Urdu Dictionary
Arabic · noun · Struggle & the Sword

Jihad-e-Akbar

जिहाद-ए-अकबर
said ji-HAAD-e-AK-bar
also written: jihad-e-akbar
Meaning

The 'greater struggle'; the inner war against the lower self, held to be mightier than the outward struggle.

Literally: the greater striving

How Iqbal uses it

Iqbal makes the greater struggle against the self the forge of selfhood, the war by which the ego conquers itself.

See it in the verse

Jihad-e-Akbar in Iqbal’s couplets

Yaqeen muhkam, amal paiham, mohabbat fateh-e-aalam
Jihad-e-zindagani mein hain ye mardon ki shamsheeren
Firm conviction, ceaseless action, and a love that conquers the world — these are the swords of the brave in the struggle of life.
Action · Love · Courage
Related words
ARABIC

Mujahada

The inner spiritual struggle against the lower self, the 'greater jihad'.

ARABIC

Nafs-e-Ammara

The commanding lower self that incites a person toward evil and base desire.

ARABIC

Jihad-e-Asghar

The 'lesser struggle'; the outward striving in God's path, deemed lesser than the inner war against the self.

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