Through Force or Faith? — Page 145
Chapter 2 — Islamic Teachings about Jihad 145 tasks were entrusted to them. One, they battled the overt enemies and the other, they battled spiritually. In lexicon, the ego and human heart is also called Rib āt. It is a fine point that only such horses are useful that are trained and disciplined. These days the same pattern is followed in the training and disciplining of horses and they are trained and tamed on much the same lines as the children are educated in schools with particular care and effort. If they are not educated and trained, they will be utterly useless and will prove deleterious and harmful instead of being beneficial. This hint is also to the point that souls of men—that is, Rib āt —should be disciplined and their faculties and strengths should be such that they should tread within the limits of God. Because, if it is not so, they shall not be useful in the fight and struggle that is ongoing seren- dipitously between man and his fearsome enemy, namely, Satan, every second and every moment. Just as in war and battlefield, in addition to physical prowess, training is necessary, for this internal battle and struggle (jihad) training and proper grooming of the human souls is a requisite. And if it is not so, Satan will overpower him as a consequence and he will be badly humiliated and dis- graced. For example, if one possesses a cannon and gun, arms and musket, etc. , but he is utterly unaware of how to use them, he can never succeed in the face of the enemy. And if one has the arrow and the gun and armament and knows how to use them but has no strength in his arms, he cannot succeed either. This shows that mere learning how