01-04-2007, 06:33 AM
Short Temper 1 :55:
Anger is a tendency that comes from the Shaitan. Only Allah (SWT) knows how much evil and sin results from it. Hence Islam has a great deal to say about this negative characteristic and the Prophet (SAW) described remedies for ridding oneself of this problem and limiting its effects. These include the following:
Seeking refuge with Allah from the Shaitan. Sulaymaan ibn Sard said:<b> "I was sitting with the Prophet (SAW), and there were two men swearing at one another. One of them was red in the face and the veins of his neck were standing out. The Prophet (SAW) said: 'I know a word which, if only he would say it, this (anger) would leave him. If he said, "A'oodhu billaahi min al-shaytaan (I seek refuge with Allah from the Shaitan),", this [anger] would leave him.'</b>" (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, 6/377).
<b>He (SAW) also said: </b>
"If a man gets angry and says 'A'oodhu billah (I seek refuge with Allah),' his anger will cease." (Saheeh al-Jaami' al-Sagheer, no. 695).
Keeping quiet. The Messenger (SAW) said:
"If any one of you gets angry, let him keep quiet." (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, al-Musnad, 1/239; Saheeh al-Jaami', 693, 4027).
Anger usually <b>makes a person lose control, </b> often to the extent that he may utter words of kufr (Allah forbid), or curses, or the word of divorce (talaq) which will destroy his family, or foul language that will earn him the enmity of others. Keeping quiet is the way to avoid all of these evils.
<b>Keeping still.</b> The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:
"If any one of you gets angry, let him sit down if he is standing. If his anger goes away, (that is good), otherwise let him lie down."
The narrator of this hadeeth was Abu Dharr (RA), who told the following story: he was watering his animals at a trough, when some other people came along. He said, "Who among you will help Abu Dharr to water his animals and ....?" A man said, "I will," but he broke the trough. Abu Dharr was standing, so he sat down, then he lay down. Someone asked him, "O Abu Dharr, why did you sit down then lie down?" He said, "Because the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said ... [and quoted the Hadith]." (The Hadith with the whole story is reported in Musnad Ahmad, 5/152. See also Saheeh al-Jaami', no. 694).
According to another report, Abu Dharr (RA) was watering his animals at a trough when another man made him angry, so he sat down... (Fayd al-Qadeer al-Mannaawi, 1/408).
One of the benefits of this Prophetic teaching is that it prevents the angry person from doing something crazy and out of control. An angry person could inflict harm or even kill - as we shall see shortly - or he could destroy property and so on. Sitting down makes it less likely that he will explode in this fashion, and lying down makes it even less likely that he will do something reckless or harmful. Al-'Allaamah al-Khattaabi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on Abu Dawood: "The one who is standing is ready to move and destroy things.
The one who is sitting is less likely to do so, and the one who is lying is not able to do anything of the sort. It seems that the Prophet (SAW) commanded the angry person to sit down or lie down in order to prevent him from doing anything that he would later regret. And Allaah knows best." (Sunan Abi Dawood wa ma'ahu ma'aalim al-sunan, 5/141)
Remembering the advice of the Messenger of Allah (SAW). Abu Hurayrah (SAW) reported that a man came to the Prophet (SAW) and said: "Advise me." He said: "Do not become angry." The man repeated his request several times, and each time the response was, "Do not become angry." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath al-Baari, 10/465).
According to another report, the man said, "I thought about what the Prophet (SAW) had said, and I realized that anger is the source of all evil." (Musnad Ahmad, 5/373).
"Do not get angry, and Paradise will be yours." (A saheeh hadeeth. Saheeh al-Jaami', 7374. Ibn Hajar attributed it to al-Tabaraani. See al-Fath, 4/465).
Remembering what Allah (SWT) has promised to those who avoid the causes of anger and strive to control themselves is the best way to extinguish the flames of anger. The Prophet (SAW) has told us about this great reward:
"Whoever suppresses his anger at the time when he could express it openly, Allah will fill his heart with contentment on the Day of Resurrection." (Reported by al-Tabaraani, 12/453; Saheeh al-Jaami', 176).
Another immense reward is described in the Hadith: "Whoever suppresses his anger when he is able to vent it, Allah will call him before all the people on the Day of Resurrection and let him choose whoever of the hoor al-'iyn he wishes." (Reported by Abu Dawood, 4777, and others. Classed as hasan in Saheeh al-Jaami', 6518).
Knowing the high rank and distinction that is bestowed upon the one who controls himself. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said,
"The strong man is not the one who can wrestle another to the ground; the strong man is the one who can control himself when he is angry." (Reported by Ahmad, 2/236. The hadeeth is agreed upon).
The more angry a person gets, the more highly valued is his self-control. The Prophet (SAW) said:
"The real strong man is the one who gets intensely angry, so that his face reddens and his hair stands on end, but he suppresses his anger." (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 5/367; classed as hasan in Saheeh al-Jaami', 3859).
The Prophet (SAW) used an incident that took place in front of his Sahabah as an opportunity to reinforce this lesson. Anas (RA) reported that the Prophet (SAW) passed by some people who were wrestling, and asked, "What is this?" They told him, "So-and-so is a strong man. No one challenges him but he beats them at wrestling." The Prophet (SAW) said,
They told him, "So-and-so is a strong man. No one challenges him but he beats them at wrestling." The Prophet (SAW) said,
"Shall I not tell you who is stronger than him? A man who is mistreated by another, but suppresses his anger, has defeated his own shaytan and the shaytan of the one who mistreated him." (Reported by al-Bazzaar. Ibn Hajar said that its isnaad is hasan. Al-Fath, 10/519). :punch: