The True Jihad

The True Jihad is one who strives against himself for the sake of obeying God. From this, we learn that fighting against the promptings of oneself and persevering on the path of truth is a jihad. This struggle takes place inside oneself, in the realm of one’s psyche, and not on a battlefield in the external world. 5. The Prophet is reported to have said: Ni’m alJihadu al-Hajj. That is, “The best jihad is Hajj.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 2876) Thus we learn that undertaking the Hajj pilgrimage is an act of jihad. The haji or the Hajj pilgrim has to make great efforts in performing the Hajj as desired. 6. According to a tradition, the Prophet of Islam is reported to have said about serving one’s parents: fafihima fajahid. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 3004) It means, ‘Do jihad concerning your parents.’ Thus we learn that serving one’s parents is an act of jihad.