SEPTEMBER 18

Restraining Anger

Believers have been defined in the Quran as those who “when angered are willing to forgive.” (42:37)

This means that when a believer is confronted with such a behaviour as makes him angry, he does not retaliate with anger, but rather returns forgiveness for anger. By adopting the path of avoidance, he nips the evil in the bud. Then, instead of becoming embroiled with his antagonist, he engages himself in his own constructive work.

Once a man came to the Prophet of Islam and said to him: “O Prophet of God, give me some advice which I may follow all my life. And let this advice be brief so that I do not forget it.” The Prophet replied, “Do not be angry.” (Muwatta Imam Malik)

Anger never surfaces without reason. It always bursts forth when some provocative thing happens, when someone ill treats you or when someone says something which hurts your ego. Anger is a reaction. It generally manifests itself when you are faced with some unpleasant experience.

On such occasions one way of dealing with the situation is that of reaction, that is, of returning tit for tat. But this is not the teaching of Islam. The teaching of Islam is that when someone says something to anger you, even then you do not become angry. Even when someone tries hard to provoke you, you remain undisturbed.

A believer has this conviction that, if he remains patient in the face of the trouble stirred up by others, he will be amply rewarded for it by God. This conviction generates an unfathomable peace of mind within him, so that he is no longer disturbed by any antagonism. This spirit of faith converts his anger into forgiveness. Provocation is slotted as something to be disregarded. He even derives food for modesty and humanity from the very things which are designed to destroy his peace of mind.