Explanation of the statement of Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding what he quoted: "… The Chapter on Striving (Mujahadah) …"
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The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said "The Chapter on Striving (Mujahadah)". Mujahadah means a person striving against his own self and striving against others. As for a person striving against his own self, it is among the most difficult things, and striving against others is not completed unless one first strives against the self. Striving against the self takes place in two ways, meaning that a person strives against his self in two matters: performing acts of obedience and abandoning sins. Performing acts of obedience is heavy for the self, except for those whom Allah has made easy for them, and abandoning sins is likewise heavy for the self, except for those whom Allah has made easy for them. Therefore, the self needs striving, especially with the lack of desire for good. A person suffers greatly from his self to make it do good. Among the most important things in this is striving the self toward sincerity (ikhlas) for Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in worship, for sincerity is a matter of great and very difficult magnitude. So much so that some of the Salaf said "I have not striven my self against anything as I have striven it against sincerity". For this reason, the reward of the sincere is thatSahih al-Bukhari 99 But when will this matter occur? This matter is very severe. Striving for sincerity for Allah is among the most difficult things for the souls, because souls have desires. A person loves to be prominent among people, loves to be respected among people, loves it to be said that this is a man of worship, a man who has such and such qualities of good. Satan enters the person through this door and makes him commit showing off (riya'), showing off to people. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said meaning he displays his matter to people until it is exposed, and may Allah protect us from that.
Likewise, among the things a person strives his self against is performing difficult acts of obedience, such as fasting. Fasting is among the most difficult things for the souls because it involves abandoning the accustomed food, drink, and intercourse. You find it to be difficult for people, except for those whom Allah has made easy for them and lightened it for them. You find some people, for example, in Ramadan; when Ramadan enters, it is as if a mountain has been placed on their backs, and may Allah protect us from that, because they find fasting heavy and see it as difficult. Some of them make their share of the day sleep and their share of the night staying awake in matters that bring them no good, all of this because of the difficulty of this worship upon them.
Likewise, among the things that require striving is a person striving to pray with the congregation. Many people find it easy to pray in their homes, but it is difficult for them to pray with the congregation in the mosques. You find them in a state of struggle with themselves, struggling, saying, "Be patient, I will finish this work, I will do such and such, I will do such and such," until they procrastinate and the congregational prayer is missed from them. This, which I mean, the heaviness of the congregational prayer for a person, indicates that there is hypocrisy in the person's heart. It indicates that there is hypocrisy in his heart. What is the evidence? The evidence is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)Sunan Ibn Majah 797Sahih (Darussalam) This requires striving. As for the forbidden, how many are the forbidden things that are difficult for some people to abandon? You find one accustomed to doing the forbidden and it is difficult for him to abandon it. Let us give two examples of this.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said "The Chapter on Striving (Mujahadah)". Mujahadah means a person striving against his own self and striving against others. As for a person striving against his own self, it is among the most difficult things, and striving against others is not completed unless one first strives against the self. Striving against the self takes place in two ways, meaning that a person strives against his self in two matters: performing acts of obedience and abandoning sins. Performing acts of obedience is heavy for the self, except for those whom Allah has made easy for them, and abandoning sins is likewise heavy for the self, except for those whom Allah has made easy for them. Therefore, the self needs striving, especially with the lack of desire for good. A person suffers greatly from his self to make it do good. Among the most important things in this is striving the self toward sincerity (ikhlas) for Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in worship, for sincerity is a matter of great and very difficult magnitude. So much so that some of the Salaf said "I have not striven my self against anything as I have striven it against sincerity". For this reason, the reward of the sincere is that
The luckiest person who will have my intercession on the Day of Resurrection will be the one who said sincerely from the bottom of his heart "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah."
من قال لا إله إلا الله خالصا من قلبه حرمه الله على النارWhoever shows off, Allah will show him (his hypocrisy), and whoever teaches (his deeds) to be seen, Allah will make his deeds seen (as hypocrisy).
من رآى رآى الله به ومن سمّع سمّع الله بهLikewise, among the things a person strives his self against is performing difficult acts of obedience, such as fasting. Fasting is among the most difficult things for the souls because it involves abandoning the accustomed food, drink, and intercourse. You find it to be difficult for people, except for those whom Allah has made easy for them and lightened it for them. You find some people, for example, in Ramadan; when Ramadan enters, it is as if a mountain has been placed on their backs, and may Allah protect us from that, because they find fasting heavy and see it as difficult. Some of them make their share of the day sleep and their share of the night staying awake in matters that bring them no good, all of this because of the difficulty of this worship upon them.
Likewise, among the things that require striving is a person striving to pray with the congregation. Many people find it easy to pray in their homes, but it is difficult for them to pray with the congregation in the mosques. You find them in a state of struggle with themselves, struggling, saying, "Be patient, I will finish this work, I will do such and such, I will do such and such," until they procrastinate and the congregational prayer is missed from them. This, which I mean, the heaviness of the congregational prayer for a person, indicates that there is hypocrisy in the person's heart. It indicates that there is hypocrisy in his heart. What is the evidence? The evidence is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)