Excessive anger or harshness which reaches dangerous levels is called wrath (Tahawwur).
Anyone who possesses wrath demonstrates attributes of harshness, anger and roughness.
Opposite of wrath is softness (Hilm). A soft natured person will not become angry and excited
when he comes across a situation which causes anger (Ghadab). A cowardly person only harms
himself. Conversely, an angry person harms himself as well as others. Wrath may even lead one
into disbelief. In one hadith, Rasulullah, peace be upon him, said, "Anger (Ghadab) blemishes
one's belief." Rasulullah, peace be upon him, was never seen getting angry for worldly affairs.
He would only get angry for the sake of Allahu ta’ala. An angry person should think ahead that
his opponent may also react to his anger and do something in response. Anger causes a person's
heart to become unstable and this instability reflects on his face as an ugly appearance.
Overcoming or controlling anger is called "Kazm". Performing "Kazm" is a very good and
beneficial act and causes one to earn many rewards (Thawabs). Whoever overcomes wrath or
anger will be rewarded with Paradise. Allahu ta’ala loves a person very much if he controls his
anger for the sake of Allahu ta’ala and forgives his opponent and does not retaliate. The
following hadiths inform us of this type of person, "If one overcomes his anger for the sake of
Allahu ta’ala, Allahu ta’ala will also remove His punishment (Azab) from him," or "Allahu
ta’ala will love, protect and provide mercy to a Muslim who possesses three qualities: one
who gives thanks for given blessings; one who forgives an oppressor; one who overcomes
his anger 'Ghadab'." Giving thanks for a given blessing is to use the blessing according to the
guidelines set by Islam. In the following hadiths Rasulullah, peace be upon him, said, "If a
person who becomes very angry behaves softly while he has the power to do anything he
wishes to, Allahu ta’ala will fill his heart with belief and a feeling of being protected" and
"Anyone who hides or overcomes his anger will be treated equally by Allahu ta’ala, i.e.,
Allahu ta’ala will hide his shameful deeds and mistakes." Imam al-Ghazali, may Allahu
ta’ala be pleased with him, said, "Having softness 'Hilm' is more precious than overcoming
anger 'Ghadab'." One hadith points out the value of softness (Hilm), "Oh my Allah! Give me
knowledge 'Ilm', decorate me with softness 'Hilm', bless me with piety 'Taqwa', and make
me beautiful through wellness 'Afiyat'." Someone cursed at Abdullah ibni Abbas, may Allahu
ta’ala be well pleased with him, and he replied by asking that person if he could be of any help
for solving any of his troubles or needs. That person became ashamed and put his head down andapologized. Another person cursed at Zaynal Abidin Ali, may Allahu ta’ala be well pleased with
him, who is the son of Hadrat Huseyn, may Allahu ta’ala be well pleased with him. He took his
dress off and gave it to him as present. Jesus (Isa), peace be upon him, was passing by the Jews.
They started to call him all kinds of dirty names. He talked back to them softly. They asked him
the reason of treating them softly while they were treating him in such an evil manner. He
replied, "One will give others whatever one possesses." The general rule is that a person who
does not bother anyone will feel comfortable and be merry and everyone will praise him.
A hadith states, "Anger (Ghadab) occurs due to the evil suggestions (Waswasa) of the devil.
The devil was created from fire. Fire is extinguished with water. Take ablution (Wudu) for
overcoming anger!" For this reason, an angry person should read "A'uzu basmala" and two
"Kul a'uzu" {the last two chapters of the Qur'an which starts with the word "Kul a'uzu".} An
angry person’s intellect (Aql) will stop functioning and he will depart from the limits set by
Islam. An angry person should sit down if he is standing up. A hadith stated, "Whoever is
overtaken by anger (Ghadab) should sit down if he is standing up. If anger continues, he
should lay down on one of his sides!" It is easy for a standing person to react for quick revenge.
Sitting down lessens his anger. Laying down lessens his anger further. Anger is the result of
conceit (Kibr). Laying down decreases conceit. It is ordered by hadith that an angry person
should read the following prayer, "Allahummagfir li-zanbi wa azhib gayza qalbi wa ajirni
minasshaytan". The meaning of this prayer (Dua) is the following, "Oh my Allah! Forgive my
sin. Save me from the anger in my heart and the evil suggestions of the devil." If a person cannot
treat the person who caused the anger (Ghadab) softly, he should depart from him and he should
not see him any longer.
