The Three Pillars of Our Faith

Assalamu alaikum, dear brothers and sisters. I was reflecting on a beautiful hadith where the Prophet ﷺ taught us the core of our religion. One day, a stranger with pure white clothes and deep black hair came to the Prophet ﷺ, and no one knew him. He sat so close, his knees touched the Prophet’s knees, and he asked, “O Muhammad, tell me about Islam.” The Prophet ﷺ said: It’s to testify that there’s no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, to pray, give zakat, fast Ramadan, and make Hajj if you can. The man said, “You’ve spoken the truth.” Then he asked about Iman, and the Prophet ﷺ said: To believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and qadr-both its good and its bad. Again, the man confirmed it. Then he asked about Ihsan, and the Prophet ﷺ said: To worship Allah as if you see Him, for even if you don’t, He sees you. The man then asked about the Hour, and the Prophet ﷺ said he knew no more than the questioner. He asked for signs, and the Prophet ﷺ mentioned: a slave woman giving birth to her master, and that you’ll see barefoot, destitute shepherds competing to build tall buildings. Then the stranger left. The Prophet ﷺ later told Umar  that it was Jibril, come to teach us our deen. (Riyad as-Salihin 60) This hadith hits deep, ya ikhwan. It shows our religion has three essential parts: Islam (the five pillars), Iman (the six articles), and Ihsan. Ihsan is the hardest-it’s about the state of the heart. You can do all the outward acts and believe, but without Ihsan, something’s missing. It’s about living with the awareness that Allah is always watching, worshipping Him with love and fear. May Allah make us among those who excel in Ihsan and grant us success in this life and the next.