Look Who's Angry!

Yesterday," said the Moon, "I rested on a land called, Bhumi Rubrum. But before telling you the story, I'd like you to know, that fools, are sometimes so ambitious of being thought wits, thus ignoring uncomfortable circumstances, or, perhaps, dangerous.

So, I saw a little scamp of an Ass, meeting in a forest with a Boar, came up to him and hailed him with impudent familiarity. The Boar was about to resent the insult by ripping up the Ass’s flank, but, wisely stifling his passion, he contented himself with saying, 'Go, you sorry beast; I could easily and amply be revenged upon you, but I do not care to foul my tusks with the blood of so base a creature.'

Having no response from the Boar, he then ran towards a forest aisle. There, a Lion, with his Mother, walked proudly down a forest aisle, and the animals respectfully made way for him. The Ass, brayed a scornful remark as he passed. The Lion felt a flash of anger. The Lion began to shew his teeth, but his mother, kept him from doing such a shameful thing.

Arriving home, the Lion asked his mother, 'O Mother, why did you prevent me from teaching that silly donkey a lesson?' The mother, replied, 'You would not honor the fool with even so much as a stroke of your claws. Would you deigning to honour the contemptible creature with even so much as a single word? Look son, such an incident, will provoke your anger.' The Lion nodded, then asked, 'What is anger, O mother?' The mother explained, 'Linguistically, anger is a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure or hostility. Technically, anger is an internal change of emotions, which prompts one, to attack and seek revenge, so as to satisfy one's spirit. Fury, is more intense than anger, so it is defined as wild and violent anger.

Anger can be divided into three categories. The first category is obligatory: anger for the sake of Allah. This is the anger, that comes about when Allah's teachings are ignored or treated with disdain. In fact, if a person has true belief, he must demonstrate this anger. It is inconceivable that a person could witness the words of Allah being ignored, sometimes even ridiculed, and he feels nothing inside. This would truly be a sign of a diseased heart.

Our beloved (ﷺ) also demonstrated this. He never got upset for any personal motives, but if the laws of Allah were being violated, then he would get upset. The Prophet (ﷺ) never took revenge over anybody for his own sake, but (ﷺ) he did only when Allah's Legal Bindings were outraged, in which case, he (ﷺ) would take revenge for Allah's Sake. Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) was given the choice of one of two matters, he would choose the easier of the two, as long as it was not sinful to do so, but if it was sinful to do so, he would not approach it.

Second, anger expressed in defence of one's right. From the Sharee'ah point of view, if a person's rights are violated or he is wronged, he then has the right to get angry. He has the right to attempt to rectify that situation. Had this not been so, the earth would have been utterly corrupted by the spread of chaos and the destruction of the community.

However, in expressing this anger, he does not have the right to do forbidden acts, such as cursing others or going to the extreme against them, simply out of anger.

Third, forbidden anger. This is where one gets angry over the pettiest matters for which there is no call for a Muslim to get angry about. This type of anger, goes beyond the degree of moderation, overwhelms the mind and Deen, and rushes a person on the road of evil, so unreasonably, that it may lead to one's doom unknowingly. It may also lead one to commit the most grievous crimes and sins. Anger at this stage is blameworthy according to the Sharee'ah.

Anger has harmful effects and dangerous consequences that may affect both individuals and the Muslim Ummah. On individuals, Anger can cause physical harm. Anger springs from the boiling of the blood in the heart, which pours forth in the veins as indicated from the reddening of the face and eyes. The repetition of this process, may lead to blood pressure and perhaps arteriosclerosis then paralysis. Thus, we see that anger ends up in physical harm.

Anger can induce imperfection of one's religiousness as well. Anger may lead to backbiting, profanity, robbery, and bloodshed. All these things are sins and imperfection in religiousness.Other than that, Anger can caused one is being unable to control himself. The mind is blurred at moment of anger, and thus, one is unable to control oneself. So, he may do horrible deeds, which he would regret later.

Anger wil also bring about one is being exposed to the humiliating state of apologizing. When a man bursts into anger at someone, he may do wrong acts unknowingly and then find himself, exposed to the humiliating state of apologizing.

Anger can lead to grievous chastisement. The angry person always makes a lot of mistakes and commits a lot of sins, which result in inflicting a stern punishment on him in this life and the life to come.

On the Muslim Ummah, Anger can provokes estrangement from the Jama'ah. People enjoy the company of one who is wise and who has his behaviour under control. On the other hand, they detach themselves from the rash and frivolous. Particularly when the one given to anger doubles as a caller to Islam, he will lose response to his call and this will be a great loss for Islaam as well.

