SECOND REMINDER. Yaumul Jumuat, 11th day of Shaãban (27th April). JIHAAD AGAINST THE SOUL FIRST NOT INNOCENT PEOPLE. BismilLaahir Rahmaanir Raheem. Let's continue from the first Reminder, please request for a copy if you missed it. ALLAH tells us in several verses that those who purify their hearts from spiritual diseases will enter Paradise. In fact, no one will succeed in the Hereafter unless they approach ALLAH with a clean heart. ALLAH says: قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّاهَا He has succeeded who purifies the soul, and he has failed who corrupts the soul. Surat Ash-Shams 91:9-10. And ALLAH says: يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ It will be a day when there will be no benefit in wealth or children, but only in one who comes to ALLAH with a pure heart. Surat Ash-Shu’ara 26:88-89. This jihad to purify the soul involves struggling against greed for worldly pleasures, hypocrisy and insincerity, hatred and envy, arrogance and pride, vanity and other evil traits which Satan uses to lead us into destruction. Muslims without a doubt needs to make the struggle against these evils their top priority. Indeed, some of the earliest and most pious scholars among the righteous predecessors (salaf as-salih) considered the jihad against the soul to be one of the greatest and most important jihad. Abu Na’eem reported: Ibrahim ibn Adham, may ALLAH have mercy on him, said: أَشَدُّ الْجِهَادِ جِهَادُ الْهَوَى مَنْ مَنَعَ نَفْسَهُ هَوَاهَا فَقَدِ اسْتَرَاحَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَبَلَائِهَا وَكَانَ مَحْفُوظًا وَمُعَافًى مِنْ أَذَاهَا The most difficult jihad is the struggle against desire. Whoever can prevent himself from his desires will be relieved from the world and its trials, and he will be protected and safe from its harms. Hilyat Al-Awliya 18. To be continued in shaa Allah. May Allah keep guiding us all. Aameen.