One should not get angry with others for worldly or other worldly affairs. The hadith ash-sharif
titled, "La tagdab" forbids getting angry. When one gets angry all of his nerves becomes
unstable and some parts of his body become sick. Doctors cannot find cure for that disease. The
only cure for that disease is the above mentioned hadith "La tagdab". An angry person hurts
people around him with his words and behavior. They also catch the disease of being nervous.
No peace and harmony will be found in that home. It may even result in seperation or murder. If
there is no one who gets angry in a home, there is happiness, comfort, peace and cheers there. If
there is a person who gets angry, there won’t be any comfort, peace and cheers there. There
could always be some sort of disagreement or even enimosity between the husband and wife or
between the son and his mother. It would be understood from these that complying with the rules
of Islamic Shari’at would bring happiness, comfort, and cheers. Even the disbelievers who
follow the rules of the Shari’at will attain happiness in this world.
Ignorant and stupid people refer to anger (Ghadab) and wrath (Tahawwur) as bravery
(Shajaat), honor, manliness, and patriotism. They embellish and beautify the vice anger
(Ghadab) with these beautiful words. They tell others that having anger is a good thing and in
order to support this view they relate stories about how great personalities got angry. Their
actions reflect their ignorance and prove that their brains do not function properly. For this
reason a sick person gets mad faster than a healthy person, women get angry quicker than men
and elder persons get angry faster than the young ones. Those who are younger than thirty years
of age are called young, those who are between thirty and fifty are called mature men and those
over fifty are called old men (Shaikh) and those who are beyond seventy years are called very
old men (Pir-i fani).
Not listening to the harsh and tough talk of a person who speaks based on his own interpretation
instead of just repeating what Islam said or what the books of the previous Islamic scholars saidon that matter will cause him to get angry. The treatment of this type of disease is to tell the truth
in a soft and slow manner. Hadrat Hasan and Hadrat Huseyn, may Allahu ta’ala be well pleased
with them, the grandsons of Rasulullah, peace be upon him, were traveling in the desert. They
came across an old man who was taking ablution (Wudu). The old man was not observing all the
necessary conditions of the ablution. They were ashamed to tell the old man that his ablution
would not be acceptable. They approached him and told him that they were disputing with each
other as to who is taking the better ablution and asked the old man to be the judge. Each one took
ablution by observing all necessary conditions. The old man followed their actions closely and at
the end told them, Oh my sons! I just learned how to take ablution from you. Prophet Abraham
(Ibrahim), peace be upon him, gave a banquet to two hundred fire worshipers (Majusi). They in
turn asked Abraham, peace be upon him, what they could do for him. Abraham, peace be upon
him, asked them to make prostration (Sajda) to his Lord. They discussed his desire among
themselves and said that he was well known for his generosity therefore they decided not to
offend him. They said that making a prostration for his Lord would not change anything and they
said, after the prostration, they will still go and worship their own gods. While they were making
the prostration (Sajda), Abraham, peace be upon him, prayed to his Lord by saying, "Oh my
Lord! I can only do this much. It is in your power to bestow happiness on them and to show them
the right path. Please, honor them by making them Muslims!" His prayer was accepted and all of
them became Muslims. It is necessary to counsel a person who is getting ready to commit a
forbidden act when he is alone. When one is observed committing a forbidden act, he will be
warned immediately in a soft manner. Advising everybody in private beforehand will be more
effective.
Perceiving a person’s words in a wrong sense will cause him to get angry. At such times, one
should speak less and clearly and should not use words which can be interpreted in many ways.
