There are 194 instances from the same root in 12 derived forms in the Quran while 102 instances, which are closely related in the verb (24), verbal noun (12), nominal noun (36), noun (3) and active participle (39) forms as shown in the table below are reviewed here, which have been prioritized:
Note: The above table is populated with data obtained from the corpus.quran.com
Here is a review of 36 instances including 3 instances of hasuna in the verb form meaning ‘to be good’, 21 instances of ahsana in the verb form meaning ‘to do good’ and 12 instances of ih’san in the verbal noun form meaning ‘good’. However, an Arabic word may have a different meaning in the different contexts.
Instances of hasuna
Here are details of 3 instances of hasuna meaning “to be good” found in 3 verses across 3 suras in the Quran:
[4:69] And whoever obeys God and the messenger is with those whom God has favored of the prophets and the truthful and the martyrs and the righteous; and it has been excellent those as companion (wa-hasuna ulaaika rafeeqan).
[18:31] Those – for them there are gardens of Eden, flows the rivers of their underneath. They will be adorned with bracelets of gold therein, and they will wear garments, green of fine silk and heavy brocade, are reclining on raised couches therein, has been excellent the reward and has been excellent the resting place (wa-hasunat mur’tafaqan).
[25:76] They will be abiding therein forever, has been excellent a settlement and a resting place (hasunat mus’taqarran wa-muqaaman).
Instances of ahsana
Here are details of
[2:195] And you shall spend in God’s path, and you should not throw with your hands into the destruction and shall do good (wa-ahsinu); indeed, God loves the good-doers.
[3:172] Those who responded to God and the messenger after what had befallen them the injury, for those who have done good among them (lilladheena ahsanuu minhum) and have feared (God), there is a great reward.
[4:128] And if a woman has feared from her husband rebellion or desertion, then there is no sin for both of them that they make a reconciliation between themselves, and the reconciliation is best, and has been swayed the souls of the greed. And if you do good (wa-in tuh’sinuu) and fear (God), then indeed, God has been Cognizant of what you do.
[5:93] It has not been any sin upon those who believed and have done the righteous deeds in what they ate when they have feared (God) and have believed and have done the righteous deeds, then they have feared and have believed; then they have feared (God) and have done good (wa-ahsanuu), and God loves the good doers.
[6:154] Then we have given Moses the scripture, is complete for the one who has done good (`alaa alladhee ahsana), and an explanation for all things, and a guidance and a mercy that they may believe in meeting of their Lord.
[10:26] For those who have done good (lilladheena ahsanuu) has the best (reward) and multiplication. And neither darkness nor humiliation will cover their faces. Those are dwellers of the Paradise, they will be abiding therein forever.
[12:23] And she who seduced him (Joseph) who had been in her house against his will. And she closed the doors and said: “Here is for you.” He said: “God forbid, indeed, he is my lord, has made my stay good (innahu rabbee ahsana mathwaaya); indeed, he does not succeed of the wrongdoers.”
[12:100] And he raised his parents on the throne, and they fell in prostration to Him. And he said: “My father, this is the interpretation of my vision of before. Certainly, my Lord has made it true, and certainly, He has been good with me (wa-qad ahsana bee) that he took me out of the prison and brought you out of the wilderness after the Satan had caused a hostility between me and my brothers. Indeed, my Lord is Subtle to whomever He wills. Indeed, He who is the Knower, the Wise.”
[16:30] And it has been said to those who had feared (God): “What has your Lord sent down?” They said: “Good.” For those who have done good in this world (lilladheena ahsana fee haadhihi al-dun’yaa), there is good, while surely, a home of the Hereafter is better. And surely, it has been excellent a home of the righteous.
[17:7] If you have done good (in ahsantum), you have done good for yourselves (souls) (ahsantum lianfusikum), and if you have done evil, so has done for themselves (souls). So when the second time promise came, that they sadden your faces, and that they enter the Masjid as they had entered the first time, and that they destroy what they had conquered with destruction.