Anger, further bring dissension and rifts. When a man gets angry only for his own sake, it means that his anger is for personal reasons and not for the sake of Allah. Every work that is not for the sake of Allah will not bring any love or affection among Muslims; rather, it leads to dissension and rifts.

Our beloved (ﷺ) said,

النَّاسُ مَعَادِنُ كَمَعَادِنِ الْفِضَّةِ وَالذَّهَبِ خِيَارُهُمْ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ خِيَارُهُمْ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ إِذَا فَقُهُوا وَالأَرْوَاحُ جُنُودٌ مُجَنَّدَةٌ فَمَا تَعَارَفَ مِنْهَا ائْتَلَفَ وَمَا تَنَاكَرَ مِنْهَا اخْتَلَفَ

"People are like mines of gold and silver; those who were excellent in Jahiliya (during the days of ignorance) are excellent In Islam, when they have, an understanding, and the souls are troops collected together and those who had a mutual familiarity amongst themselves in the store of prenatal existence would have affinity amongst them, (in this world also) and those who opposed one of them, would be at variance with one another." [Sahih Muslim]

Assertiveness and anger, are two different things. Being assertive shows that you respect yourself because you're willing to stand up for your interests and express your thoughts and feelings. It also demonstrates that you're aware of others' rights and willing to work on resolving conflicts.

In many cases, the source of one's anger is somebody else's wrongdoing or mistake in behaviour. The person who is about to get angry, must realize that everyone is apt to make mistakes or do something wrong, including himself. Therefore, one approach to such occurrences is, in essence, the antithesis to anger: forgiveness and kindness.

When a Muslim realizes the importance and great virtue of these characteristics, he should work to develop them within himself. When he becomes someone who is forgiving, kind and calm, he will probably find very few circumstances in which anger will overtake him.

The Qur'an guides people to being forgiving and even to give up some of their rights on behalf of others. Allah says:

خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَاَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجَاهِلِيْنَ

"Show forgiveness, enjoin equity, and avoid the ignorant." [Qs. Al-A'raf (7):199]

Allaah praises those who restrain their anger and also forgive others.

وَسَارِعُوْٓا اِلٰى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّنْ رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمٰوٰتُ وَالْاَرْضُۙ اُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِيْنَۙ الَّذِيْنَ يُنْفِقُوْنَ فِى السَّرَّۤاءِ وَالضَّرَّۤاءِ وَالْكَاظِمِيْنَ الْغَيْظَ وَالْعَافِيْنَ عَنِ النَّاسِۗ وَاللّٰهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِيْنَۚ

"And hasten to forgiveness from your Rabb and a garden [i.e., Paradise] as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous. Who spend [in the cause of Allah] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people - and Allah loves the doers of good." [QS. Ali 'Imran (3):133-134]

Anger is a fire. Anger is the flaw that has inflicted, will consume you. When anger is successfully kept in check,the result is patience. Allah has provided us with ways and means of obtaining and strengthening the quality of patience, for He has never instructed us to do something without providing us with help and support to do it, and ways and means of achieving it. He has never created a disease without creating a cure for it, and He has guaranteed cure when medicine is used.

Even so, patience is difficult, but it is not impossible to attain. Patience consists of two elements: knowledge and action, and from these two elements are derived the remedies for all spiritual and physical troubles. Knowledge and action, combined are always essential.

Take notice on this illustration,

An Ox, grazing in a meadow, chanced to set his foot among a parcel of young Toads, and nearly trod one of them. They informed their mother when she came home, what had happened, telling her, that the beast which did it, was the hugest creature that they ever saw in their lives.

Together, they went to meet the Ox, angrily, the old Toad shouted, 'I'll shoot you!' then swelling and blowing up her speckled belly to a great degree.

'No matter how big you are, I'm not afraid!' the Ox reacted. 'Besides, with that state of yours, it hasn't yet frightened me!' he said. So the old Toad was straining herself yet more. She strove yet again, and ultimately, too big, too bad, pop, burst herself indeed.

'Look who's angry!' said the Ox, went on grazing, and relaxed, crooning,

I look inside myself

And see my heart is black

I see my red door

I must have it painted black 

Maybe then, I'll fade away

And not have to face the facts

It's not easy facing up

When your whole world is black *)

"And Allah knows best."

Citations & References :
- Darussalam Research Section, Golden Advice Series, Do Not Become Angry, Darussalam
- J.B. Rundell, Aesop's Fables, Cassell, Petter and Galpin
*) "Paint It Black" written by Mick Jagger & Keith Richard

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