Are You A Mujahid?

[Abu Hafsat]

As-Salaam alaikum, 

There is a direct hadith supporting the statement of the Sufis that Jihad, in addition to meaning fighting against the outward enemy, also means struggling against the ego-self (nafs), for the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said:-

"The Mujahid is the one who makes Jihad against his nafs and its desires for the sake of obeying Allah." (Tirmidhi No. 1594, Ibn Majah, 3924).

And this is exactly one of the basic principles of Ihsan (Tasawwuf).

Furthermore, the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said to Umm Anas, may Allah be pleased with her:-

" Perform the ritual prayer, for it is the best Jihad. Abandon sins, for that is the best migration (hijra). And invoke Allah frequently, for that is the most beloved act with which you meet Allah". (Tabarani in his Mu'jam al-Kabir 25:129).

From this hadith, we learn that the act of Jihad is not exclusive to the battlefield... and that the regular performance of Sallah - - and fulfilling its conditions with perfection - - is a kind of Jihad against the lazy and erring self (nafs).