Essentials of Islam: Iman and Ihsan

Bismillah... Wal Hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Aalamiin.

 'Umar Ibn Khattaab (RA) narrated, "While we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), one day a man came up to us whose clothes were extremely white, whose hair was extremely black, upon whom traces of travelling could not be seen, and whom none of us knew (recognised), until he sat down close to the Prophet (PBUH), so that he rested his knees upon his knees (knelt before the Messenger of Allah PBUH) and placed his two hands upon his thighs and (The  inquirer) said, 

'O Muhammad, tell me about Islam.' 
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, 'Islam is that you witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and you establish the prayer, and you give the Zakat, and you fast Ramadan, and you perform the hajj of the House if you are able to take a way to it (i.e If you are able to bear the expense of the journey).' 


He (The  inquirer) said, 'You have told the truth,' and we were amazed at him asking the Prophet (PBUH) and [then] telling him that he told the truth. 

He (The  inquirer) said, 'Tell me about Iman.'
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, 'That you affirm Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and that you affirm the Decree, the good of it and the bad of it.' He (The  inquirer) said, 'You have told the truth.'

He  (The  inquirer) said, 'Tell me about Ihsan.' 
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, 'That you worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you don't see Him then truly He sees you.' 

He (The  inquirer) said, 'Tell me about the Hour.'
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, 'The one asked about it knows no more than the one asking.' 

He (The inquirer) said, 'Then tell me about its tokens (signs of the Hour).'
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, 'That the female slave should give birth to her mistress, and you see poor, naked, barefoot shepherds of sheep and goats competing in making tall, magnificent buildings.'

'Umar (RA) said, then he (The  inquirer) went away, and I remained some time. 

Then he (The Messenger of Allah) asked, 'Umar, do you know who the questioner was?' I said, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He ( The Messenger of Allah) said, 'He (The  inquirer) was Jibril who came to you to teach you your deen'." 

[Muslim]

It is a hadith of tremendous importance which comprises an explanation of the whole deen. For this reason, the Prophet (PBUH) said at the end of it, "This was Jibril who came to you to teach you your deen," after explaining the degree of Islam, the degree of iman and the degree of ihsan, all of which he called 'deen'.

The narrations differ on whether Islam comes first before iman or vice-versa. In the hadith of 'Umar which Muslim narrated, he began by asking about Islam. In the hadith of at-Tirmidhi and others, he began by asking about iman, as for example in the hadith of Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him. In some of the narrations of the hadith of 'Umar which Muslim narrated there is that he asked about ihsan between Islam and iman.

Reference:
USC-MSA Web (English) Reference: Book 1, Hadith 1
Arabic Reference: Book 2, Hadith 102