Strive or Struggle (JIHAD

This point does not apply only to jihad; the same holds true for other forms of worship as well. In religion, the acts that are prescribed are not valued merely for their outward form, but for their inner reality. The merits associated with certain forms of remembrance and prayer, the obligations attached to acts of worship, and the importance given to certain moral qualities and actions—so much so that, without them, even a claim to faith is not considered valid—all of this is meant to show what a God-oriented life looks like, not to define God-consciousness by outward forms alone. What God truly seeks is not that a person merely recites a few words of praise, performs specific rituals in the name of prayer, fasting, or pilgrimage, gives a fixed portion of their wealth to the poor, or conveys His message through speech and writing. No doubt, these are essential practices that form the necessary framework of a God-oriented life, and whenever faith takes shape in human life, it does so