Closing: The Culmination of Ihsan — Returning to the Definition

احسان کی حقیقت — اختتامی باب

اختتامی — The Essence of Ihsan and the Servant's Return to Allah

The book closes by returning to the foundational definition of Ihsan given in the Hadith of Jibril, and by tracing how each of the chapters and stations covered — mercy, fear, hope, asceticism, God-consciousness, patience, gratitude, trust, sincerity, contentment, poverty, righteous company, steadfastness, divine love, remembrance, closeness through prayer, visions and lights, sainthood, commanding good, good character, and brotherhood — constitute the lived practice of Ihsan.

The author concludes with a poetic verse from Hasrat's own poetry (kulliyat) expressing the longing of the soul for the Divine Beloved:

أَشْهَدُ أَنْ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

"I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger." The author emphasises that true Ihsan is attained through the model of the Prophet ﷺ — the living embodiment of the Qur'an and the supreme exemplar of Ihsan in every dimension of human life. Worship, ethics, social relations, and the inner life of the heart all find their perfection in following him.

The final exhortation to the reader: Abandon shirk and its lesser forms; remain steadfast in divine servitude; hold firmly to the rope of Allah; and know that the servant who comes closest to Allah is the one who brings the most benefit to creation. The world is fleeting; the bond of servitude to Allah and the imitation of the Prophet ﷺ are eternal.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ

"And [Jesus] said: Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is the straight path." (Al-Imran, 3:51). May Allah grant us all the reality of Ihsan and make us among those who worship Him as though they behold Him.