Through Force or Faith? — Page 113
Chapter 2 — Islamic Teachings about Jihad 113 acknowledged by the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as as the most important jihad as is evident when, on one occasion, the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as said, while defining a muj a hid: The true muj a hid (warrior) or the best muj a hid (war- rior) is the one who fights against his own ego. ( Tirmidh i , Kit ā b Fa dai l-ul Jih a d; Chapter: What has been related about the virtue of the one who dies guarding the frontier from the enemy) This h adīth not only reflects the importance and excellence of self-reformation, but it also recognizes it as the most important form of jihad. Jihad/Striving with Quran, that is, Proclamation and Dissemination of Quran Next to the great jihad, that is, struggle against self, a great deal of emphasis is placed on the propagation and dissemination of Quran, and it is declared as jihad kab i r (great struggle) in the Holy Quran. In this context, Allah, the Exalted, says: َو ْمُهْدِهاَج ٖهِب اًداَهِج اًرْيِبَك … and strive against them with it (the Quran) a great striving ( S u rah al-Furq a n, 25:53). This is called ‘struggle with pen and speech’. Imam ibn Qayyim