Expressing one's self with parables (words with hidden meanings) causes stress to the listener
and hurts his feeling. Three conditions should be observed while communicating the right word
(Amr al-maruf). One should form his intention for communicating the order of Allahu ta’ala;
one should know the proof or source of information one is communicating and one should be
patient with the troubles that may rise due performing the "Amr al-maruf." One should speak
softly and should not speak in a harsh manner. Those who speak harshly and argue would cause
instigation (Fitna). Hadrat Umar and Hadrat Abdullah Ibn al-Masud, may Allahu ta’ala be well
pleased with them, were walking around the streets of Madina during his rule (Hilafat.) They
heard voice of a singing woman while passing in front of a house. Hadrat Umar, may Allahu
ta’ala be well pleased with him, looked inside of the house from the keyhole. He observed an old
man with a glass of wine in front of him and a singing woman. He immediately entered the
house from the window. The old man cried out, Oh Amr al-Muminun! Would you please listen
to me for a second for the sake of Allahu ta’ala. Hadrat Umar, may Allahu ta’ala be well pleased
with him, said, Okay. Go ahead and speak! The old man said, I committed one wrong but you
have already violated three laws of Allahu ta'ala. Hadrat Umar, may Allahu ta’ala be well
pleased with him, inquired of the three. The old man said, Allahu ta’ala orders that we should not
look inside of others' houses. You looked inside the house from the keyhole. Allahu ta’ala says
not to enter others' houses without their permission. You entered without permission. Finally,
Allahu ta’ala orders us to enter the houses from the front door with greetings. You entered from
the window and did not give any greeting. Hadrat Umar, may Allahu ta’ala be pleased with him,
replied with justice and in fairness and said, "What you have said are all correct!" Asked his
forgiveness and walked out of the house crying.We should maintain good opinions about advice givers and all Muslims in general. We should
interpret their words and advice in a good manner. Believing in the goodness and piousness of
the Muslim would be an act which brings rewards. Not believing a Muslim's word by thinking
that he is no good reflects the poor morals of that person, i.e., the one who doesn't believe. One
should try to understand what is said and if he is not able to understand it then he should inquire
about it. One should not have evil thoughts (Su-i zan) about the speaker. Among the evil
suggestions brought into the heart by the devil, having evil opinions (Su-i zan) about others is
the one where the devil is most successful. Having evil opinion (Su-i zan) is forbidden (Haram).
If one is not able to interpret someone's words in a good manner, one should consider the
possibility that it may be due to a mistake or forgetfulness.
When a poor person requests something from a rich person and his request is denied, that may
cause anger (Ghadab) in both of them.
Asking or saying something to a person who is busy or thinking or is anxious or distressed may
cause anger in him. A crying baby or the noise of children or animals may also cause anger in
some persons. Having such an anger is very ugly. It has been observed that certain types of
people had anger upon the movements of inanimate things. For example, a person of this type,
while trying to cut a piece of wood, tries to chop the wood with an ax but the wood either slips or
does not split and the man gets angry and starts to swear or destroy or burn the thing. This type
of anger is worse than the previous case. It has also been observed that there are certain kinds of
people who get mad at their own doings and hit themselves or swear at themselves. If a person
gets mad at himself because of not being able to attend his worships then this would be a
valuable act and religious Gayrat and he would earn rewards (Thawabs) for it. Having anger
toward the leaders of the government or toward Rasulullah, peace be upon him, or toward Allahu
ta’ala because of their orders or commandments is the worst kind of anger. This type of anger
causes disbelief. The hadith, "Anger (Ghadab) blemishes one's belief" shows that having
anger toward Rasulullah or Allahu ta’ala causes disbelief.
Getting angry upon seeing another one committing a prohibited action is a very good deed and
shows one's religious Gayrat. But, one should not step out of the boundaries of Islam or wisdom
(Aql) when one gets angry. Calling that person by dirty names, e.g., kafir, munafiq and names
like that, is prohibited (Haram). That kind of name calling necessitates punishment of that name
caller. Even though it was permitted to say words like "ignorant" or "stupid", advising him in a
soft manner would be better because in one hadith, Rasulullah, peace be upon him, said, "Allah
always loves the one who speaks in a soft manner." It is incumbent upon the members of the
government or the law enforcers to forcefully stop a person who commits prohibited actions and
who violetes the laws of the land. But beating him more than necessary or torturing would be
oppression (Zulm) and sinning. In the absence of law officers or members of the government,
one may stop the man if one is powerful enough to cope with him. Sentencing with death or
destructing his house could only be accomplished by the government and by the decision of the
judge. Giving unduly heavy punishment would be tyranny. Torturing by those who are
authorized by the government to do Amr al-maruf and Nahy-i anil munkar is forbidden {For
explanation of Amr al-maruf see the keywords of chapter 12}.
