Jihad Al-Nafs
In this regard, it would be beneficial to learn about Jihad al-Nafs and study it in the lives of divine prophets.
Jihad al-Nafs is among educational methods that can have great effects on one’s improvement in life if it is implemented with patience and perseverance.
Jihad al-Nafs means forcing oneself to do good deeds that are against one’s will.
In this method, the trainer and the trainee are the same person.
It is an action that is carried out against one’s desire. For example, one is in debt and desperately needs money. He happens to find some money on the street. He could take the money and pay his debt, but against his will, he finds the owner and gives it to him.
In this method, one forces himself to have moral behavior and gradually becomes accustomed to these moral virtues and finds their joy. Thus, he gets used to moral behavior and avoiding immoral conduct.
We can see examples of such Jihad al-Nafs in the life of Prophet Abraham (AS):
1- Leaving wife and son in a barren land
Abraham said to God: “Our Lord, I have settled some of my offspring in a barren valley near Your Holy House; our Lord, in order that they establish the prayer. Make the hearts of people yearn towards them, and provide them with fruits, in order that they are thankful.” (Verse 37 of Surah Ibrahim)
When Hagar gave birth to Abraham’s first son, Ismail, Abraham’s first wife Sara got jealous. She asked Abraham to take the mother and son to another place. After God’s order, Abraham did that and took Hagar and Ismail to Mecca, which was a barren land.
Naturally, human emptions prevent one from leaving a woman and child in a desert land alone but Abraham did this because he was summited to the commands of God.
2- Sacrificing son
When his son was old enough to work with him, he said, ‘My son, I have had a dream that I must sacrifice you. What do you think of this?’ He replied, ‘Father, fulfill whatever you are commanded to do and you will find me patient, by the will of God’. And when they had both submitted, and his son had laid down prostrate upon his forehead.” (Verse 102-103 of Surah Safat)
God Abraham to sacrifice his son and he embarked on doing it but the knife did not cut, and then there was a call from God: “We called to him, saying: ‘O Abraham, you have fulfilled what you were commanded to do in your dream.’ Thus We reward the righteous ones. That was indeed a clear trial. We ransomed his son with a great sacrifice.” (Verses 104-107 of Surah Safat)
