If one looks back in history to the Islamic Renaissance from, 7th to 15th century. It is easy to see how influential Muslims once were. They were an example of ‘Progress and Innovation.’ My article will attempt to explore the concept of ‘Itqan’ & ‘Tathabbut’ in the context of rising above our egos and preconceptions. The human ego clouds the perceptions of reality, and reduces our chances of progress. Many people are quite capable of helping others thus helping society, but unfortunately they suffer from a ‘Who Cares’ attitude. However, true believers have learnt to evolve from ego-centric to theo-centric thinking. Theo-centricisists believe that humans should be considerate to all, from animals to plants to other humans themselves. Theo-centricity maintains that human beings are merely here for a short time and should be looking after the world for future generations to come.

“Allah never changes the condition of a people unless they change what is in themselves” 13:11

Moving on to to my main point of discussion. ‘Itqan’ is an arabic word that indicates quality work. Many bilingual writers approximate the meaning of ‘Itqan’ as “To arrange things in a scientific and artistic way to obtain the most perfect result.” The word ‘Itqan’ has a synonym in arabic which is referred to as ‘Ihkam’ which means to do a certain activity with wisdom or ‘Hikmah’ Other scholars say ‘Itqan’ is simply the ‘Pursuit of Excellence’ since humans are not capable of reaching ‘Perfection’

“And you see the mountains and think them firmly fixed, but they shall pass away as the clouds pass away. (Such is) the artistry of Allah, who disposes of all things in perfect order, for He is well acquainted with all that you do.”  27:88

God states in the Quran that he himself is a practitioner of ‘Itqan’, thus it is a divine quality. The Prophet Muhammad was quite aware of this since the divine revelation was revealed through him. All of this is proven by the beauty of the world, which is rich in the infinite number of textures & colours, which can be inferred as art. God also warns us, that he is aware of what we humans are always upto, regardless if we expose our intentions to anyone or not.

 Sūrat Al-Anʿām

“And if you obey most of those on earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah’s Path. They follow nothing but conjecture, and they do nothing but lie.” Verse (6:116)

There is historical evidence that when Muslims were most expansive, they had achieved ‘Itqan’ in the following. [Battle/Warfare Planning and Strategy], [HorseRiding], [Wrestling], [Archery], [Sword & Armour Making]

Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) placed great emphasis on ‘Itqan’ and even mentioned it to the people several times, thus the true believers should not take these concepts lightly. There is nothing in the Quran or Hadith that does not have immense value for society.

“Allah loves to see one’s job done at the level of itqan.” (Sahih Muslim 1976)

“Do the best as if you see Allah, if not, Allah sees you” (Al-Bukhari 1897).

One of the ways one can adopt to achieve ‘Itqan’ is to create a hierarchy, structure and methodology in the way we work. For example

“The Prophet (p) sent ‘Amr ibn al’As as the leader of an expedition. Among others in the expedition were Abu Bakr and ‘Umar ibn al Khattab. When they reached their designated place, ‘Amr ordered that no fire be lit. This order upset ‘Umar, who started walking toward ‘Amr. Abu Bakr, however, stopped ‘Umar and told him to calm down, since the Prophet (P.B.U.H) would not have chosen ‘Amr had he not been the most knowledgeable to lead the expedition.”

From the above it is easy to deduce that the Prophet PBUH had defined a task, planned it, and choose a ‘Subject Matter Expert’ to implement the plan. ‘Amr in the pre-islamic times was knows as the ‘Dahiyat-Al Arab’ or ‘Strategist of the Arabs’ Hazrath Umar was quite aware of this, and did not interrupt the chosen individual to perform his designated task. This is an example that places great emphasis on the importance of structure, respect and leadership for people who practice ‘Itqan’

Aisha (May God be pleased with her),  The ‘Umm al Mumimeneen’ narrated several hadith on the importance of ‘Tathabbut’ which is to do work with study and examination before performing the task. She emphasised that the Prophet Mohamammed (P.B.U.H) was ‘Da’im’ which means ‘Continuos/Stable’

A quick look into the sunnah of ‘Tathabbut.’ It is the investigative and study approach to taking an action or resolving a problem. It follows a method which Prophet Muhammad and his household practised and brought about as a Sunnah, a way of life, for his followers. When Aisha, (May Allah be pleased with her) Prophet’s wife, was asked how the Prophet had conducted his affairs, she responded

“His deeds and actions were continuous and stable.” – Sahih Muslim

Thus ‘Tathabbut’ is used for a comprehensive evaluation and analysis of a matter before a judgment or a resolution is made of it. A judge or ‘Qadi’, for example, will not give his verdict before he thoroughly studies, investigates, and examines the case.

In another narration, the Prophet cautioned against doing something without consideration of its consequences. See below the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad that mentions it.

“If you are going to do something, consider carefully its consequences. (If the consequence is good, then consider doing it, but if its consequence is bad, then do not do it. Modify it, find other alternatives and or conduct further studies that would yield successful results)” – Masnad Abi Ya’la

Islam does not advocate the division between the religious and the worldly life. All acts should performed, only for the sake of Allah and the good and the well being of mankind.

Imam Tabrani narrated the Prophet’s words. “Indeed Allah loves one who does work, he does it with Itqan.”

A lot of people seem to overlook the fact, that whatever we do is recorded by the angels all our thoughts and actions. On the Day of Judgment, God promises us in Surah At-Taubah, verse 105:

“Do deeds! Allah will see your deeds, and (so will) His Messenger and the believers. And you will be brought back to the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. Then He will inform you of what you used to do.”

It is easy to infer from the verse above that working hard and staying on track is the sign of the righteous people. ‘Itqan’ is of paramount importance, not only for a progressive existence but for the well being of society as well.