The opposite of anger (Ghadab) is softness (Hilm). Softness is better than being able to
overcome one's anger. The meaning of softness is not to get angry at all. It is a sign of being very
wise or having much intellect (Aql). In the following hadiths Rasulullah, peace be upon him,
said, "Allahu ta’ala loves those who act in softness in response to an incident which causes
anger 'Ghadab'," and "Allahu ta’ala loves persons who possess softness 'Hilm', shame'Haya' and 'Iffat'. He does not love those who speak dirty language 'Fuhush' and those
beggars who solicit in a molesting manner." "Iffat" means not to have an eye on others'
wealth. "Fuhush" means dirty and ugly things. Rasulullah, peace be upon him, would repeat the
following prayer often, "Oh my Lord! Bestow me, knowledge (Ilm), softness (Hilm), piety
(Taqwa), and ‘Afiyat’." "Ilm al-nafi'" is the knowledge of faith, religious jurisprudence (Fiqh),
and ethics (Akhlaq). "Afiyat" generally means wellness but, the meaning which is requested in
this prayer is to have salvation from the following: having religion and beliefs that are free of
corruption; having deeds and worships that are free of disasters; having soul (Nafs) that is free of
appetite (Shahwat); having a spiritual heart (Qalb) free from the fancies (Hawa) of the nafs and
evil suggestions of the devil; and having a body free of disease. When they inquired from
Rasulullah, peace be upon him, as to which one single prayer is the best prayer, he replied, "Ask
'Afiyat' from Allahu ta’ala. There is no greater blessing than 'Afiyat' after belief." [One
should make much repentance (Istigfar) in order to attain "Afiyat".] In one hadith, Rasulullah,
peace be upon him, said, "Be a person who has knowledge 'Ilm' and 'Sakina!' Speak softly
while learning or teaching! Never brag with your knowledge!" "Sakina" means, having
maturity and dignity. In the following hadiths Rasulullah, peace be upon him, said, "The fire of
hell would not burn a person who lives according to Islam and who is soft in nature," and
"Being soft brings blessings. Being slack or excessive in performing one's duties or business
causes absent-mindedness or a state of heedlessness 'Gaflat'," and "One who do not have
softness 'Rifq' is not a useful and beneficial person," and "Softness 'Rifq' embellishes or
decorates a person and covers his deficiencies."
In another hadith Rasulullah, peace be upon him, said, "Knowledge is acquired by studying
and softness 'Hilm' is acquired by striving and working hard to obtain it. Allahu ta’ala will
grant success to those who try to do useful and beneficial deeds. And He will also protect
those who avoid doing evil deeds."
Anyone who possesses wrath demonstrates attributes of harshness, anger and roughness.
Opposite of wrath is softness (Hilm). A soft natured person will not become angry and excited
when he comes across a situation which causes anger (Ghadab). A cowardly person only harms
himself. Conversely, an angry person harms himself as well as others. Wrath may even lead one
into disbelief. In one hadith, Rasulullah, peace be upon him, said, "Anger (Ghadab) blemishes
one's belief." Rasulullah, peace be upon him, was never seen getting angry for worldly affairs.
He would only get angry for the sake of Allahu ta’ala. An angry person should think ahead that
his opponent may also react to his anger and do something in response. Anger causes a person's
heart to become unstable and this instability reflects on his face as an ugly appearance.
Overcoming or controlling anger is called "Kazm". Performing "Kazm" is a very good and
beneficial act and causes one to earn many rewards (Thawabs). Whoever overcomes wrath or
anger will be rewarded with Paradise. Allahu ta’ala loves a person very much if he controls his
anger for the sake of Allahu ta’ala and forgives his opponent and does not retaliate. The
following hadiths inform us of this type of person, "If one overcomes his anger for the sake of
Allahu ta’ala, Allahu ta’ala will also remove His punishment (Azab) from him," or "Allahu
ta’ala will love, protect and provide mercy to a Muslim who possesses three qualities: one
who gives thanks for given blessings; one who forgives an oppressor; one who overcomes
his anger 'Ghadab'." Giving thanks for a given blessing is to use the blessing according to the
guidelines set by Islam. In the following hadiths Rasulullah, peace be upon him, said, "If a
person who becomes very angry behaves softly while he has the power to do anything he
wishes to, Allahu ta’ala will fill his heart with belief and a feeling of being protected" and
"Anyone who hides or overcomes his anger will be treated equally by Allahu ta’ala, i.e.,
Allahu ta’ala will hide his shameful deeds and mistakes." Imam al-Ghazali, may Allahu
ta’ala be pleased with him, said, "Having softness 'Hilm' is more precious than overcoming
anger 'Ghadab'." One hadith points out the value of softness (Hilm), "Oh my Allah! Give me
knowledge 'Ilm', decorate me with softness 'Hilm', bless me with piety 'Taqwa', and make
me beautiful through wellness 'Afiyat'." Someone cursed at Abdullah ibni Abbas, may Allahu
ta’ala be well pleased with him, and he replied by asking that person if he could be of any help
for solving any of his troubles or needs. That person became ashamed and put his head down andapologized. Another person cursed at Zaynal Abidin Ali, may Allahu ta’ala be well pleased with
him, who is the son of Hadrat Huseyn, may Allahu ta’ala be well pleased with him. He took his
dress off and gave it to him as present. Jesus (Isa), peace be upon him, was passing by the Jews.
