All of us have experienced anger at different stages for different reasons. Islam gives us encouragement and guidance on how we can take control of our emotions instead of letting them control us. If you have temper issues and get angry easily, this article is here to help you control anger and lead a more fulfilling life.
1. Seek refuge with Allah from Shaitan
Anger is but from the whispers of Shaitan. His whispers are never preceded by informative apprises. Thus, it always gets late for us to realize that we’ve been trapped by them. Therefore, whenever we get angry, we should remind ourselves that it is the inception of satanic whisper, and immediately seek Allah’s SWT help against the cursed one. It’s not a tough job at all. Just say “A-‘oodhubillaahi minash-shaytaanir-rajeem” (I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed saitan) and you are done! This is a prophetic remedy from the authentic sunnah. (Buhkari)
2. Change your physical position
The Prophet said:
“If any of you becomes angry and he is standing, let him sit down, so his anger will go away; if it does not go away, let him lie down.” (Musnad Ahmad)e
Try recalling the last time you got angry. It might have started with a frown and your physical position would have triggered or aggravated it further, leading to unwanted reactions that cause discord with people around you. You might have hurt yourself or destroyed your possessions to ward your rage off. Therefore, always remember that your physical position matters!. When anger strikes, sit down if you were standing and lie down if you were already.
3. Give up quarrels
Anger can prevent us from looking at a situation in a normal, calm, and mature manner. This hyperactive mode can overpower our thoughts and words. This results in endless and unwanted arguments.
The Prophet saw said:
“I guarantee a house in Jannah for one who gives up arguing, even if he is in the right.” (Abu Dawood)
SubhanAllah! It is not easy to give up fair squabbles. And that’s why Prophet saw has guaranteed a place in Jannah-a priceless reward. The more we struggle towards goodness, the better our rewards will be in Jannah insha’Allah. So the next time you are tempted to indulge in tit for tat word wars; calm down and remind yourself about the promised house in Jannah!
4. Observe Silence
The Messenger of Allaah saw said:
“If any of you becomes angry, let him keep silent.” (Musnad Ahmad)
Zipping our mouths to seal our tongue is a very difficult self-control method. However, it is all about reviving a sunnah and is, therefore, worth it. After all, silence can be the best retaliation.
5. Controlling anger can make you stronger!
We all know the famous hadeeth where our Prophet saw said:
“The strong-man is not one who wrestles well but the strong man is one who controls himself when he is in a fit of rage.” (Muslim)
The first impression this prophetic command gives us is “If you can control anger, you are strong”. But subhanAllah, it has another facet filled with wisdom.
You might forget to control anger in the first attempt and even fail to control it in the second attempt. But never stop trying. Learn from your mistakes and rise from pitfalls. Not all of us are born strong, but we are all born to be strong. In other words, it’s not an overnight process for any one of us to become “strong”. This process demands time, self-motivation, effort, and positive energy. Keep yourself motivated!
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