Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve and protect him) said,

‘The biggest obstacle in one’s islah are the sinful desires of nafs. 

One has to force himself to fight these desires. 

This is a difficult task.  Firm determination and spiritual strength are required to do so. 

There is a tip to facilitate the development of spiritual strength. It is that every day you intentionally give up one or two permissible desires. For example you have a desire to eat a particular food today, however, you make an intention that in order to train my nafs and not listen to whatever it tells me to do I will not eat this food today. 

By doing this exercise one will develop the spiritual strength and stamina required to give up sinful desires.’

Majlis, 27 Ramadan 1437/ 3 July 2016, Darul Uloom Karachi, post zuhar