Part 27

One entry of Satan to the ignorant is to prevent someone from seeking knowledge; as he would say to him/her: “Do you want to be a student, now that you have grown up?” So he/she responds to the devil’s whispering, remaining in a state of ignorance.

Abu al-Hassan al-Mawaridi said: “Sometimes a man refuses to seek knowledge due to his advanced age, and is too ashamed of his negligence to acquire it, while he was still young, so he prefers to stay ignorant rather than be a beginner (in seeking knowledge). This is the deception. of ignorance, foolishness and laziness; because it is preferable to be a literate old man than a completely ignorant one.”*

Ali ibn Abi Talib .& said: “Bea scholar, learner, listener, friend, but do not be the fifth one, or you will perish’.

A man once asked Abu Hurayrah 2s: “I want to acquire knowledge, but I fear I might lose it.” So he 4 told him: “There is enough wasting in not learning it.”

' Surat Al-Kahf, verse 103.

? Surat Al-Mujadilah, verse 19.

3 “Adab ad-Duniya wa Deen” (26).

‘ Transmitted on the authority of Abu Bikrah, with a weak chain of authority.

The remarkable thing is that Satan can make some ignorant people believe that they are truly knowledgeable, which is the highest level of deceit. Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad has divided people into four categories: (1) a man who has knowledge and knows that he has knowledge; this man is a scholar, so you may ask him. (2) a man who has knowledge but does not know that he has knowledge; this man has simply forgotten, so you should remind him. (3) a man who does not have any knowledge, and he knows he has not got it; this man is seeking knowledge, so teach him. And finally (4) a man who does not have any knowledge, but does not even know that he lacks knowledge; this man is ignorant, so reject him.

This is one of the great means of Satan, through which he reaches a person, because he can play with angry person the way the children play with a ball.

Abu Hamid al-Ghazali said: “A ‘dark smoke’ rises from the warm blood of the heart to the brain, and takes control of the sources of thinking, and may affect the senses; darkening his eyes to prevent him from seeing and perceiving the whole world around him. Therefore, his brain will be like a cave on fire with black smoke covering all its corners. The fire of anger could sometimes reach an extreme level which is likely to destroy the person.

Some of the clear signs of anger are: the changing of skin colour and the trembling of the limbs, the disturbance of normal body movements and speech....the person, in this state, reflects a bad image of himself/herself, but what his/her inner self conceals is even more severe...”!

Whenever, anger cools off, Satan stirs it up again by saying that the person with whom you are angry is having fun with you, and that you have to avenge yourself. Therefore, a Muslim should overpower the devil attached to him, suppress his/her anger, and try to make excuses for others.

' Thya’ ‘Ulum al-Deen (643).

Al-Barraz narrated, on the authority of Anas #, that the Prophet # passed by some people who were wrestling with each other, and said: “What is happening here?” They replied: “A wrestler who beats everyone...” He 38 said: “Shall I tell you of a man who is even stronger than him? It is a man who suppresses his anger, overcomes his devil and that of his opponent.””

So, real power is the ability to control oneself when one is in a position to give vent to one’s anger and frustration; the Prophet # said: “A strong man is not one who wrestles well, but a strong man is one who

controls himself when he is in a fit of rage”.

Abu al-Darda’ # came to the Prophet 3%, saying: “Guide me to a work that will make me enter Paradise.” He # replied: “Avoid getting into a fit of anger, and you (will) have Paradise.”*

No normal person can give up the nature of anger, because one is naturally disposed to it; but one has to stop the rousing causes of anger, such as arrogance and having an excessive sense of honour.

Ali ibn Zayd said: “A man from the Quraysh verbally abused ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdulaziz #, yet he calmly responded to him, saying: ‘You wanted the devil to provoke me, using the power of my authority (reign) to get from you today what you would get from me tomorrow (in the Hereafter). You may leave, Allah bless you.’”*

' Fath al-bari 10/519).

* Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

} Al-Hafidh al-Mundiri said that it was narrated by al-Tabarani, with an authentic chain.

* Recorded by al-Bukhari.

5 Adab al-Duniya wa Deen (233).

Calming down fury: When a man is in a state of anger, he has to calm down his state of fury by doing the following:

First: Seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed. Sulaiman bin Surad # said: “Two men abused each other in front of the Prophet 38, and one of them became so angry that his anger became intense, so that his face became swollen and changed. The Prophet 3 said: ‘I know a word, the saying of which will cause him to relax if he does say it.’ Then a man went up to him and informed him of the statement of the Prophet, saying: ‘Seek refuge in Allah from Satan’. On that, the angry man said: ‘Do you consider me to be insane?’”!