They started to call him all kinds of dirty names. He talked back to them softly. They asked him
the reason of treating them softly while they were treating him in such an evil manner. He
replied, "One will give others whatever one possesses." The general rule is that a person who
does not bother anyone will feel comfortable and be merry and everyone will praise him.
A hadith states, "Anger (Ghadab) occurs due to the evil suggestions (Waswasa) of the devil.
The devil was created from fire. Fire is extinguished with water. Take ablution (Wudu) for
overcoming anger!" For this reason, an angry person should read "A'uzu basmala" and two
"Kul a'uzu" {the last two chapters of the Qur'an which starts with the word "Kul a'uzu".} An
angry person’s intellect (Aql) will stop functioning and he will depart from the limits set by
Islam. An angry person should sit down if he is standing up. A hadith stated, "Whoever is
overtaken by anger (Ghadab) should sit down if he is standing up. If anger continues, he
should lay down on one of his sides!" It is easy for a standing person to react for quick revenge.
Sitting down lessens his anger. Laying down lessens his anger further. Anger is the result of
conceit (Kibr). Laying down decreases conceit. It is ordered by hadith that an angry person
should read the following prayer, "Allahummagfir li-zanbi wa azhib gayza qalbi wa ajirni
minasshaytan". The meaning of this prayer (Dua) is the following, "Oh my Allah! Forgive my
sin. Save me from the anger in my heart and the evil suggestions of the devil." If a person cannot
treat the person who caused the anger (Ghadab) softly, he should depart from him and he should
not see him any longer.
One should not get angry with others for worldly or other worldly affairs. The hadith ash-sharif
titled, "La tagdab" forbids getting angry. When one gets angry all of his nerves becomes
unstable and some parts of his body become sick. Doctors cannot find cure for that disease. The
only cure for that disease is the above mentioned hadith "La tagdab". An angry person hurts
people around him with his words and behavior. They also catch the disease of being nervous.
No peace and harmony will be found in that home. It may even result in seperation or murder. If
there is no one who gets angry in a home, there is happiness, comfort, peace and cheers there. If
there is a person who gets angry, there won’t be any comfort, peace and cheers there. There
could always be some sort of disagreement or even enimosity between the husband and wife or
between the son and his mother. It would be understood from these that complying with the rules
of Islamic Shari’at would bring happiness, comfort, and cheers. Even the disbelievers who
follow the rules of the Shari’at will attain happiness in this world.
Ignorant and stupid people refer to anger (Ghadab) and wrath (Tahawwur) as bravery
(Shajaat), honor, manliness, and patriotism. They embellish and beautify the vice anger
(Ghadab) with these beautiful words. They tell others that having anger is a good thing and in
order to support this view they relate stories about how great personalities got angry. Their
actions reflect their ignorance and prove that their brains do not function properly. For this
reason a sick person gets mad faster than a healthy person, women get angry quicker than men
and elder persons get angry faster than the young ones. Those who are younger than thirty years
of age are called young, those who are between thirty and fifty are called mature men and those
over fifty are called old men (Shaikh) and those who are beyond seventy years are called very
old men (Pir-i fani).
