According to Pellat, the explicit articulation of the Sufi ideal of the "inner "jihad"" (the war against one's own soul)," also finds its original formulation in Malik, who is believed to have said "d̲j̲āhidū ahwāʾakum kamā tud̲j̲āhidūn aʿdāʾakum" (“fight against your desires just as you fight against your enemies”), in a maxim that would wield considerable influence upon Islamic mystics through the medieval period. Malik also seems to have had an appreciation for the Christian religion, and may have even read parts of the New Testament for spiritual inspiration in imitating the example of Jesus.