385 - ما يَنبَغي في مُجاهَدَةِ النَّفسِ‏

385. What is Necessary for Combatting the Self

1215.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : جاهِدْ نَفْسَكَ عَلى‏ طاعةِ اللَّهِ مُجاهَدةَ العَدُوِّ عَدُوَّهُ ، وغالِبْها مُغالبةَ الضِّدِّ ضِدَّهُ ؛ فإنّ أقْوى‏ النّاسِ مَن قَوِيَ على‏ نَفْسِهِ .¹

1215.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'Struggle against your self in Allah's worship just as one fights one's enemy, and overcome it just as one overcomes one's opponent, for the strongest of people is he who has triumphed over his self.' ²

1216.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : امْلِكُوا أنفسَكُم بدوامِ جِهادِها .³

1216.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'Gain control of your souls through constant self-struggle.' ⁴

384 - الجِهادُ الأكبَرُ

384. The Greater Jihad

1212.معاني الأخبار عن الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : إنَّ رسولَ‏اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله بَعثَ سَرِيّةً ، فلَمّا رَجَعوا قالَ: مَرْحَباً بقَومٍ قَضَوُا الجِهادَ الأصْغَرَ وبَقِيَ علَيهِمُ الجِهادُ الأكْبَرُ . قيلَ: يا رسولَ اللَّهِ ، وما الجِهادُ الأكْبَرُ ؟ قالَ: جِهادُ النَّفْس . وقالَ عليه السلام: أفْضَلُ الجِهادِ مَن جَاهَدَ نَفْسَهُ الّتي بينَ جَنْبَيهِ .¹

1212. Imam Ali (AS) relates, 'The Prophet (SAWA) dispatched troops [to a mission]. On seeing the returning armies from the battlefront, he said, 'Blessed are those who have performed the lesser jihad, and have yet to perform the greater one.' When asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, what is the greater jihad?' the Prophet replied, 'The jihad of the self', and added, 'The best jihad is that of one who combats his own self that is between his two sides.' ²

1213.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : أفْضَلُ الجِهادِ جِهادُ النَّفْسِ عنِ الهَوى‏ ، وفِطامُها عَن لَذّاتِ الدُّنيا³ .

1213.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'The best jihad is combatting one's self against its desires, and weaning it from the pleasures of this world.' ⁴

1214.الإمامُ الباقرُ عليه السلام : لا فَضيلةَ كالجِهادِ ، ولاجِهادَ كمُجاهَدةِ الهوى‏ .⁵

1214.Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, 'There is no greater distinction than jihad, and no jihad like combatting one's self.' ⁶