The Lesser and the Greater Jihad

This point is narrated in another Hadith report in this way: jahidu ahwa’akum kama tujahiduna a’da’akum. That is, “Do jihad with your desires as you do jihad with your opponents.” (Tafsir al-Raghib, Vol. 1, p. 502) In Islam, fighting against one’s enemy is a highly temporary act, whose need arises when someone has attacked a Muslim state. This is a defensive jihad, and only some trained people participate in it, not the entire Muslim community. In contrast to this, jihad against one’s nafs or self is something that pertains to an individual and goes on throughout the life of a true believer. For instance, it is an act of merit that when a Muslim meets someone, he greets him with the phrase Assalamu Alaikum, which means ‘peace be upon you.’ According to a Hadith, these words are so lofty that one who greets another in this way is given the good tidings of Paradise. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 54) However, in this world, where we live and many other people, we repeatedly face bitter experiences. On account of this, every person develops complaints against and negative feelings for others, which he nurses in his heart. In such a situation, only a person who has already purified his heart of all negative emotions and is genuinely concerned for the well-being of others