Why is striving the door to Paradise? In this concise work, written in defense of the prophets and messengers of God, Ahmed Alhasan, Vicegerent and Messenger of Imam al-Mahdi, alone reveals the true meaning of striving (jihad) as taught by God’s prophets and messengers. He begins where all striving must begin: with the greater striving, the struggle of the self against the ego and the weapons of Satan. Only one who prevails in this inner battle, and thereby comes to know and follow the vicegerent of God on His earth, may rightly undertake the lesser striving with wealth and life in the path of God.
Drawing on the Torah, the Gospel, and the Quran, he examines the striving of Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Jesus, and Muhammad, and clarifies the conditions and aims of both offensive and defensive striving. He establishes that the word precedes the sword, and explains when the sword becomes unavoidable. He also elucidates the three ways by which the vicegerent of God is recognized in every era and distinguishes material civilization from the spiritual and moral civilization brought by the prophets. He concludes with advice to the believers.
The book also contains four appendices. The first includes forty hadiths of the Messenger of God on striving. The second presents Quranic verses for contemplation. The third provides a brief listing of the cited chains of narration. The fourth, added by the translators, contains a selection of the references available in English online.