Little (Little Jihad)
عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّوْفَلِيِّ عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ص بَعَثَ بِسَرِيَّةٍ فَلَمَّا رَجَعُوا قَالَ مَرْحَباً بِقَوْمٍ قَضَوُا الْجِهَادَ الْأَصْغَرَ وَ بَقِيَ الْجِهَادُ الْأَكْبَرُ قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص وَ مَا الْجِهَادُ الْأَكْبَرُ قَالَ جِهَادُ النَّفْسِ
Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father, who from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following:
Abu’ Abd Allah-asws has said that the Messenger of Allah-saww once mobilised a group of people against the enemy. When they returned back he-saww said: ‘I welcome a people who have just come back after completion of ‘الْجِهَادَ الْأَصْغَرَ ’ the minor Jihad and who yet have to complete the major Jihad.’ Someone then asked, ‘What is the major Jihad, O Messenger of Allah-saww?’ He-saww replied, ‘It is Jihad against the desires of one’s own soul which encourages one to disobey Allah-azwj.[1]
[1] Al-Kafi, vol. 5, pg.11