A view on Jihad

Assalaam Alaykum wa Rasalulah wa Barakatu. Alhumdulillah Rabbiealamin

I have a view on this, because recently I have been experiencing this. I have been in jihad, al jihad fi sabil Allah - the struggle in the way of God. The forces of good are battling the forces of evil within myself. I have been experiencing temptation and I have been fighting it. There are things out there around me that are not good and I find myself resisting it. This is what jihad is to me. It's a struggle to fight evil to maintain the good within myself, a fight to improve myself, and a fight for the way of God. I see changes coming where I live. Hopefully, this time, it will be for good. But, whatever changes I have experienced in the society around me had been for the worse and there is a jihad leading the way. I pray for my country and the society around me. I wish for this crazy, pop culture regardless of what it is and whatever craze people want to follow would one day soon go away. This is my jihad. But, understand, I am not taking up weapons or a sword. It is what many Christians would as "Spiritual Warfare." To me, that is what jihad is. The Sufis consider a warrior to be a great, noble, and honorable if he/she is one who is struggling within himself/herself for the way of God and to improve himself/herself. And in order to attempt to try to improve society, you must improve yourself. May the Mighty God give you peace, for that will as a result, bring peace within yourself.

"The life of this is but play and amusement: and if ye believe and guard against evil, He will grant you your recompense, and will not ask you (to give up) your possessions. If He were to ask you for all of them, and press you, ye would covetously withhold, and He would bring out all your ill-feeling. Behold, ye are those invited to spend (of your substance) in the Way of Allah. But among you are some that are niggardly. But any who are niggardly are so at the expense of their own souls. But Allah is free of all wants, and it is ye who are needy. If ye turn back (from the Path), He will substitute in your stead another people; then they would not be like you!" - Sura 47, Muhammad, 36-38.