The Greatest Enemy Lives Inside You: What Prophets Really Said About the Ego

Prophets, messengers, sages and scholars all have spoken about the ego. Prophet Muhammad said: “The greatest jihad is against one’s own self.”

The human ego, known as the ‘I’, the ‘self’, the ‘ana’, or the ‘nafs’ is a villain in most religions. It is the great evil force that causes us to fall. We have heard Jesus say “Deny yourself,” and we have heard Imam Ali say, “Every person’s devil is his own self.” But, what does it all mean? Why do religions teach us to fight the ego?

In the Goal of the Wise, Aba Al-Sadiq reveals about the ego:

"It is created by our deeds, meaning our actions make it either good or evil. The self resides in the chest area and is something that is felt but not seen. It is formed by the senses hearing, sight, touching and tasting and it is essentially a cluster of emotions such as fear, anger, desire, lust, hunger and thirst. This cluster of emotions drives the body and its actions. The self represents a “false identity” or “fake identity” created by the feedback and stimuli received throughout one’s life, forming an illusionary character."

Here, we have the source of the ego revealed.

The ego is a source of pride, arrogance and an outright refusal of accepting God's authority. It represents Satan's rebellion.

The Ahlul Bayt stipulated that the creation of the intellect (obedience to God) and ignorance (refusal to obey) highlight’s the ego’s rebellious nature. God supplied the intellect with 75 soldiers of the mind (traits of light) and ignorance with 75 opposing "soldiers of darkness.” The personality of an individual is formed by a mixture of these veils of darkness and light.

Aba Al-Sadiq explains how the ego wears the mask of righteousness. How it can quote scriptures and lead prayers. It can cry during mourning and still betray the Hujjah in its heart.

We can understand from the teachings of Aba Al-Sadiq how the shia will face the Mahdi when he appears. They will say they were waiting for the Mahdi, but when they saw that He was poor, unknown, and rejected by their scholars, their egos screamed in protest: ‘How can this be? Why not us? Why him?’”

In the Bhagavad Gita, the ego or ahamkara is described as a false identity that makes the soul mistake the body and mind for its true self. This illusion gives rise to the sense of being the independent "doer" of actions. As Krishna explains:

“The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks, ‘I am the doer of activities,’ when in actuality they are carried out by the three modes of material nature.” (Bhagavad Gita, 3.27)

Through this misidentification, the soul becomes bound by karma, fueled by desire, and cut off from its eternal nature. To rise above the ego, the Gita emphasizes selfless action—performing one’s duty without clinging to outcomes:

“You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.” (Bhagavad Gita, 2.47)

Cultivating humility and letting go of pride are also seen as essential steps on the path to knowledge:

“Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual teacher, cleanliness, steadiness, and self-control—these are the qualities of knowledge, and anything contrary to these is ignorance.” (Bhagavad Gita,, 13.8–12)

Ultimately, the Gita calls us to recognize that beyond the ego, beyond body and mind, the true self is eternal, unchanging, and divine:

“The soul is eternal, indestructible, unborn, and undying. It is not slain when the body is slain.” (Bhagavad Gita, 2.20)

By realizing this higher identity as part of the divine, and by acting without attachment, the soul is freed from the illusion of ego and returns to its natural state of peace and liberation.

The truest test of ego is not in prayer, knowledge, or outward piety but in the ability to submit to the Imam of the time. Many scholars today, while never explicitly claiming to represent the Imam, carry themselves in a way that reveals their inner belief: that they are the rightful leaders and guides. Their manners, their subtle arrogance, the way they treat those who differ from them all of it reflects an unspoken superiority complex. But God, in His wisdom, always shatters the pride of the elite. He sends someone who, by their standards, doesn’t "qualify." A man who does not wear their robes, speak their language, or share their nationality. Someone who may seem poor by worldly measures. And yet, this man dares to declare: “I am the Mahdi.”

And as did Bani Israel, the people reject the prophets:

“Whenever a messenger came to you with what your souls did not desire, you were arrogant. Some you called liars, and some you killed.” (Qur’an, Chapter 2, (Al-Baqarah), Verse 87)

At that moment, their ego cannot bear it. Not because they recognize falsehood — but because the truth came in a form their nafs (ego) refuses to accept. Their arrogance screams: “Why him? Why not us?”

“And [mention] when your Lord said to the angels, ‘Indeed, I will make upon the earth a vicegerent (khalifah).’ They said, ‘Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?’ He said, ‘Indeed, I know that which you do not know.’” (Qur’an, Chapter 2, (Al-Baqarah), Verse 87)

They forget that this is God's way: He raises whom He wills, not based on lineage, wealth, or scholarly credentials — but based on truth, sincerity, and divine appointment. And so, the ego — having made a god of itself — becomes blind to the very savior it awaited. The Mahdi stands before them, but they reject him, not for lack of signs, but because he wasn’t them.

