Ghurar Al-Hikam Wa Durar Al-Kalim, Exalted Aphorisms And Pearls Of Speech

Struggling Against The Self (Jihad An-Nafs)

Struggling against the Self (Jihad an-Nafs) جهاد النفس

1. Indeed Jihād is the price of Paradise, so the one who struggles against his self will acquire it, and this is the greatest reward of Allah for the one who is cognizant of it.

1ـ ألا وإنَّ الجِهادَ ثَمَنُ الجَنَّةِ، فَمَنْ جاهَدَ نَفْسَهُ

2. The best Jihād is the struggle of a man against his [carnal] soul.

2ـ أفْضَلُ الجِهادِ مُجاهَدَةُ المَرْءِ نَفْسَهُ.

3. The best Jihād is the struggle of the self against lustful desires, and its weaning away from the pleasures of this world.

3ـ أفْضَلُ الجِهادِ جِهادُ النَّفْسِ عَنِ الهَوى، وفِطامُها عَنْ

4. The first thing that you disavow from Jihād is struggling against your selves.

4ـ أوَّلُ ما تُنْكِرُونَ مِنَ الجِهادِ، جِهادُ أنْفُسِكُمْ.

5. The last things that you [should] lose are: the struggling against your selves and obedience to those who have authority among you.

5ـ آخِرُ ما تَفْقِدُونَ مُجاهَدَةُ أهْوائِكُمْ وطاعَةُ أُولِي الأَمْرِ

6. Indeed the best Jihād is the struggle of a man against his [carnal] soul.

6ـ إنَّ أفْضَلَ الجِهادِ مُجاهَدَةُ الرَّجُلِ نَفْسَهُ.

7. Verily struggling against the self restrains it from sins and protects it from destruction.

7ـ إنَّ مُجاهَدَةَ النَّفْسِ لَتَزِمُّها عَنِ المَعاصِي، وتَعْصِمُها

8. Verily the one who struggles with his [lower] self, in obedience to Allah and against disobedience to Him, has the status of a virtuous martyr in the sight of Allah.

8ـ إنَّ المُجاهِدَ نَفْسَهُ عَلى طاعَةِ اللّهِ وَعَنْ مَعاصِيهِ،

9. Indeed the one who struggles against his [lower] self, overcomes his anger and is careful in obeying [the commandments of] Allah, is raised by Allah, the Glorified, to the status of the one who fasts by day and stands in prayer by night, and is granted the rank of the patient soldier [who fights in His way].

9ـ إنَّ المُجاهِدَ نَفْسَهُ، والمُغالِبَ غَضَبَهُ، والمُحافِظَ عَلى

10. Verily if you struggle against your [lower] self you will obtain the pleasure of Allah.

10ـ إنَّكَ إنْ جاهَدْتَ نَفْسَكَ حُزْتَ رِضَى اللّهِ.

11. The fruit of struggle [against the self] is overpowering the self.

11ـ ثَمَرَةُ المُجاهَدَةِ قَهْرُ النَّفْسِ.

12. Struggling against the self is the dowry for Paradise.

12ـ جِهادُ النَّفْسِ مَهْرُ الجَنَّةِ.

13. Struggling against vain desires is the price of Paradise.

13ـ جِهادُ الهَوى ثَمَنُ الجَنَّةِ.

14. Struggling against the self is the best Jihad.

14ـ جِهادُ النَّفْسِ أفْضَلُ جِهاد.

15. Struggle against your [lower] self and seek repentance, you will be successful in the obedience of your Lord.

15ـ جاهِدْ نَفْسَكَ، وَقَدِّمْ تَوْبَتَكَ، تَفُزْ بِطاعَةِ رَبِّكَ.

16. Struggle against your vain desires, overcome your anger and resist your bad habits, [by this] your soul will become pure, your intellect will become perfect and the reward of your Lord will be complete.

16ـ جاهِدْ شَهْوَتَكَ، وغالِبْ غَضَبَك،وَخالِفْ سُوءَ عادَتِكَ، تَزْكُ

17. Fight against your [lower] self in obedience to Allah the way an enemy would fight his enemy, and overpower it the way a rival would overpower his opponent, for indeed the strongest person is the one who subdues his self.

17ـ جاهِدْ نَفْسَكَ عَلى طاعَةِ اللّهِ مُجاهَدَة العَدُوِّ عَدُوَّهُ،

18. Struggle against your [lower] self and call it to account the way a partner would hold his partner accountable, and demand from it the right of Allah the way an adversary would demand from his foe, for verily the most felicitous of people is the one who undertakes to hold his self to account.

18ـ جاهِدْ نَفْسَكَ وحاسِبْها مُحاسَبَةَ الشَّريكِ شَريكَهُ وطالِبْها

19. Struggling against the [lower] self is the price of Paradise, so the one who struggles against it will acquire it, and this is the greatest reward of Allah for the one who is cognizant of it.

19ـ جِهادُ النَّفْسِ ثَمَنُ الجَنَّةِ، فَمَنْ جاهَدَها مَلَكَها وهِيَ

20. Struggling against the self with knowledge is a symbol of intelligence.

20ـ جِهادُ النَّفْسِ بِالعِلْمِ عُنْوانُ العَقْلِ.

21. Fighting anger with forbearance is evidence of nobility.

21ـ جِهادُ الغَضَبِ بِالحِلْمِ بُرْهانُ النُّبْلِ.

22. The most excellent Jihād is struggling against the self.

22ـ خَيْرُ الجِهادِ جِهادُ النَّفْسِ.

23. The highest form of struggle is for a man to struggle against his self.

23ـ غايَةُ المُجاهَدَةِ أنْ يُجاهِدَ المَرْءُ نَفْسَهُ.

24. It is sufficient for you, in your struggle against your [lower] self, that you always prevail over it and fight its vain desires.

24ـ كَفاكَ في مُجاهَدَةِ نَفْسِكَ أنْ لاتَزالَ أبَداً لَها مُغالِباً،

25. One who fights his [lower] self perfects his piety.

25ـ مَنْ جاهَدَ نَفْسَهُ أَكْمَلَ التُّقى.

26. One who knows his self struggles against it.

26ـ مَنْ عَرَفَ نَفْسَهُ جاهَدَها.

27. One who does not struggle against his self will not achieve victory.

27ـ مَنْ لَمْ يُجاهِدْ نَفْسَهُ لَمْ يَنَلِ الفَوْزَ.

28. There is no struggle more worthy than struggling against the self.

28ـ ما مِنْ جِهاد أفْضَلُ مِنْ جِهادِ النَّفْسِ.

29. Struggling against the self is a trait of the noble ones.

29ـ مُجاهَدَةُ النَّفْسِ شيمَةُ النُّبَلاءِ.

30. Struggling against the self is a symbol of nobility.

30ـ مُجاهَدَةُ النَّفْسِ عُنْوانُ النُّبْلِ.

31. Struggling against the self is the best Jihād.

31ـ مُجاهَدَةُ النَّفْسِ أفْضَلُ جِهاد.

32. There is no Jihād like struggle against the self.

32ـ لا جِهادَ كَجِهادِ النَّفْسِ.