[18:30] Indeed, those who have believed and have done the righteous deeds; indeed, we do not waste reward of whoever has done good deeds (innaa laa-nudee`u ajra man ahsan `amalan).
[18:104] “Those who have lost their efforts in the life of the world while they think that they are doing good deed (wa-hum yahsabuuna annahum yuh’sinuuna sun’`an)!”
[28:77] “And you (Qarun) shall seek with what God has given you the home of the Hereafter, and you should not forget your share of the world. And you shall do good (wa-ahsin) as God has done good to you (kamaa ahsana allahu ilayka), and you should not seek corruption in the land. Indeed, God does not love the corruptors.”
[32:7] The One who made good everything He created it (alladhee ahsana kulla shayin khalaqahu) and He began creation of the human being from clay.
[39:10] Say: “O My servants! Those who believed, you shall fear your Lord.” For those who have done good in this world, has good (lilladheena ahsanuu fee haadhihi al-dun’yaa hasanatun), and God’s earth is spacious. Only the patient will be paid back their reward in full, without reckoning.
[40:64] God is the One who made the earth a resting place for you and the sky a canopy. And He designed you so He made good your shapes (fa-ahsana suwarakum), and He provided you of the good things. That is God your Lord, so blessed is God, Lord of the worlds.
[53:31] And to God belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth that He may compensate those who have done evil with what they have done, and may compensate those who have done good with the best (wa-yajziya alladheena ahsanuu bil-hus’naa).
[64:3] He created the heavens and the earth with the truth, and He designed you, so He made good your shapes (fa-ahsana suwarakum), and to Him is the final return.
[65:11] A messenger (message) recites to you clear revelations of God that it may bring those who have believed and have done the righteous deeds out of the darkness into the light. And whoever believes in God and does as righteous, He will admit him into gardens, flowing the rivers of their underneath, is abiding therein forever. Certainly, God has made good provision for him (qad ahsana allahu lahu riz’qan).
Instances of ihsan
Here are details of 12 instances of ih’san meaning “good/goodness” found in 11 verses across 8 suras in the Quran:
[2:83] And when we took a covenant of the Children of Israel: “You shall not worship except God, and shall be good with the parents (wa-bil-waalidayni ihsan), and with the relatives and the orphans and the poor. And you shall speak good to the people and shall observe the Contact Prayer and shall give the obligatory charity.” But you turned away except a few of you and you were the refusing ones.
[2:178] O you who believed, the equivalent execution has been decreed for you in the killing: the freeman for the freeman, and the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But whoever has been pardoned anything for it from his brother, then follow-up with the fair manner and payment to him with goodness (fa-ittibaa`un bil-ma`rufi wa-adaaon ilayhi bil-ihsanan); that is a concession from your Lord, and a mercy. So whoever has transgressed after that, then for him there is a painful punishment.
[2:229] Divorce is (permitted) twice. So it is either retaining in a fair manner or releasing with goodness (fa-im’saakun bi-ma`ruufin aw tas’reehun bi-ih’saanin). And it does not make lawful for you that you take back anything whatever you have given them except that they fear that they cannot keep God’s limits. While if you have feared that they cannot keep God’s limits, then there is no sin upon them in what she has ransomed with it. This is of God’s limits, so you should not transgress them. And whoever transgresses God’s limits, then those – they are the wrongdoers.
[4:36] And you shall worship God and you should not associate anything with Him; and with the parents should be good (wa-bil-waalidayni ihsaanan), and with the near relatives, and the needy, and the near neighbor and the distant neighbor, and the next door friend, and the traveler, and who have been your dependent. Indeed, God does not love whoever has been a boastful proud.
[4:62] So how, when has befallen them a disaster for what has sent forth their hands, then they came to you swearing by God, “we have not intended except good and reconciliation” (in aradnaa illaa ih’saanan wa-tawfeeqan)?
[6:151] Say: “You shall come, I will recite what has prohibited your Lord for you that you should not associate anything with Him, and should be good with the parents (wa-bil-waalidayni ih’saanan); and you should not kill your children for fear of poverty, we provide for you and for them; and you should not go near the immodesties, what has noticed of them or what has concealed; and you should not kill the soul, which God has forbidden except of the justice. That, He has enjoined you that you may think.”