Not listening to the harsh and tough talk of a person who speaks based on his own interpretation
instead of just repeating what Islam said or what the books of the previous Islamic scholars saidon that matter will cause him to get angry. The treatment of this type of disease is to tell the truth
in a soft and slow manner. Hadrat Hasan and Hadrat Huseyn, may Allahu ta’ala be well pleased
with them, the grandsons of Rasulullah, peace be upon him, were traveling in the desert. They
came across an old man who was taking ablution (Wudu). The old man was not observing all the
necessary conditions of the ablution. They were ashamed to tell the old man that his ablution
would not be acceptable. They approached him and told him that they were disputing with each
other as to who is taking the better ablution and asked the old man to be the judge. Each one took
ablution by observing all necessary conditions. The old man followed their actions closely and at
the end told them, Oh my sons! I just learned how to take ablution from you. Prophet Abraham
(Ibrahim), peace be upon him, gave a banquet to two hundred fire worshipers (Majusi). They in
turn asked Abraham, peace be upon him, what they could do for him. Abraham, peace be upon
him, asked them to make prostration (Sajda) to his Lord. They discussed his desire among
themselves and said that he was well known for his generosity therefore they decided not to
offend him. They said that making a prostration for his Lord would not change anything and they
said, after the prostration, they will still go and worship their own gods. While they were making
the prostration (Sajda), Abraham, peace be upon him, prayed to his Lord by saying, "Oh my
Lord! I can only do this much. It is in your power to bestow happiness on them and to show them
the right path. Please, honor them by making them Muslims!" His prayer was accepted and all of
them became Muslims. It is necessary to counsel a person who is getting ready to commit a
forbidden act when he is alone. When one is observed committing a forbidden act, he will be
warned immediately in a soft manner. Advising everybody in private beforehand will be more
effective.
Perceiving a person’s words in a wrong sense will cause him to get angry. At such times, one
should speak less and clearly and should not use words which can be interpreted in many ways.
Expressing one's self with parables (words with hidden meanings) causes stress to the listener
and hurts his feeling. Three conditions should be observed while communicating the right word
(Amr al-maruf). One should form his intention for communicating the order of Allahu ta’ala;
one should know the proof or source of information one is communicating and one should be
patient with the troubles that may rise due performing the "Amr al-maruf." One should speak
softly and should not speak in a harsh manner. Those who speak harshly and argue would cause
instigation (Fitna). Hadrat Umar and Hadrat Abdullah Ibn al-Masud, may Allahu ta’ala be well
pleased with them, were walking around the streets of Madina during his rule (Hilafat.) They
heard voice of a singing woman while passing in front of a house. Hadrat Umar, may Allahu
ta’ala be well pleased with him, looked inside of the house from the keyhole. He observed an old
man with a glass of wine in front of him and a singing woman. He immediately entered the
house from the window. The old man cried out, Oh Amr al-Muminun! Would you please listen
to me for a second for the sake of Allahu ta’ala. Hadrat Umar, may Allahu ta’ala be well pleased
with him, said, Okay. Go ahead and speak! The old man said, I committed one wrong but you
have already violated three laws of Allahu ta'ala. Hadrat Umar, may Allahu ta’ala be well
pleased with him, inquired of the three. The old man said, Allahu ta’ala orders that we should not
look inside of others' houses. You looked inside the house from the keyhole. Allahu ta’ala says
not to enter others' houses without their permission. You entered without permission. Finally,
Allahu ta’ala orders us to enter the houses from the front door with greetings. You entered from
the window and did not give any greeting. Hadrat Umar, may Allahu ta’ala be pleased with him,
replied with justice and in fairness and said, "What you have said are all correct!" Asked his
forgiveness and walked out of the house crying.We should maintain good opinions about advice givers and all Muslims in general. We should
interpret their words and advice in a good manner. Believing in the goodness and piousness of
the Muslim would be an act which brings rewards. Not believing a Muslim's word by thinking
that he is no good reflects the poor morals of that person, i.e., the one who doesn't believe. One
should try to understand what is said and if he is not able to understand it then he should inquire
about it. One should not have evil thoughts (Su-i zan) about the speaker. Among the evil
suggestions brought into the heart by the devil, having evil opinions (Su-i zan) about others is
the one where the devil is most successful. Having evil opinion (Su-i zan) is forbidden (Haram).
If one is not able to interpret someone's words in a good manner, one should consider the
possibility that it may be due to a mistake or forgetfulness.
When a poor person requests something from a rich person and his request is denied, that may
cause anger (Ghadab) in both of them.
