The Noble Scholar Shaykh Ṣālih al-Fawzān (may Allāh preserve him) stated:

Striving against one’s soul: It’s that the person strives against himself in obedience of Allah (‘azza wa-jall). He commands his soul with the obedience of Allāh and mandates it with the obedience of Allāh. He also prohibits it from the disobedience of Allāh and prevents it from that. The person is in a struggle with himself throughout his entire life. Whoever doesn’t have the ability to strive against himself, he doesn’t have the ability to strive against other than himself. It is not possible for the person to strive (for the sake of Allāh against others) except when he has striven against himself firstly by mandating his soul with the obedience of Allāh and withholding it from the disobedience of Allāh. The soul commands with that which is evil, except that which your Lord has had mercy upon (from the souls). Therefore the person is to strive against it until it complies with the obedience of Allāh. Then in that case the person can turn to the remaining categories of striving (for the sake of Allāh).

Source: Al-Jihād wa-Dawābituhu ash-Shar’īyah, pg. 16-17

Translated by Abu Yusuf Khaleefah
15th of Ramadaan, 1437 (06-20-2016)
Masjid Nur Allah, Queens, NYC

Original Arabic

قال العلامة الشيخ صالح الفوزان حفظه الله تعالى:

جهاد النفس: أن يجاهد نفسه في طاعة الله عزوجل فيأمرها بطاعة الله ويلزمها بطاعة الله وينهاها عن معصية الله ويمنعها من ذلك فهو في جهاد مع نفسه طول حياته ومن لم يستطع أن يجاهد نفسه لم يستطع أن يجاهد غيره، فلا يمكن أن يجاهد إلا إذا جاهد نفسه أولا بإلزامها بطاعة الله  وكفها عن معصية الله عزوجل فالنفس أمارة بالسوء إلا ما رحم ربك فيجاهدها حتى تلتزم بطاعة الله حينئذ يتجه إلى بقية أنواع الجهاد

(الجهاد وضوابطه الشرعية ص.16-17)