Qurānic Conceptions of Being Muslim, Mu’min, and Muh’sin

Abstract

Previously, we enunciated the idea of a Muslim as an ethical being. In minimising the argument that the identity of Muslim is necessarily constructed through an inheritance of religious rituals and practices, we asserted that the idea of a Muslim, as an ethical being, is one of being attentive to oneself and others, and surrendering that attentiveness and knowledge to a higher being. Following this assertion, we argued that the communicability between surrendering to the will of Allah, and engaging in critical contemplation, thinking, remembering and reasoning of Allah, confirms not only the existence of Allah, but also the necessity for those who believe to succumb and trust in that existence. Building on this argument, we now turn our attention to the scaffolding elevations of being a Muslim (belief in one God), a Mu’min (certifies the presence of God), and a Muh’sin (worships God as if one can see Him). Evident from these three constructions are hierarchical degrees of faith in relation to believing in, and surrendering to the will of, Allah. We commence by exploring the two categories of Mu’min and Muh’sin, paying particular attention to whether these two constructions are in fact two separate categories or whether they exist along a continuum of ethical ways of being and doing. Next, considering that Muslim implies an ethical person, who surrenders to a higher good or being, we turn to Ibn ‘Arabî’s (1911) ‘perfect man’ as we explore Qurānic conceptions of the best of humankind.