‘Care and Compassion’ (Ihsan) in Malaysia’s MADANI Framework: Some Reflections

By Thameem Ushama

The MADANI Framework aims at making the government recognise the right of every Malaysian citizen to live in sustainable communities and environments, highlighting care and compassion to promote equality and equal opportunity, encouraging mutual respect as a social and cultural norm to enhance inclusiveness, inspiring positive and constructive innovation and pursuing prosperity within sustainable and future-oriented transparency and cooperation.

It is said that this Framework is misunderstood. It may be due to miscommunication, false propaganda and different approaches.

Making it easier to understand for all Malaysians and other people is imperative.

Hence, this write-up explains œCare and Compassion – one of the six drivers of Malaysia MADANI and offers clarifications from the Islamic Worldview perspective.

As a result, it will be straightforward to comprehend that œCare and Compassion is fundamental to human relations.

Ihsan is the Malay word for œCare and compassion in the Malaysia MADANI document. The term is also used in Arabic, deriving from the triliteral word ha sa na, and some derivatives exist in the Quran and the Hadith literature.

In the Quran “ the Muslim holy scripture, God declares, œ¦ But do thou good as God has been good to thee¦ (Quran, al-Qasas: 77). This conveys that Ihsan is required.

God also commands us to keep doing Ihsan.

The Quran affirms,¦ And do good (Ihsan). For God loves those who do good (al-muhsinun) (Quran, al-Maidah: 93).

There is an assertion, œGod commands justice, the doing of good (Ihsan)¦ (Quran, al-Nahl: 90). This depicts that God loves the muhsinin (those who do Ihsan).

Another reminder is, œ If you do good deeds, you will for your own good¦ (Quran, al-Isra:7). It implies that if one carries out Ihsan (care and compassion), he does Ihsan to himself.

Several other verses emphasise how important it is to follow the Frameworks advice and put Ihsan”doing good or caring for and showing compassion to others”into our daily lives.

The term Ihsan is also found in the Prophetic Hadith literature with the meanings: right action, doing good, goodness, sincerity, perfection, benevolence, proficiency, the performance of good deeds and kindness.

Some Prophetic Examples begin with, œIndeed, God has decreed Ihsan in everything¦ (Al-Tirmidhi, Vol.3, Book 14, Hadith 1409).

However, Ihsans most prominent meaning is: œYou worship (or serve) God as if you see Him, and although you do not see Him, He certainly sees you (Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 300).

Ihsan also encompasses a profound sense of sincerity, integrity, honesty, genuineness, responsibility and awareness in ones deeds and conduct and extends beyond mere adherence to religious duties and obligations.

Islam provides guidance not to confine life to a limited circle but to extend and expand its message to all of humanity as it is revealed and universal.

Yes, ˜care and compassion is one of the key values. Everyone must internalise it; the believers are obliged to actualise it in their daily lives, regardless of racial, territorial, linguistic, cultural, or religious background.

Achieving excellence or perfection in doing what is right and good is another dimension of Ihsan. It is essential to care for others and perform good deeds, including assisting those who are weak, impoverished, vulnerable, destitute, depressed and disadvantaged.

This applies to everyone: people, rulers, administrators, governors, leaders, policymakers and heads of various public administration and society segments.

During his reign in Madinah, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) set a precedent for care and compassion as the head of state and encouraged everyone else to follow suit.

A testament to Muhammads (pbuh) concern for care and compassion for everyone is the Madinah Charter.

Given this, the Quran describes him as Rahmatan Lil Alamin, a man of kindness, care and compassion, and a role model, as his biography demonstrates.

œCaring in Islamic Traditions

The Islamic Traditions emphasise the need to care for the well-being of the people. There are several commands concerning caring for people.

However, this care shall begin with the neighbours well-being.

The care for others well-being motivates people to assist those in need without seeking anything in return.

Who is a neighbour?

The neighbour includes the forty houses in front of a person, the forty houses behind him, the forty houses on his right and the forty houses on his left (Al-Adab al-Mufrad, Book 6, Chapter 59, 109).

Care, helping, or cooperation must begin with a neighbour and extend to forty houses in all directions, implying the needs of forty households be met in all directions.

The Prophet (pbuh) said he was instructed to care for the neighbour so that God would make him an heir (Sahih Muslim, Book 45, Chapter 42, Hadith 182).

The Quran refers to the rights of neighbours as they are vital in constructing an ideal society and impact peoples lives and community well-being.

It demands much more than being considerate, compassionate, and polite to be a good neighbour and understand neighbours duties and responsibilities.

The Quran declares, œ¦ Do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbours who are near, neighbours who are strangers, and the companion by your side, the wayfarer (ye meet) ¦ (Quran, al-Nisa: 36).

Doing good refers to caring for people with compassion.

Encouraging a neighbour to forge social bonds and rely on one another for survival and dignity is a responsibility for providing equal opportunity to all.

Insulting, humiliating, or harming neighbours is forbidden. Being a person of Ihsan (kindness and compassion) to neighbours and doing good is essential (Sahih Muslim, Chapter 19, Hadith 83).

