“That the Prophet (S) dispatched his soldiers to battle...

“That the Prophet (S) dispatched his soldiers to battle front to fight against the enemy. When the soldiers returned triumphant, the Prophet said: ' Congratulations! For those who have successfully completed the “Minor-Struggle“ (Jihad al-Asghar), but they have yet to engage themselves into Greater-Struggle (Jihad al-Akbar) '. He was asked: 'Oh Prophet of God!

What is the Greater- Struggle?” 'Struggle against the self.’ Replied the Prophet (S).”[^6] The Commander of the Faithful Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) said: قال على عليه السلام: ان افضل الجهاد من جهاد نفسه التى بين جمبيه. “The best struggle is the, struggle of some one, who fights' against his self located between his two sides.” [^7] In his death will the Prophet (S) said to Imam ‘Ali (a.s.): فى وصية النبى لعلى عليهما السلام قال: يا على! افضل الجهاد من اصبح لا بظلم احد. “Oh ‘Ali!

The best struggle is the struggle of some one who made his night into morning without thinking to oppress a single individual.” [^8] In these traditions the importance of struggle against the self have been described as “Greater-Struggle” or Supreme Struggle -the struggle which is even superior than the struggle for the sake of God-Almighty ( Jihad fi Sabil illah ).

Considering the exalted position of struggle for the sake of God, which is considered as one of the most superior worshipping -the importance and worth of self-struggle becomes explicitly clear. In order to further explain its superiority in detail we may point out the following three reasons: A. First Reason Each act of worship even armed struggle required self-struggle from the following two considerations.

(i) Firstly: The performance of each act of worship with perfection and in accordance with certain requirements itself requires self-struggle. For example: Is the performance of daily prayer [^9] with presence of mind as well as meeting all other conditions, so that it indeed becomes -a believers heavenly journey preventing him from fortifications and forbidden deeds -possible without efforts and self-struggle?

Is fasting with perfection satisfying all its requirements so that it becomes -a shield against Hell's fire -possible without self-struggle? Is it possible for a valiant, struggler eager for martyrdom, to appear on the battle field to fight bravely with the enemies of Islam without self-struggle? And similar is applicable to all other worships.