Second: He/she should remember the great rewards he/she would have for suppressing his/her fury. Ibn ‘Umar # reported that the Prophet #% said: “No one has swallowed back anything more excellent in the sight of Allah 3g, than the anger he restrains, seeking to please Allah 38”.

Mu‘adh ibn Anas 2 reported that the Prophet 4% said: “Anyone who suppresses his anger when he is in a position to give vent to it, Allah 3 will call him on the Day of Resurrection over the heads of all creatures, and ask him to choose any of the bright and large eyed maidens he wishes.”?

Third: When in a state of anger, it is better for a person to be silent, because he/she is close to being at fault — by aggravating the situation. The Prophet # said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should either say something good or keep silent’.

Fourth: To sit or lie down, as reported by Abu Dharr, when the Prophet #8 said: “When one of you becomes angry while standing, he should sit down. If the anger leaves him, that is well and good, otherwise he should lie down.”?

' Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

? Recorded by Ibn Majah (2/1401) and Ahmad.

> Recorded by al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah. Al-Tirmidhi said: “This is a sound Hadith, and it is as said by Abd al-Rahim ibn Maymun; it was also transmitted by Ibn Khuzayma, al-Hakim and Ibn Hibban who said its authorities were trustworthy.

* Recorded by al-Bukhari and Mulsim.

5 Recorded by Abu Dawud (4/249).

Abu. Sa‘id al-Khudri 2 reported that the Prophet 4 said: “The descendants of Adam have been created in various categories. Some are swift in getting angry and swift in cooling down, some are slow in getting angry and slow at cooling down, the one characteristic like the other. But the best of you are those who are slow in getting angry and swift in cooling down, and the worst of you are those who are swift in getting angry and slow in cooling down. Beware of anger, for it is a ‘live coal’ in the hearts of the descendants of Adam. Do you not notice the swelling of the veins of his neck and the redness of his eyes? So when anyone experiences anything of that nature, he should lie down and cling to the ground.”!

Fifth: Think of one’s horrible image when in a state of anger, because it will calm one down.

Sixth: Remember the rewards from Allah 3 when He forgives, as this will help one to put up with the foolishness of the ignorant, in the hope of pleasing Allah 3%. He 8 said: (Those who control their rage and pardon other people - Allah loves the good-doers.)’; when a Muslim should control his/her rage, he/she would become one of those who are mindful of Allah 3, and if he/she should pardon and forgive, he would ascend to the level of good-doers. Ibn ‘Abbas 4 said in his interpretation of the Verse, (Ward off evil with what is better): If the believers show patience in times of anger, and forgiveness in times of offence, Allah 4€ will safeguard them, and their enemy would become humble before them.”

Seventh: Avoid insulting, vilifying and cursing, because they are of the characteristics of the foolish and impudent.

It was narrated that a man verbally abused Salman , so he told him: “Tf my balance is light, then I am worse that what you said; but if my balance is heavy, whatever you said will not harm me”. It was also narrated that a man verbally abused Abu Bakr 4, so he told him: “May Allah reveal more about you”.

Recorded by al-Tirmidhi. ? Surat al-‘Imran, verse 134. > Transmitted by al-Bukhari in his Tafsir book — Surat Fussilat.

You should know that there are two types of anger: Being angry for oneself, which is reprimanded; and being angry for the sake of Allah, which is praiseworthy. For the Prophet % was merciful and compassionate; whenever he saw an act against Islamic teachings, his face would become red with anger, and would not calm down until he had changed it. ‘Aishah # said: “The Prophet # entered my room when there was a curtain, with images (of animals), on the wall. His face became red with anger, he got hold of the curtain and tore into pieces, then he 4 said: ‘People who paint such pictures will receive the severest punishment on the Day of Resurrection.”!

The Prophet 3 saw some sputum on the wall facing the Qiblah and became furious with people of the mosque, saying: “During the prayer, Allah is in front of every one of you, so no one should spit in front of him”; so he got down and scratched off the sputum with his hands’. Therefore, we know that the Prophet 4 only became furious when the sanctities of Allah 4 had been violated.