Status Updates From Sufism: The Essentials

A hadith much beloved talks of two types of struggle (jihad): the lesser jihad, against the enemies of Islam on the battlefield, and the greater jihad, against the nafs [self, ego]. [..] In the image of one sufi shaykh, the nafs is like a powerful horse: if you can control the horse, you can go many places, but if the horse is in control, you can achieve little.