The Most Difficult Struggle in Life a Man can Endure
The Most Difficult Struggle in Life a Man can Endure
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
أفْضَلُ الجِهَادِ أنْ يُجاهِدَ الرَّجُلُ نَفْسَهُ وَهَواهُ
One of the greatest struggles a man can endure is the fight against his soul’s temptations and his evil desires.
Benefits for this Topic:
- Allah said: And who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts, without guidance from Allah? [ Al-Qasas:50]
- Allah said: and follow not your desire for it will mislead you from the Path of Allah. Verily! [Sad:26] Al-Alamah Shiekh Abdur Rahman Al-Barrak said: “The degree at which a person disobeys his Lord following Satan and satisfying his evil desires, is the extent and level in which his tawhid will be tarnished. [1]
- The word for struggle in this hadeeth is the word jihad, which has four levels included as part of its meaning.
- The struggle against the soul’s temptations
- The struggle against Satan
- The struggle against the disbelievers
- The struggle against the hypocrites.
- The are four levels for the man battling against his soul. The first is he struggles with his inner-being to learn the proper guidance and the correct path of Islam. This is the only way in which the soul can be successful, feel happy in its life and well-being. Otherwise, when this is lost then the soul will be miserable in this life and in the next. The second struggle the man faces against his soul, is acting by the knowledge he acquires. If he doesn’t act on what he knows then his knowledge is of no benefit and will serve to harm him. The third encounter the man faces with his soul is when he invites ignorant people to Islam. If he doesn’t do this then he will fall in the category of people that Allah said about, “Verily ,those who conceal the clear proofs and guidance which we have sent down..”[Al-Baqarah-159].
Hence, his knowledge that he learned won’t benefit him or save him from the punishment of Allah. The fourth, is when a person fights his soul to be patient with the difficulties and hardships that come from people when calling to the Quran and the Sunnah.
These are the four levels that a man will struggle with soul in and when he completes all of these levels then he will be among the true upright callers and nurturers of Islam. In fact, the Salaf are all in agreement that a person can not be called a Rabbani, until he knows the truth, acts by it, and teaches it. [2]
- Malik ibn Deenar said: “Fight against your evil desires the same way you fight against you enemies.”[3]
- Fighting against evil desires….is when a person prevents them from acting on his sensual lusts, or to give oneself free rein to do whatever he wishes without restraint, but instead he regularly practices Allah’s commands and avoids his prohibitions. This is among the most difficult kinds of Jihad and your soul’s desires are among your greatest enemies. [4]
- Fighting against the soul’s temptations and its evil desires is the starting point for one to be able to fight against the disbelievers and the hypocrites. In other words, a person is unable to properly battle against the Kuffar and the Munafiqeen until he is victorious over his soul’s temptation and evil desires. [5]
- Allah tests the servant with his soul and desires, and has made it an obligation on him to fight against his temptations and his evil desires; seeking Allah’s Pleasure. Therefore, day and night the servant is battling his soul until it’s thankful as Allah has ordered it to be. Along with this, Allah’s servant goes to war with his base desires controlling them from doing what He has prohibited. This is an act of obedience. [6]
- Imam Al-Bayhaqi said: “I asked my teacher Abu Sahl As-Suluki about the essence of worship? He replied: “The essence of worship has two parts, acting in conformity and in opposition. One must conform to the what’s right and oppose his soul’s temptations and evil desires.”[7]
- This type of struggle requires patience. Whoever strives against his soul’s temptations, its evil desires and Satan and then subdues them will be victorious in this life and in the next, and will be aided by Allah. Thus, he would have mastered self-control. However, whoever is impatient in this battle against temptations and evil desires will be defeated by Satan. As a result of this, he will be a prisoner, who is governed by Satan and his evil desires. [8]
Translated and compiled by;
Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle Sr.
1443H©/ December 25,2021
[1] Explanation of kitab At-tawheed by ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali , pg 74
[2] At-Tanwee Sharh Jami’ Saghir vol 2/pg 549
[3] Al-Kamil, vol 2/128 by Ibn Al-Mubrad
[4] At-Tayseer Bisharhi Jamii’ As-Saghir Vol 1/pg 182
[5] Al-Mustadark Majmou Ibn Taymiyyah vol 3/213
[6] ‘Iddahtus Sabireen vol 1/152 by Ibn Al-Qayyim
[7] Az-Zuhd , hadith number 348
[8] Natharul Na’eem vol8/pg 3315