The Sunday Gaurdian

The Quran refers to truthful people as those who ‘forgive when they are angry’ (42:37). This does not mean only to forgive and forget. Rather, it means rising above the psyche of anger and then behaving accordingly. It means thinking in a manner free from anger despite being driven to anger. It means to respond to a situation without being affected by anger.

Anger is a weakness, while not getting angry is a strength in its own right. If a person does not get angry, he can manage every situation. He can turn every matter in his favour. Anger destroys one’s intelligence. An angry person can neither properly understand the situation he is confronted with, nor respond to it in an appropriate manner. He is immediately drawn to violence, although violence is not the solution to any problem at all. In contrast, a person who can keep his anger under control will search for a peaceful solution—and a peaceful solution is the only certain solution to every problem.

A treasure-trove of enormous capacities is hidden inside the human mind. If a person does not get angry, he is able to use these amazing treasures that are contained in his mind in his own favour. But when a person becomes angry, being in a disturbed state of mind, he is not able to use his mental capacities. Not getting angry is a great victory, while getting angry is a great defeat.

Source: Islam and World Peace