Usrah

 About Me 

Welcome to my blog! My name is Nur Izzah Nabilah, my matric number is 2416134 and I am currently  pursuing a degree in Halal Industry Management in IIUM. I am interested in art, photography, videography, editing, music and exploring new thing and experience.  I have several hobbies such as watching k-drama or movie, trying new recipes, doing some workout such as HIIT and colouring.

Beyond my studies, I enjoy diving into personal growth, learning new languages, and staying creative through writing. This blog is a platform where I share my thoughts, insights, and experiences.

Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy reading my posts!

What is Usrah?

Usrah, derived from the Arabic word meaning “family,” which is a small group gathering aimed at enhancing Islamic understanding and strengthening bonds among members.It would be led by facilitator (naqib or naqibah).It involves discussions on Quranic verses, hadith, and contemporary issues from an Islamic perspective. usrah also focuses on personal development, spiritual growth, and fostering a sense of community.

Our Task (Ihsan)

In our usrah session, we were assigned to create a poster based on our respective topics in groups and present it afterward.

My group chose the topic ‘Ihsan’, and that is our poster that we made.

We had to present our poster according to the assigned order. During each presentation session, we would gather and sit in a circle, while the presenting group stood at a spot that visible to everyone in the usrah session.

For our presentation topic, Ihsan, we discussed what Ihsan is, its levels, examples, and its importance. First of all before we go deeper into Ihsan, we need to know what is the meaning of Ihsan.                      Ihsan is a beautiful concept in Islam that encourages us to live with sincerity, devotion, and a strong sense of moral responsibility. It’s about going beyond just fulfilling religious duties like praying or fasting. Instead, it’s about doing everything with the awareness that Allah is always watching us, even if we can’t see Him.

Think of ihsan as aiming for excellence in everything you do—not for perfection, but for doing your best with the right intentions. For example, when you pray, it’s not just about completing the actions but about connecting your heart to Allah. When you give charity, it’s not just about giving money but about showing genuine care for the person receiving it. Even small things like smiling at someone or helping a friend can be acts of ihsan if done with kindness and sincerity.

Ihsan reminds us to reflect on our actions and ask, “Am I doing this for Allah?” and “Am I giving my best effort?” It’s not just about what we do but how we do it mindfully, thoughtfully, and with purpose.

Living with ihsan transforms ordinary moments into meaningful ones. It’s about striving to bring goodness into our lives and the lives of those around us, knowing that even small efforts are appreciated by Allah. Ihsan isn’t about being perfect; it’s about trying to be better every day and finding ways to live a life that pleases Allah while inspiring others.

In Islam, our spiritual journey is divided into three levels that help us grow closer to Allah.

1. Islam (Submission): This is the foundation where we begin by practicing the basic duties of Islam—praying, fasting, giving charity, and more. It’s about following the core practices of the faith.

2. Iman (Faith): At this stage, faith goes deeper. It’s not just about doing religious acts, but truly believing in Allah, His angels, His books, and everything Islam teaches. It’s about connecting with Allah on a deeper, more personal level.

3. Ihsan (Excellence): The highest level is ihsan, where we worship Allah as if we can see Him. Even though we can’t see Him physically, we live with the awareness that He sees everything we do. It’s about doing everything with the best intentions, knowing that Allah is always watching.

These levels are a journey—starting with submission, growing through faith, and ultimately reaching excellence in our devotion to Allah. The goal is to live every moment with awareness of Allah’s presence, striving to do everything with sincerity and excellence.

 Lastly, why we need to have Ihsan?What is the importance of Ihsan?

 Here’s why it’s so important:

First, it strengthens our relationship with Allah. When we practice Ihsan, we’re always mindful of Allah, in everything we do. This constant awareness strengthens our spiritual bond, making our faith deeper and more sincere.

Next, it brings inner peace, by focusing on pleasing Allah and doing good for His sake, we find true peace. Ihsan helps us feel content and calm, knowing that our actions are aligned with a higher purpose and are pleasing to Allah.

Other than that, by practicing Ihsan, it will foster harmonious relationship with others. By practicing Ihsan to others by respect and appreciate them we will have a good and harmony relationship with others regardless their race or religion. It also would avoid us from conflicts within society.

Ihsan also encouraging productivity and quality in work. So as we know ihsan is when we do everything while we aware that Allah is watching us. It is not just related to particular act of worship but it also includes our daily activity and interaction with others including animal and other creation.

With ihsan, a person will strive to do their best in every task, because he knows that Allah is watching. This helps produce quality work and trains one to work honestly and diligently.

Then what is our excuse to not do something as best as we can while we knew that our god Allah SWT never stop from watching us.

In short,  Ihsan enhances our relationship with Allah, brings peace, improves our connections with others, and encourages us to strive for excellence.

Other group presentation

 Other group that presented on that session is group 2 with their chosen title "Adab Towards Neighbors and Society". 

In my opinion, they did the presentation really well, the explanation was good even it was quite fast, but the audience could still catch-up and understand their point. I also love their poster, it is very neat, clear and eye-catching. They also could answer the question that given by the audience.

I think this is a crucial topic that really need to be acknowledge by everyone. Yes actually we might already know about adab toward parent, society, neighbors and so on, but do we actually practicing it in our daily life?

 And as human we will often forget about this, so by this sharing it could remind us again about it and set our new intention to start practicing it.

My Personal Suggestion & Opinion

Overall, the usrah session was great. I feel that sister Iman which is the facilitator/naqibah did an excellent job in making the session interactive, friendly, and engaging. The atmosphere was positive, and all the members in the usrah were supportive, which made the experience enjoyable.

As for suggestions, I would recommend diversifying the activities a bit more. For example, incorporating games or other interactive elements could add a fun twist to the sessions. Perhaps we could include such activities once or twice. Another idea could be  discussions regarding new issues that might be know by most of the member that will open our eyes more about how is the world out there going on, from that we could take the lesson and implement it in our daily life.

p/s : This is just my personal view, so don't take it seriously HSHSHS, it might be useful and it might be not. 😂

In conclusion, the usrah session was a valuable experience, and with a few enhancements, it could have been even more engaging and impactful for everyone involved. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of it!

And that’s a wrap! Thank you for reading, and may the lessons we’ve shared continue to inspire and guide us. Until next time—take care and stay awesome!