“When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height... The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” (Bible, Book of 1 Samuel, Chapter 16, Verses 6-7)

The ego is the root of pride, arrogance, envy, and the thirst for power—all traits that caused the downfall of Iblis (Satan). When God commanded the angels to bow to Adam, Iblis refused, declaring:

“I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay.” (Qur’an, Chapter 7, (Al-A'raf), Verse 12)

In this way, the ego blinds the heart, turning one inward toward false self-importance rather than outward toward divine truth and service to others. The Qur’an warns:

“Do not walk upon the earth exultantly. Indeed, you will never tear the earth [apart], and you will never reach the mountains in height.” (Qur’an, Chapter 17, (Al-Isra), Verse 37)

True happiness and enlightenment do not come from fulfilling selfish desires or amassing wealth:

“Rivalry in worldly increase diverts you, until you visit the graves.” (Qur’an, Chapter 102, (Takathur), Verses 1-2)

Instead, real joy is found in selflessness, preferring others, and recognizing that the soul is part of a greater, collective reality.

Imam Ali said: “The worst enemy of man is his own self that lies between his two sides.” (Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 176)

A central teaching of Islam is to deny the self.

Prophet Muhammad said: “The greatest jihad is the jihad against your own soul.” (Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, p. 8)

This lifelong struggle involves disciplining the senses, controlling emotions, and cultivating heavenly virtues. To weaken the ego, the Imams taught that one must starve the evil self and feed the good self—avoiding gossip, foul words, and corrupt distractions, while nurturing the spirit with Qur’an, dhikr, and the wisdom of God’s chosen guides.

Imam Al-Sadiq said: “Whoever humbles his self for Allah, Allah will elevate him; and whoever acts arrogantly, Allah will abase him.” (Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, p. 121)

Submitting to the Imam of the Time is seen as vital for conquering the ego, since the Imam reflects divine light and truth. By resisting the stirrings of the lower self with persistence, one finds peace as the soul overcomes rebellion. Imam Ali taught:

“Oppose your desires and control your self, for the soul is prone to evil except by the mercy of my Lord.” (Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 191; Qur’an 12:53)

Preferring others to oneself is a mark of faith:

“They give others preference over themselves, even though poverty be their own lot. And those who are saved from the covetousness of their souls — they are the successful.” (Qur’an, Chapter 59, (Al-Hashr), Verse 9)

Death itself is God’s way of finally breaking the illusion of the ego, forcing the soul to see its dependence on the Everlasting. The goal is to perfect the intellect, lifting the veils of darkness so that one’s character becomes luminous, mirroring the traits of the Imam. At its highest stage, the ego is annihilated before God.

The Qur’an distinguishes between levels of the self: the commanding self (which incites evil), the blaming self (conscience), and the reassured self (purified soul). God says:

“O reassured soul, return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing. Enter among My servants, and enter My Paradise.” (Qur’an, Chapter 89, (Al-Fajr), Verses 27-30)

The soul is eternal, while the ego perishes with the body. The true believer strives to make the soul victorious, allowing divine light to shine forth. God created intellect (‘aql) to submit to Him and ignorance (jahl) to oppose Him.

Imam al-Sadiq said: “Allah created the Intellect, and He said to it: ‘Come forward,’ so it came forward. Then He said: ‘Go back,’ so it went back. Then He said: ‘By My might and glory, I have not created a creation more beloved to Me than you.’” (Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, p. 10)

The spiritual journey is to dissolve the ego so that the soul mirrors divine completeness. The Prophet’s Night Journey (Mi‘raj) is the ultimate example—his ego dissolved into the “veil of God,” allowing him to stand in God’s presence. The purpose of creation, then, is to know God by transcending the ego:

“I was a hidden treasure, and I loved to be known; so I created creation that they might know Me.” (Hadith Qudsi)

Through this dissolution, the believer reflects God’s attributes, becoming a mirror of His light. But this exalted station cannot be attained without turning to the Imam of the Time, for only through the Imam can the soul ascend to its divine purpose.

The ego thrives most easily in religious clothing.

It hides behind scholarship, rituals, heritage, and sectarian pride. It wears turbans, recites sermons, builds institutions, and condemns heretics all while resisting the actual call of God when it comes in unfamiliar form.

The scholars of Bani Israel knew the Torah by heart and still crucified the Messiah. The scholars of Quraysh memorized the Qur’an and still opposed Ali. What makes you think you are immune?

So will you be among those who crucify the Hujjah out of pride? Or among those who crucify their ego to follow him?