THE FORBIDDANCE OF ANGER

THE FORBIDDANCE OF ANGER

ASSEMBLED BY MALLAM ABBA ABANA, KUBWA, ABUJA, NIGERIA

http://variousislamicdawadocuments.blogspot.com

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emails:gonidamgamiri@yahoo.com; abba.abana@gmail.com

Sunday 6 Ramadan 1442 AH and 18 April 2021 CE

Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah. As-Salaam Alaikum WA-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu.

Praise be to Allaah; we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His slave and Messenger.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “A person who leads others to doing what is good will earn the same reward as those who do it.” (Muslim, 1893)

“Do not lose hope, nor be sad. You will surely be victorious if you are true in Faith.” And do not mix the truth with falsehood or conceal the truth while you know [it].” Holy Quran Chapter Al Imran Ayah 139

“If Allah should aid you, no one can overcome you; but if He should forsake you, who is there that can aid you after Him? And upon Allah let the believers rely.”
Holy Quran Chapter Imran Ayah 160

Preamble

How do you get rid of anger in Islam?

Relax yourself.

1. The Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) said: "If any of you becomes angry and he is standing, let him sit down, so his anger will go away; if it does not go away, let him lie down."

2. If the anger still does not go away, make wudu.
It might be surprising to know that Islam has rulings about getting angry; however, it is considered one of the evil whispers (or Waswas) of Shaytaan, the devil.[http://www.islamweb.net/en/article/160901/anger-is-an-ember-from-satan] It can lead to many bad events, such as doing or saying something without realizing the consequence. There are many narrations from the Prophet (peace be upon him) explaining what should be done when one gets angry.

This article will help you control your anger according to the Sunnah In Shaa Allah.

The Forbiddance of Anger management in Islam

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):

“A man said to the Prophet, ‘Give me advice.’ The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, ‘Do not get angry.’ The man asked repeatedly and the Prophet answered each time, ‘Do not get angry.’” Related by Bukhari & Muslim

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَجُلًا قَالَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه و سلم أَوْصِنِي. قَالَ:

"لَا تَغْضَبْ، فَرَدَّدَ مِرَارًا، قَالَ: لَا تَغْضَبْ" .

[رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ].

 

Commentary Summary

Written commentary compiled by volunteers utilizing Sh. Jamaal Diwan's audio commentary above and English translation of Ibn Daqiq Al-Id's commentary on The Forty Hadith of Imam al-Nawawi.

The Significance of this Hadith

Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) knew that if a person controlled his anger he would be able to control everything else. That is why the Prophet mentioned in another hadith: "The powerful man is not the one who can wrestle, but the powerful man is the one who can control himself at the time of anger." Controlling anger can be an indicator of the strength of one’s personality.

Background on the Hadith

This man recognized not only that the Prophet (ﷺ) was the messenger of Allah, but that he was the best person to seek advice from. This shows you that the people used to come to the Prophet (ﷺ) whenever they needed advice, even in personal issues. This time the Prophet’s advice to this man was, “Don’t get angry.”

Some scholars say that the Prophet knew that this man specifically had a problem in controlling anger, hence this advice. However, this view may lead to narrowing the benefit of the hadith to just one individual. Because almost everyone struggles with anger at some time or another in their lives, this comprehensive and far-reaching advice should be applied to everyone.

Anger in the Quran and Hadith

Allah mentions as one of the qualities of the Muttaqeen, the God-conscious, that they control their anger:

 

“Those who spend (in Allah’s cause) in prosperity and in adversity, who repress their anger, and who pardon men, verily, Allah loves the al-Muhsinun (the good-doers).” (Quran chapter 3:134)

“Don’t become angry” doesn’t mean that it is impermissible to have any sort of anger, because that would be outside human ability. There is a rule in Usul al-fiqh which states that it is not permissible for someone to be held accountable for that which he can’t control. Anger is part of human nature. The real question is, what is the permissible level of anger? How can we handle that anger when we do become angry?

When the Prophet (ﷺ) insisted on not getting angry, he implied that controlling one’s anger is a comprehensive act. Anger opens the door to all bad qualities and staying away from it opens the door to all good qualities. One of the Prophet’s companions said, “Anger is the key to all evil.”

Anger Management Based on the Sunnah

There are different strategies for handling anger, depending on the person and situation. If a person gets angry, then he or she should exercise muhasabah (holding the self-accountable) for the mistakes committed, what led to them, and how to overcome them in the future. Examining the self and holding ourselves accountable is important training and a source of discipline and self-improvement. In various hadiths, the Prophet (ﷺ) teaches us methods to help with anger:

Seeking refuge in Allah: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I know a word, the saying of which will cause him to relax, if he does say it. If he says: 'I seek Refuge with Allah from Satan' then all his anger will go away." When we seek refuge in Allah, we should say the words with understanding and reflection, not simply recite the words.

Changing your posture: The Prophet of Allah said, "When one of you becomes angry while standing, he should sit down. If the anger leaves him, well and good; otherwise he should lie down."

Keeping quiet: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “If one of you becomes angry then he should stay silent.” This is an important practice because when we are angry our actions and speech may be disproportionate and unjust.

Wudu can also be a shield against anger. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Anger comes from the devil, the devil was created from fire, and fire is extinguished only with water. So when one of you becomes angry, he should make wudu.”

