English Column: Will You Pull The Trigger?
“Don’t look back in anger”
Picture by Umar Mita of Langitilahi
Just now, I was yelled at by my lecturer in class in front of my classmates even though I didn’t know on what basis he did so.
I’m lying myself if I’m not pissed off and embarrassed at the same time. But I kept calm. I believe he has his own reasons why he did so.
He just finished circulating the results of our test papers. I received mine, was extremely sad because I got 3.5/10 but I smiled in sadness.
Then a classmate of mine (a girl) who was sitting beside me wanted to see my paper. I don’t know why she wanted it. It was a bit awkward given the fact I received low marks, but I gave it to her anyway.
Suddenly out of the blue, my lecturer shouted “Muhaimin! Go to that corner there now!”
I was puzzled.
“Go now! If you want to disturb my class, you should have not come here!” he added.
I was double-puzzled.
I requested my paper from my friend and went to the corner he wanted me to while smiling.
After I’ve reached the corner, he continued on barking “This is not the time to smile. All of you should feel ashamed of your low marks! Close proximity between boys and girls is HARAM in Islam…”
I was really pissed off. Many bad suggestions came rushing inside my head; “Go on, give him a flying kick or just yell back at him.” I kept quiet, suppressed my anger. I tried to retain back my disturbed focus.
If I followed my anger, I would yell back at him and I know I am capable of doing that but I waited instead.
After the class was over, I rushed to meet him. He was walking. I approached from his right and called his name “Sir.”
Before I could say anything, he placed his hand of my left shoulder and said “Muhaimin. I am very sorry. I was emotionally unstable. I was depressed with so many people. Once in a while, I will mistakenly burst out my anger to anyone. In this case, you were the victim.”
I was pleased by his answer. If that time he was still angry with, only God knows what will I to him.
We shake hands and I gave Salaam to him.
I went back without bearing any grudge on him.
One important thing I learned “Anger Will Take You Nowhere.”
The State of Stupidity
I would categorize anger as “The State of Stupidity.” Anger is the driving force in you that makes you feel “I am right” and “Others are wrong.” The only opinion that is applicable is your own and you will refuse to accept the opinion of others.
When you activate this stupidity mode, your blood pressure rises, your face turns red and if you have the chance to kill the person you hate, you will not be hesitant to do it. Not to mention the number of vulgar words that will come out like bullets.
You will forget who you are, the Islamic guidelines that you know when you are in rage. The only feeling you want is to exterminate the person who has made you angry.
But what will being angry contribute to the development of the Ummah? How can it help foster peace and humility to the world?
From Irrational Anger to Controlled Rage
Anger is not something bad as long as it is controlled. Once you have gained control of your conscious, express your controlled rage. Control anger before it controls you.
The ability to control anger is actually a sign of how strong you really are. Being strong doesn’t necessarily mean how big your muscles are but how good are you in controlling your anger.
Even the prophet once said:
“The strong man is not the one who can overpower others. Rather, the strong man is the one who controls himself when he gets angry.” [1]
And in another hadith:
“The strongest man is the one who, when he gets angry and his face reddens and his hackles rise, is able to defeat his anger.” [2]
Conclusion: Point your anger to the people responsible
Anger. Everybody experiences it. But anger alone only brings destruction. The effects of anger are severe.
How Muslims reacted to the video of “Innocence of Muslims” shows that Muslims are not capable enough in controlling their anger. Muslims are easily manipulated.
We claim to avenge the prophet, but is violence in line with what the prophet would wish for?
Resisting anger is one of the signs of righteousness:
“And march forth in the way to forgiveness from your Lord, and for a Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the righteous; those who spend in prosperity and in adversity, repress anger, and pardon men. Verily, Allah loves the good-doers.” [Al 'Imran; 134]
If let’s say the person you loved most is gunned by a killer. You are angry, furious and swear to kill the killer back. You managed to track down the killer, you held a gun in your hand, will you pull the trigger and blow the killer’s head off like what is done to your loved one? Ask yourself, by killing the killer, do you think you have avenged the person you love?
“You are the one holding the gun, will you pull the trigger or will you try your best to educate this world full of madness?”
[1] [Reported in the 'Musnad' of Ahmad; 2/236, and it is authentic as cited in Kalamullah.com retrieved from http://www.kalamullah.com/personality20.html]
[2] ['Sahih al-Jami'; # 3859 as cited in Kalamullah.com retrieved from http://www.kalamullah.com/personality20.html]]
