If you REALLY MUST do a Jihad, do THIS Jihad!

61. Jihad of the Heart

There is a perfect jihad

To undertake, where you can

Do so with reasonable belief

That you will not be breaching

The conditions of jihad, as laid down

By the Prophet, not to harm old men,

Women, children, animals and trees,

Nor break into a temple

Of worshipers in worship.

The jihad of the heart.

Or do you think that Jihad al Akbar

Is purely a personal jihad?

I am in a jihad. It is called Jihad al Akbar, which basically means an internal jihad to master my ego and nafs (lower desires). Oh no, it is not about destroying the ego or nafs, since I am still a man, but it is about mastering the ego and nafs, so that whatever action (or omission) I undertake, I do so for the right reasons. To find the right reasons, I follow my heart and my conscience, and whatever lessons God has kindly brought to my attention from my history of the Prophets and Saints of God, and any other saintly persons I have bumped into in my short life. It is my profound blessing that I have come to know a great many of them. Oh, to get back to the prose, the Jihad al Akbar is not purely personal because if you become better, how can it be anything but good for your family, friends and co-workers? Alhamdulillah!

I cannot say, with all honesty, that I am winning in this jihad. But I guess I am not losing. I am somewhere in between, feeling good sometimes, and less good in another hour. But generally I am happy about 85% of my waking hour, and I think that is an acceptable statistics, don't you?

I have no time for the other sort of jihad, that armed jihad which is the fixation of the misguided and despairing. Indeed, I reject the mindless violence and insane hatred that these people propagate. I reject them all with my words, and if push comes to shove, I shall reject them with my hands.

I am a keeper of a secret which is not a secret, but one which people often forget. That all humanity are in unity of worship and praise of just One God. And it is in that ideal I write to you, sunshine.

You are not just an anonymous reader, my friend. You are to me my hope for a better future.

wa min Allah at-taufiq.