), otherwise known as Hadith of Jibril, alahi-salaam, we have learnt that IHSAN (perfection of faith) is "to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you see Him not, He nevertheless sees you."
Here, we immediately realize that the means of seeing is not the eye, which can only behold physical things like itself; nor yet the mind, which cannot transcend its own impressions to reach the Divine; but rather Certitude... the light of Imaan.
We can see Allah with Certitude, the light of faith (Imaan), whose locus is not the eye or the brain, but rather the RUH, a subtle faculty Allah Ta'ala has created within each of us called the Soul, whose knowledge is unobstructed by the bounds of the created universe. Allah Most High says, by way of exalting the nature of this faculty by leaving it a mystery:--
"Say: The Soul is of the affair of my Lord." (17:85)
The food by which this Ruh (soul) is nourished is dhikr, or the Remembrance of Allah. How/why? Because acts of obedience increase the light of certainty and Imaan in the soul, and dhikr is among the greatest of them, as is attested by the Sahih hadith related by al-Hakim that the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said:--
"Shall I not tell you of the best of your works, the purest of them in the eyes of
your Master, the highest in raising your rank, better than giving gold and silver,
and better for you than to meet your enemy and smite their necks, and they smite
yours?" They said, "This- what is it, O Messenger of Allah"? and he said: Zikrullahi
'Azza Wa Jalla", ''The remembrance of Allah, Mighty and Majestic." (al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihayn, 1.496)
Zikr is one of many means of achieving Ihsaan. Not the only one.
A ustaad spends all his energies to teach his student, a great responsibility; is also a means of achieving Ihsaan.
A Mohajid defending the borders also gets ihsaan.
A tablighi sathee spends night among remote villagers in worst conditions also gets ihsaan.
A few examples, there are many muslim brothers/sisters who are delivering on their responsibilities.
Salaamun alaikum,
...Indeed, there are many good deeds to lead one to earn the Pleasure of Allah Ta'ala. The post above did NOT in the least suggest that ZIKRULLAH is the ONLY means of achieving Ihsan.. Nevertheless, said Allah's Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, Dhikr is "THE BEST OF YOUR WORKS, THE PUREST OF THEM.." (as stated in the hadith quoted in the post). And since it was the Prophet who said so, so it is and so shall it be for ALL TIMES!!
2. He also said, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam:--
"An hour of contemplation [a form of zikr] is better than a year of worship" (al-Amudi, Ghurar al-hikam, No.6537)
3. And in the Holy Qur'an, we have read it:--
"Invoke the Name of your Lord morning and evening" (76:25)
"Verily I am Allah, there is no god but Me, so worship Me and establish
prayer [Sallah] for My Remembrance" (20:14) Here, we see that even in Sallah, considered as the quintessential form of worship in Islam, it includes in its standing, bowing and prostrating along with accompanying litanies therein, the best form of Allah's Glorification.. another form of ZIKRULLAH.
This cannot be undone and I am sure it will be greatly appreciated.
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