[9:100] And those who were the first of the emigrants, and the supporters, and those who followed them with goodness (wa-alladheena ittaba`uuhum bi-ih’saanin), God has been pleased with them and they have been pleased with Him; and He has prepared for them gardens, flows the rivers of their underneath, are abiding therein forever. That is the great success.
[16:90] Indeed, God orders with the justice and the goodness (inna allaha yamuru bil-`adli and wal-ih’saani) and giving to the near relatives, while He forbids from the wickedness, and the evil deed, and the oppression. He warns you that you may take heed.
[17:23] And has decreed your Lord that you should not worship except Him alone, and should be good with the parents (wa-bil-waalidayni ih’saanan), whether reaches the old age one of them or both of them with you, then you should not say to them a word of disrespect nor should you repel them, while you shall speak to them an honorable word.
[46:15] And we have enjoined the human being goodness with his parents (wa-wassaynaa al-insaana bi-waalidayhi ih’saanan). His mother has carried him with hardship, and has given birth to him with hardship, and his carrying and his weaning until thirty months. When he has reached his maturity and has reached forty years, he said: “My Lord, grant me that I can appreciate Your favor which you have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and that I can do as righteous You like it, and make righteous for me from my offspring; indeed, I have turned to You and indeed, I am among the submitters.
[55:60] Is there any reward for the good except the good (hal jazaau al-ih’saani illaa al-ih’saanu)?
Summary
- Whoever has obeyed God and His messenger (message) whom God has favored of the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous has been good as a companion.
- Those who have done good and have feared God, for them there is a great reward from their Lord.
- Reconciliation between them is best if a woman has feared from her husband rebellion or desertion.
- No sin in what they ate when they have feared God and believed and done the righteous deeds.
- A scripture given to Moses is an analogy being complete for whoever did good, and an explanation for everything, and a guidance and a mercy that they may believe in the meeting of their Lord.
- Who have done good, neither darkness nor humiliation will cover their faces but to be in Paradise.
- We learned from the history of Joseph with the governor’s wife that the wrongdoers never succeed.
- A good in the worldly life and in the Hereafter for those who have followed what has sent down.
- Whoever has done good has done for himself and whoever has done evil has done against himself.
- Who have lost their efforts in the worldly life think that they are doing good to make them losers.
- Who believed shall fear God and has done good in the world to have good for them in the Hereafter.
- God is the One who made the earth a resting place and the sky a canopy while He has designed the human being giving a good shape as well as providing him with the good things.
- God is the One who created the heavens and the earth will compensate those who have done evil with what they have done, and will compensate those who have done good with the best.
- God has made good provision for those who have believed in God’s revelations when recited to them and have done the righteous deeds bringing them out of the darkness into the light.
- God took a covenant from the people of Israel not to worship except God, and be good with the parents, and with the relatives and the orphans and the poor but many of them were refusing ones.
- God has decreed equivalent execution in killing but whoever has been pardoned anything for it from his brother, then follow-up with fair manner and payment to him with goodness is a concession.
- Divorce is permitted twice but cannot be taken back whatever given them except they both fear that they cannot keep God’s limits, thus it is retaining in a fair manner or releasing with goodness.
- When has befallen them a disaster for what has sent forth their hands, said by swearing God that their intention was good and reconciliation.
- God has prohibited that you should not: associate with your Lord, kill your children for fear of poverty, go near the immodesties, kill the soul except justice, but should be good with your parents.
- God orders with justice and goodness while He forbids from wickedness, evil deed and oppression.
- God has decreed that you should not worship except Him alone, and should be good with parents.
- The human being be good with parents, and whoever reaches forty years should turn to his Lord to be a submitter to do as righteous to please Him asking for making righteous from his offspring.
The review confirms that losers are those who have lost their efforts in the worldly life thinking that they are doing good and worship God associating partners with Him as for good efforts without knowing from His revelations.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (2/28/2020).