The Most Difficult Struggle

in Life a Man can Endure

The Most Difficult Struggle in Life a Man can Endure

‫ﺑﺴﻢ اﻟﻠﻪ اﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ اﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ‬

ُ ‫أﻓ ْﻀ َﻞ ُ اﻟﺠ ِﻬ َﺎد ِ أنْ ﻳُﺠﺎﻫ ِﺪ َ اﻟﺮ َّﺟ ُﻞ ُ ﻧَﻔْﺴ َﻪُ وَﻫَﻮاه‬

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.

1. The struggle against the soul’s temptations

2. The struggle against Satan
3. The struggle against the disbelievers
4. 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

The Destructive Effects Of Evil Desires

[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