Controlling rage

A believer’s controlling his anger prevents harmful reactions likely to be caused by it. In the Qur’an Allah reveals this as follows:

Those who give in times of both ease and hardship, those who control their rage and pardon other people-Allah loves the good-doers. (Surah Al ‘Imran; 134)

Although rage may surface as an instant reaction in particular situations, a believer should comply with the description in this verse by controlling his anger. That is because rage clouds one’s mind and hinders sound reasoning. In such a case, a person runs the risk of transgressing the limits of Allah, since the emotional judgments he makes under the influence of anger will usually be rash and incompatible with Qur’anic ethics.

A believer must immediately strive to overcome resentment he feels pertaining to personal matters, especially toward other believers, and try to replace it with compassion and mercy. If a person’s anger is based on unjust grounds, then he has no right to be furious in the first place. He must accept his mistake, apologize and make up for his misbehavior. But even if he was in the right, he must still control his anger, and in compliance with the verse, it is better to forgive.

Our holy Prophet (saas), the mercy on the worlds, revealed the importance of overcoming anger in a hadith: ... According to what is narrated from Ibn-i Umar (ra); the Messenger of Allah (saas) said, “There is no greater morsel, in terms of merit in the Sight of Allah, than the anger a believer swallows solely for Allah’s approval.” (Ibn Majah, Vol. 10, p. 462)

What has been related so far concerns the mundane situations believers are likely to encounter. Apart from these, there is a group of people who become angry at the least provocation. They actually fail to grasp some basic faith-related issues, such as putting one’s trust in Allah or recognizing the fact that all people are under His control. This weakness of faith manifests itself in the form of anger. In order to cope, they first need to establish faith on solid grounds.

The believer’s public spirit must not be confused with that of other people. It is a perfectly correct attitude, stemming from faith, for a believer to have public spirit when believers are treated unjustly and oppressed or when they are insulted and attacked. This is a feeling that motivates believers and increases their desire and fervor for the intellectual struggle.