Asking or saying something to a person who is busy or thinking or is anxious or distressed may
cause anger in him. A crying baby or the noise of children or animals may also cause anger in
some persons. Having such an anger is very ugly. It has been observed that certain types of
people had anger upon the movements of inanimate things. For example, a person of this type,
while trying to cut a piece of wood, tries to chop the wood with an ax but the wood either slips or
does not split and the man gets angry and starts to swear or destroy or burn the thing. This type
of anger is worse than the previous case. It has also been observed that there are certain kinds of
people who get mad at their own doings and hit themselves or swear at themselves. If a person
gets mad at himself because of not being able to attend his worships then this would be a
valuable act and religious Gayrat and he would earn rewards (Thawabs) for it. Having anger
toward the leaders of the government or toward Rasulullah, peace be upon him, or toward Allahu
ta’ala because of their orders or commandments is the worst kind of anger. This type of anger
causes disbelief. The hadith, "Anger (Ghadab) blemishes one's belief" shows that having
anger toward Rasulullah or Allahu ta’ala causes disbelief.
Getting angry upon seeing another one committing a prohibited action is a very good deed and
shows one's religious Gayrat. But, one should not step out of the boundaries of Islam or wisdom
(Aql) when one gets angry. Calling that person by dirty names, e.g., kafir, munafiq and names
like that, is prohibited (Haram). That kind of name calling necessitates punishment of that name
caller. Even though it was permitted to say words like "ignorant" or "stupid", advising him in a
soft manner would be better because in one hadith, Rasulullah, peace be upon him, said, "Allah
always loves the one who speaks in a soft manner." It is incumbent upon the members of the
government or the law enforcers to forcefully stop a person who commits prohibited actions and
who violetes the laws of the land. But beating him more than necessary or torturing would be
oppression (Zulm) and sinning. In the absence of law officers or members of the government,
one may stop the man if one is powerful enough to cope with him. Sentencing with death or
destructing his house could only be accomplished by the government and by the decision of the
judge. Giving unduly heavy punishment would be tyranny. Torturing by those who are
authorized by the government to do Amr al-maruf and Nahy-i anil munkar is forbidden {For
explanation of Amr al-maruf see the keywords of chapter 12}.
The opposite of anger (Ghadab) is softness (Hilm). Softness is better than being able to
overcome one's anger. The meaning of softness is not to get angry at all. It is a sign of being very
wise or having much intellect (Aql). In the following hadiths Rasulullah, peace be upon him,
said, "Allahu ta’ala loves those who act in softness in response to an incident which causes
anger 'Ghadab'," and "Allahu ta’ala loves persons who possess softness 'Hilm', shame'Haya' and 'Iffat'. He does not love those who speak dirty language 'Fuhush' and those
beggars who solicit in a molesting manner." "Iffat" means not to have an eye on others'
wealth. "Fuhush" means dirty and ugly things. Rasulullah, peace be upon him, would repeat the
following prayer often, "Oh my Lord! Bestow me, knowledge (Ilm), softness (Hilm), piety
(Taqwa), and ‘Afiyat’." "Ilm al-nafi'" is the knowledge of faith, religious jurisprudence (Fiqh),
and ethics (Akhlaq). "Afiyat" generally means wellness but, the meaning which is requested in
this prayer is to have salvation from the following: having religion and beliefs that are free of
corruption; having deeds and worships that are free of disasters; having soul (Nafs) that is free of
appetite (Shahwat); having a spiritual heart (Qalb) free from the fancies (Hawa) of the nafs and
evil suggestions of the devil; and having a body free of disease. When they inquired from
Rasulullah, peace be upon him, as to which one single prayer is the best prayer, he replied, "Ask
'Afiyat' from Allahu ta’ala. There is no greater blessing than 'Afiyat' after belief." [One
should make much repentance (Istigfar) in order to attain "Afiyat".] In one hadith, Rasulullah,
peace be upon him, said, "Be a person who has knowledge 'Ilm' and 'Sakina!' Speak softly
while learning or teaching! Never brag with your knowledge!" "Sakina" means, having
maturity and dignity. In the following hadiths Rasulullah, peace be upon him, said, "The fire of
hell would not burn a person who lives according to Islam and who is soft in nature," and
"Being soft brings blessings. Being slack or excessive in performing one's duties or business
causes absent-mindedness or a state of heedlessness 'Gaflat'," and "One who do not have
softness 'Rifq' is not a useful and beneficial person," and "Softness 'Rifq' embellishes or
decorates a person and covers his deficiencies."
In another hadith Rasulullah, peace be upon him, said, "Knowledge is acquired by studying
and softness 'Hilm' is acquired by striving and working hard to obtain it. Allahu ta’ala will
grant success to those who try to do useful and beneficial deeds. And He will also protect
those who avoid doing evil deeds."