Praiseworthy Anger

Sometimes anger can be good. The Prophet never got angry except when the commandments of Allah were violated. However, if we do feel anger for the sake of Allah, we should make sure that we are not actually getting angry for our own ego or interests. We should express the anger in the right way; just because the anger is for the right cause does not give anyone license to behave badly. There should also be some benefit in the anger. If expressing the anger leads to more harm than benefit, then it should be avoided based on the principle of weighing benefit and harm. For example, when giving advice: say it in a good way, use good words and the best manners, and be careful not to escalate into a quarrel.

Harmful Effects of Getting Angry

There are many harmful effects of getting angry. These effects can harm us physically, psychologically, socially or emotionally. It is well known today that anger causes many health problems and can be a symptom or cause of mental illness, especially if not controlled. There are wisdoms behind shariah injunctions, and improving overall well-being is one of the many benefits of controlling anger.

How to Control Your Anger in Islam

Steps

1 Seek refuge in Allah. This is the simplest way to control your anger. Whenever you feel angry, sit down, and seek refuge in Allah from Shaytaan. In Arabic, say A'oodhu billahi minash shaytaannir rajeem. Have a drink of water, and relax; don't get tense or stressed out.

i. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "If a man gets angry and says, ‘I seek refuge with Allaah,’ [and] his anger will go away."[https://islamqa.info/en/658]

2. Sulayman ibn Sard said: "I was sitting with the Prophet (peace be upon him), and two men were slandering one another. One of them was red in the face, and the veins on his neck were standing out. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘I know a word which, if he were to say it, what he feels would go away. If he said "I seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan," what he feels (i.e., his anger) would go away."[https://islamqa.info/en/658]

2 Keep silent. If someone says something offensive to you, don't retaliate and say something mean back. If you're having an argument, be the better person, realize that nothing good comes out of petty arguments, and keep silent. When one is angry, they often lose self-control, and may utter words they later regret.

The Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) said: "If any of you becomes angry, let him keep silent." [https://islamqa.info/en/658]

3 Relax yourself. If you get angry, move away from the source of anger, and sit down. If you still feel angry, lie down. Try to think of positive thoughts, instead of dwelling on thoughts that make you angry. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, and try to get peace of mind. If you're standing, you may, again, out of anger, do something you regret, such as hitting someone.

i. The Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) said: "If any of you becomes angry and he is standing, let him sit down, so his anger will go away; if it does not go away, let him lie down."[https://islamqa.info/en/658]

ii. If the anger still does not go away, make wudu[http://musliminc.com/8-amazing-anger-management-tips-from-prophet-muhammad-pbuh-and-islam-the-religion-of-peace-4272]

4 Understand what makes you angry. It may be someone at work or at school that you find annoying or rude; instead of getting angry, kindly speak to them. Nothing good comes out of shouting at each other. It's been narrated that, "Whoever controls his anger at the time when he has the means to act upon it, Allaah will fill his heart with contentment on the Day of Resurrection." [https://islamqa.info/en/658]The cure to anger is avoiding its causes.

5 Know that those who control their anger are praised. They are given a high status and are praised in several ahadeeth. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

i. "The strong man is not the one who can overpower others (in wrestling); rather, the strong man is the one who controls himself when he gets angry." [https://islamqa.info/en/658]

ii. "The strongest man is the one who, when he gets angry and his face reddens and his hackles rise, is able to defeat his anger."[https://islamqa.info/en/658]

iii. "The man who, when he is mistreated by another, controls his anger, has defeated his own shaytaan and the shaytaan of the one who made him angry." [https://islamqa.info/en/658]

6 Realize the bad consequences of getting angry. In extreme situations, anger can lead to family breakups or someone getting seriously injured. It can be linked to mental issues or lead to health problems such as a high blood pressure or tachycardia.

7 Make du'a. Supplication humbles us and can help us control our anger. There are many du'as for people who find themselves getting worked up easily as a result of waswas. For example:

i. A-Oo-Dhoo Bi-Ka-Li-Maa Till-Laa-Hit Taaam-Ma-Ti Min Gha-Da-Bi-Hee Wa I-Qaa-Bi-Hee Wa Shari Ibaa-Dih. Wa Min Hama-Zaa-Tish Shayaa-Teen. Wa Ayy-Yah Dhu-Roon.

ii. "I seek refuge in Allah's perfect words from His anger and punishment, from the evil of His slaves, and from Satan's whispers and presence."

iii. Laa Ilaa Haa Il-Laa An-Ta Subh-Haa-Na-Ka In-Nee Kunn-Tu Minadh-Dhaa Li-Meen.

iv. "There is no God but you. May You be exalted. Indeed, I was among the wrongdoers."

v. Allah-Huma Adh-Hib Ghay-Da Qal-Bee.

vi. "Oh Allah, remove anger from my heart."

Sources

1.     http://www.islamweb.net/en/article/160901/anger-is-an-ember-from-satan

2.     https://islamqa.info/en/658

3.     http://musliminc.com/8-amazing-anger-management-tips-from-prophet-muhammad-pbuh-and-islam-the-religion-of-peace-4272

4.     http://productivemuslim.com/7-powerful-tips-to-avoid-anger/

5.     https://40hadithnawawi.com/hadith/16-the-forbiddance-of-anger/