LESSON SEVENTEEN | 40 Ahâdeeth | Arba’een | of Imaam Nawawi رحمة الله عليه

|   LESSON SEVENTEEN   |

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اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنُؤمِنُ بِهِ وَ نَتَوَ كَّلُ عَلَيهِ ، وَنَعُوْذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُوْرِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلاَ مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلاَ هَادِيَ لَهُ ، وَنَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ ، وَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّ سَيِّدَناَ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ 

Verily all praise is for Allah, we praise Him and seek His aid and ask for His forgiveness and we believe in Him and we place our trust upon Him, and we seek refuge with Allah from the evils of ourselves and our evil actions. Whomsoever Allah guides there is none who can misguide him, and whomsoever Allah misguides there is none who can guide him, and we bear witness that none has the right to be worshiped except Allah alone, having no partner, and we bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger

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اَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى سَيِّدِناَ مُحَمَّدٍ ، وَعَلَى آلِ سَيِّدِناَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَبَارِكْ وَسَلِّمْ

Allahumma Salli ‘ala Sayyidina Muhammad Wa’ala Aali Sayyidina Muhammadin Wa Baarik Wa Sallim | Oh Allah shower blessings and peace upon our Master Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam and upon the family of Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam

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|  HADITH 16  |

THE FORBIDDANCE OF ANGER

 

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]

Hazrat Abu Hurayrah Radiallahu Anhu narrates : a man said to Rasullullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam “Advise me …”

Rasullullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam said : “Do not become angry”

The man repeated [his request for counsel] several times, and [each time] Rasullullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam said, “Do not become angry.”

[Saheeh Buhkaari]

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|  BRIEF EXPLANTION  |

 

In this Hadith  Rasullullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam  emphasized abstention from anger. It is essential to keep anger under control. Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala has endowed man with the ability to control his anger. One should ensure that it is not misappropriated or unjustly employed.

Rasullullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam  has mentioned in a Hadith :

لَيْسَ الشَّدِيدُ بِالصُّرَعَةِ، إِنَّمَا الشَّدِيدُ الَّذِي يَمْلِكُ نَفْسَهُ عِنْدَ الْغَضَبِ

“A powerful man is not one who defeats another in physical contact. Verily, a powerful man is he who controls his Nafs (ego) at the time of anger”. [Saheeh Buhkaari]

There are Qur’aanic verses that emphasize the need to avoid getting angry and many Ahadeeth are replete with remedies for controlling one’s anger.

Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala has mentioned in the Noble Qur’aan :

وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

 … And those who swallow (restrain) their anger (rage) and pardon people – and Allah loves the doers of good;

 

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Anger Management ~ Some Solutions and Remedies

 

1. Seeking refuge in Allah from the Shaytaan. One should read: A’oozu Billaahi Minashaytaanir Rajeem. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has said :

إِنِّي لأَعْلَمُ كَلِمَةً لَوْ قَالَهَا لَذَهَبَ غَضَبُهُ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ Verily, I know a statement, that if he were to say it, his anger would leave: “I seek refuge in Allah from Shaitan, the rejected” [Tirmidhi]

 

2. Remain Silent. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has said :

وَإِذَا غَضِبَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَسْكُتْ‏.‏ … “When one of you is angry, he should be silent.” [Al-Adab Al-Mufrad]

 

3.Make Whudu. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has said :

إِنَّ الْغَضَبَ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ وَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ خُلِقَ مِنَ النَّارِ وَإِنَّمَا تُطْفَأُ النَّارُ بِالْمَاءِ فَإِذَا غَضِبَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَتَوَضَّأْ ‏‏ ‏… “Anger comes from the devil, the devil was created of fire, and fire is extinguished only with water; so when one of you becomes angry, he should perform ablution.” [Sunan Abi Dawood]

 

4. Sit or Lie Down. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has said :

إِذَا غَضِبَ أَحَدُكُمْ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ فَلْيَجْلِسْ فَإِنْ ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ الْغَضَبُ وَإِلاَّ فَلْيَضْطَجِعْ ‏… “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”. [Sunan Abi Dawood]

 

In another Hadith, Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has mentioned the effects of anger with a simple analogy. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said : “Anger spoils a persons Imaan (faith), just like how the aloe plant destroys the sweetness of honey” [Bayhaqi]. The extreme bitterness of the aloe plant (when dipped into honey) removes all traces of sweetness.

Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar Radiallahu Anhu narrates that Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has mentioned : مَا مِنْ جُرْعَةٍ أَعْظَمُ أَجْرًا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ جُرْعَةِ غَيْظٍ كَظَمَهَا عَبْدٌ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ اللَّهِ ‏…. “There is no drinking more excellent to Allah, than the drinking (the withholding) of one’s anger, for Allah’s pleasure” [Sunan Ibn Majah].

When a person becomes angry, he should remember that Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala has more greater power and authority over him. He should ponder over the fact that he himself has many times been in the disobedience of Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala. Should Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala also adopt the attitude of wrath and rage with him, then what will his condition be? He should remember that Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala is the defender of the honour and right of those who have no defender. Hence, when he becomes angry, perhaps he may be becoming angry upon an innocent person. Allah Ta’ala will take revenge on behalf of that innocent person.

Even a judge has been warned in the Hadith, not to rule against two parties whilst in the state of anger.