wa'lladhina jahadu feena
but those who strive for Us.
~ The Chapter of Spider, The Final Testament 29:69
Imam Jafar as Sadiq, may God hallow his spirit, said: The spiritual struggle (jihad) is sincere neediness (to God) and that is the detachment (infisal) of the servant from his soul, and his attachment (ittisal) to his Lord.
[Detachment (infisal) and attachment (ittisal). Thus the nafi and ithbat respectively, of the shahadah constitute mujahadah.]
The spiritual struggle frees the slave from all that he is attached to. The spiritual struggle is the generous expending of one's spirit (Badhl ar-Ruh) for the the satisfaction of (God) the Truth.
[Badhl al-Ruh. Since spirit (ruh) is the divine breath of life breathed into man at his creation, badhl al-ruh means to expend the whole of life appropriately, at all levels, in satisfying the One who breathes through and in all creatures. Safa too has its service to God, its khidmah.]
He also said: Whoever strives with his soul for his soul attains the munificence of his Lord; while he who strives with his soul for his Lord attains to his Lord.
[Fearing hell or hoping for paradise; to such a person, God's generosity shall grant avoidance of hell or entry into paradise. The striving of the soul for God is the khidmah or muruwah of Marwah.]
- The text is from Imam Jafar as-Sadiq's Commentary on Qur'an and in translation, the text in braces are notes from the translator.
Exegesis from Spiritual Gems by Farhana Mayer based on the text of Paul Nwyia
Imam Jafar as-Sadiq is known to have said: "My words are the words of my father, and the words of my father are the words of my grandfather, and the words of my grandfather are the words of my great-grandfathers - Hasan and Husayn; and their words are the words of Ali, and the words of Ali are the words of the Prophet of Allah; and the words of the Prophet are the words of Allah" ~ Muhammad Kulayni, Usūl al-Kāfī - The Book of Intellect and Ignorance. Ch.17
The 69th verse of 29th Chapter of the Quran reads in full:
Wa'lladhina jahadu feena lanahdi yannahum subulana. wa-inna Allaha lamaAAa al-muhsineen
And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.
+ Learn its Morphology (word by word syntax) via Quran Corpus