Their safety must be ensured. The Prophet (pbuh) declared, œBy Allah, he is not a believer! By Allah, he is not a believer! By Allah, he is not a believer. It was asked, œWho is that, O Messenger of Allah? He said, œOne whose neighbour does not feel safe from his evil (Riyad al-Salihin, The Book of Miscellany, Chapter 39, Hadith 305).

This Tradition stresses the need for safety and caring in fostering sustainable peace, societal harmony, and coexistence, which is also the aim of Ihsan in the Malaysia MADANI Framework.

Muslims have to look after and be aware of the needs of their neighbours; œ¦ no man should eat his fill when his neighbour is going without (Musnad Ahmad, Book 2, Hadith 291).

One of the characteristics of believers is to do good and care (Ihsan) for others. God commands, œ¦ so try to excel one another in good works¦ (Quran, al-Baqarah: 148).

Islam educates us to think and care about our neighbours well-being, paving the way for a sustainable and robust relationship and mutual happiness and trust.

Suppose we treat our neighbours with kindness, care and compassion (Ihsan). In that case, social ills will be eradicated, fostering trust and respect for one another and setting the stage for sustainable peace and tranquillity.

This divine formula will contribute to eliminating neighbours suffering; it must be implemented with Sejahtera consciousness.

Some of the acts of Ihsan, or care, kindness, and compassion, are (1) helping parents rather than asking for assistance; (2) helping the elderly and disabled; (3) visiting sick friends; (4) providing water for thirsty birds on your roof during the summer; and (5) providing food if someone is in need.

Suffering and poverty will be extinguished if all citizens apply the concept of care and compassion.

œCompassion in Islamic Traditions

The Islamic Worldview is futuristic. It is relevant to everyone. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) demonstrated compassion and mercy with unwavering integrity as a model for his followers and all people.

The Quran contains the phrase Bismillahirrahmanirrahim at the beginning of 113 chapters. Translated literally, al-Rahman means œthe Most Compassionate, and al-Rahim means œthe Most Merciful.

The verses al-Rahman al-Rahim in the Opening Chapter of the Quran convey the same meaning.

The Prophets life has been characterised by love, care, pity, mercy, forgiveness and compassion: œAnd We have not sent you but as a mercy for all the worlds (QurÄn, 21: 107). The gracious compassion or mercy pertains to all humanity.

God proclaims the Prophet (pbuh) as raá¸¥mah (mercy, compassion) for the universe. Historians assert that the Prophets conduct, character and behaviour are outstanding, thus becoming a model.

The QurÄn states, œThere is indeed a good model for you in the Messenger of Allah – for the one who has hope in Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah profusely (QurÄn, 33: 21).

Indeed, his message manifests grace not only to his people but also to humanity. The principles he laid down sounded strange initially because humanity was far away from spiritual life.

Human beings need this grace and compassion as many are entangled in a web of materialism, extremism, and external and internal challenges from various secularising, modernising, liberalising, pluralising and relativising trends and spiritual emptiness.

Through the actualisation of the care and compassion principle, the Prophet (pbuh) awakened a slumbering world, forewarning all approaching imminent disaster and laying the path to peace and harmony.

The passage implies that the concept of mercy he brought is universal and includes all aspects of life under the term lil-á¶œÄ€lamÄ«n (for all the worlds).

The life of the Prophet (pbuh) was filled with his compassion for individuals of all religions, ethnic groups, and philosophical traditions.

Indeed, the Prophet (pbuh) was compassionate to everyone because he was sent to be the most compassionate and merciful human being: œHe (Allah) has sent me as a mercy for all worlds (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book of Prayer, Chapter 11, vol. 4, p. 215, no 64).

Once, the Companions asked the Prophet (pbuh) if he would pray for infidels who persecuted him. He replied: œI was not sent as a curse; rather, I was sent as a mercy (á¹¢aá¸¥Ä«á¸¥ Muslim, Chapter 25, vol. 6, p. 460. no 2599).

These Traditions exhibit that the Prophets blessings extend to all humankind. His mercy extended to his adversaries, demonstrating that Islam values compassion in all situations and circumstances.

Therefore, the value of Raá¸¥matan lil-á¶œÄ€lamÄ«n is essential to be internalised and applied. People shall incorporate it to foster humans to be Insan Sejahtera embedded with care, compassion and mercy to work for the betterment of the Malaysian community and humanity.

According to the Worldview of Islam, every Muslim individual has a moral responsibility to create a sustainable eco-system, upholding, affirming and developing the attributes of œcare and compassion, known as Ihsan in the MALAYSIA MADANI Framework, nurturing and demonstrating the qualities and characteristics of Raá¸¥matan lil-á¶œÄ€lamÄ«n.

The introduction of a Malaysia MADANI Framework aimed at promoting compassion and caring among Malaysians, providing equal opportunity to all, and resulting in a proud and peaceful nation should be celebrated and felicitated.

We can conclude that a more inclusive, developed and democratic Malaysia, where everyone is happy to the utmost satisfaction, will arise from upholding the MADANI principles.

(Prof. Dr. Thameem Ushama is an academic in Department of Usul al-Din and Comparative Religion, AbdulHamid AbuSulayman Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences and ISTAC of the IIUM.)