Al-Qurtubi reported: One of the righteous predecessors said to his student, “What will you do if Satan entices you to sin?” The student said, “I will fight him!” The elder said, “And if he returns?” The student said, “I will fight him!” The elder said, “And if he returns?” The student said, “I will fight …
Salaf on Shaytan: Do not fight the devil, rather turn to Allah Read More »
Abu Bashir reported: Al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Verily, the servant may wage jihad for the sake of Allah, jihad as is due to Him, without ever striking anything with a sword.” Source: Tafsīr Ibn Abī Ḥātim 29:6 عَنْ أَبِي بَشِيرٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ رحمه الله قَالَ إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَيُجَاهِدُ فِي اللَّهِ حَقَّ …
Hasan on Jihad: Fighting in jihad for Allah without weapons Read More »
Hammad ibn Abi Hanifah reported: I came to Dawud al-Ta’i, may Allah have mercy on him, and his door was fastened shut. I could hear him saying: You lusted after carrots so I fed you carrots, then you lusted after carrots and dates together and I will never let you eat them again! I entered …
Dawud Ta’i on Self-talk: Talking to yourself as a means of discipline Read More »
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The strong are not those who defeat people. Rather, the strong are those who defeat their own ego.” Source: Sharḥ Mushkil al-Āthār 1645 Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Arna’ut عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ لَيْسَ …
Hadith on Nafs: Only the strong can defeat their lower-self Read More »
Waki’ reported: Sufyan al-Thawri, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “I never dealt with anything more difficult on me than my own self. Sometimes it would be against me, and sometimes it would be for me.” Source: Ḥilyat al-Awliyā’ 7/5 عن وكيع عَنْ سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ رحمه الله قَالَ مَا عَالَجْتُ شَيْئًا قَطُّ أَشَدَّ عَلَيَّ …
Sufyan on Nafs: Hardest struggle was against my own self Read More »
Al-Tabari reported: Hasan al-Basri, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “Your enemy is not the one you are relieved from if you killed him. Rather, your true enemy is your own soul, between your two sides.” Al-Tabari said, “It is the jihad against the greatest of enemies to a man. There is no doubt …
Hasan on Jihad: Your greatest enemy is your own ego Read More »
Ibn Muflih reported: Umar ibn Abdul Aziz, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “The best jihad is the jihad against whims.” Source: al-Ādāb al-Shar’īyah 3/131 عن ابن مفلح قَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَفْضَلُ الْجِهَادِ جِهَادُ الْهَوَى 3/131 الآداب الشرعية فصل في حكم التداوي مع التوكل على الله
Abu Nu’aym reported: Ibrahim ibn Adham, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “The most difficult jihad is the jihad against desire. Whoever can restrain his soul from its desires will be relieved from the world and its trials, and he will be protected and safe from its harms.” Source: Ḥilyat al-Awliyā’ 8/18 عن أبي …
Ibrahim on Jihad: Most difficult jihad is against desires Read More »
Hannan ibn Kharija reported: I said to Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, may Allah be pleased with him, “What do you say about jihad and military campaigns?” Abdullah said, “Begin with your soul and wage jihad against it. Begin with your soul and wage a military campaign against it.” Source: Muḥāsabat al-Nafs 62 عن حَنَّان بْن خَارِجَة …
Abdullah on Jihad: Start with the jihad against your soul Read More »
Ibn al-Mubarak reported: Maymun ibn Mihran wrote to Yunus ibn Ubaid, may Allah have mercy on him, saying, “I would love for you to write to me about what you do that I might do it.” Yunus wrote back to him, saying, “Verily, I strive for my soul to love for people what it loves …
Yunus on Jihad: I strive to love for people as myself Read More »
Ibn al-Qayyim reported: It was said to Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, “O Abu Sa’id, which jihad is best?” Hasan said, “Your jihad against your desires.” Source: Rawḍat al-Muḥibbīn 1/478 عن ابن القيم وَقَدْ قِيلَ لِلْحَسَنِ الْبَصْرِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ يَا أَبَا سَعِيدٍ أَيُّ الْجِهَادِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ جِهَادُك هَوَاك 1/478 روضة المحبين ونزهة …
Hasan on Jihad: Best jihad is against your soul, desires Read More »
Maslamah ibn Abi Bakr reported: Umar ibn Abdul Aziz, may Allah have mercy on him, took a pledge from some of his military deputies, saying, “You must fear Allah in every situation you find yourselves. Verily, the fear of Allah is greater for preparation, a better plan, and a stronger force. There is nothing of …
Umar II on Jihad: Our sins more harmful than plots of enemies Read More »
Fadalah ibn ‘Ubayd reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said during the final pilgrimage, “Have I not informed you? The believer is the one who is trusted with the lives and wealth of people. The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand people are safe. The one striving …
Hadith on Jihad: Believers wage Jihad against their souls Read More »
Al-Dhahabi reported: Abu Hamid al-Tusi, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Know that the religion has two conditions. The first is to abandon what has been forbidden. The other is to perform righteous acts of obedience. Abandoning what is forbidden is more difficult than being obedient. Everyone is capable of being obedient, but none …
Tusi on Jihad: True jihad is against one’s lowly desires Read More »
Ibn Rajab reported: Ibrahim ibn Abi ‘Alqamah, may Allah have mercy on him, said to his people when they returned from a military expedition, “You have come from the lesser jihad unto the greater jihad.” They said, “What is the greater jihad?” Ibrahim said, “It is the jihad of the heart.” Al-Battal said, “Courage is …
Ibrahim on Jihad: Greater Jihad is struggle to purify the heart Read More »
Fadalah ibn ‘Ubayd reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The one who strives in jihad is he who strives against his lower-self.” Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1621 Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Tirmidhi عن فضالة بن عبيد قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْمُجَاهِدُ مَنْ جَاهَدَ نَفْسَهُ 1621 سنن الترمذي …
Hadith on Jihad: True Mujahid fights jihad against his own soul Read More »