What is the struggle against the self? Jihad al-nafs is the struggle against evil ideas, desires and powers of lust, anger, and insatiable imagination, placing all of them under the dictates of reason and faith in obedience to Allahs commands, and finally, purging all satanic ideas and influences from one’s soul. Islamic ethical teachings indicate that the one who succeeds in this struggle can rise above and beyond the level of angels, and one who fails in this struggle will descend to a level lower than the level of animals, and may even be grouped among the legions of the devil.
Posted on: Tue, 03 Dec 2013 10:20:00 +0000