WHO IS STRONG?

According to a hadith report, the Prophet said that a strong person is not one who defeats others in wrestling, but, rather, only he who when angry, keeps his nafs, or lower self, under control. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 6114; Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 2609-a)

To be able to suppress one’s anger while in an overwrought state is a sign of self-control. And, self-control is, undoubtedly, the greatest power. In moments of anger, self-control saves one from wrong actions. One who is lacking in self-control will burst out uncontrollably when he is angry, so much so that he can easily become violent. To keep one’s anger under control is the way of a peace-loving person, while letting oneself get out of control when angry is the way of a person who glorifies violence.

Suppose two people have a fight and one of them hurls the other to the ground. This may signify only that the former is physically stronger than the latter. However, physical strength is a very limited sort of power. In contrast, someone who is angry but is able to control his anger and behaves in a balanced way with the person who provokes him to become angry is much stronger than the person who is only physically strong. His behaviour proves that he possesses the power of intelligence, which is undoubtedly much more powerful than physical strength. Such a person can, because of his wise planning, win every battle without physically harming anyone.