ANGER: Ten Ways to Control It

1 – Seek refuge with Allah from the Devil:

Sulayman bin Sard narrated:

“I was sitting with the Prophet, when two men began slandering one another. One of them was red in the face, and the veins on his neck were standing out. The Prophet (s) said: “I know a word which, if he were to say it, what he feels would go away. If he said: “I seek refuge with Allah from the Devil,” what he feels would go away.’”
['Fath al-Bari'; 6/337]
The Messenger of Allah (s) said:
“If a man gets angry and says: “I seek refuge with Allah,” his anger will go away.”
['Sahih al-Jami'; # 695]

2 – Remain silent:

The Messenger of Allah (s) said:
“If any of you becomes angry, let him keep silent.”
['Sahih al-Jami'; # 693]

3 – Sit down or lie down:

“Abu Dharr was taking his camels to drink at a trough that he owned, when some other people came along and said to one another: “Who can compete with Abu Dharr in bringing animals to drink and make his hair stand on end?” A man said: “I can.” So, he brought his animals and competed with Abu Dharr and ended up breaking the trough.Abu Dharr was standing when he saw this, so, he sat down, then he laid down. Someone asked him: “O Abu Dharr, why did you sit down then lie down?” He said: “The Messenger of Allah (s) said: “If any of you becomes angry and he is standing, let him sit down, so that his anger will go away. If iit does not go away, let him lie down.”“”
[Reported in the 'Musnad' of Ahmad (5/152) and 'Sahih al-Jami' (694)]
al-Imam al-Khattabi said: “One who is standing is in a position to strike and destroy, while the one who is sitting is less likely to do that, and the one who is lying down can do neither. It is possible that the Prophet told the angry person to sit down or lie down so that he would not do something that he would later regret, and Allah Knows best.”
['Ma'alim as-Sunan'; 5/141]

4 – Smile:

Anas bin Malik narrated:
“I was walking with the Messenger of Allah (s), and he was wearing a Najrani cloak with a rough collar. A bedouin came and seized him roughly by the edge of his cloak, and I saw the marks left on his neck by the collar. Then the bedouin ordered him to give him some of the wealth of Allah that he had. The Prophet turned to him and smiled, then ordered that he should be given something.”
['Fath al-Bari'; 10/375]

5 – Remember the advice of the Prophet:

Abu Hurayrah narrated:
“A man said to the Prophet: “Advise me.” He said: “Do not become angry.” The man repeated his request several times, and each time the Prophet said to him: “Do not become angry.”“
['Fath al-Bari'; 10/456]
According to another narration, the man later said: “I thought about what the Prophet said, and I realized that anger combines all kinds of evil.”
[Reported in the 'Musnad' of Ahmad; 5/373]

6 – Remember the high status of those who control themselves:

The Messenger of Allah 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.”
[Reported in the 'Musnad' of Ahmad; 2/236, and it is authentic]
The Messenger of Allah also said:
“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.”
['Sahih al-Jami'; # 3859]
Anas bin Malik narrated
“The Messenger of Allah passed by some people who were wrestling. He asked: “What is this?” They said: “So-and-so is the strongest; he can beat anybody.” The Messenger of Allah then said: “Shall I not tell you who is even stronger then him? The man who, when he is mistreated by another, controls his anger, has defeated his own devil and the devil of the one who made him angry.”“
['Fath al-Bari'; 10/519]

7 – Rewards for those who control their anger:

The Messenger of Allah said:
“Do not become angry, and Paradise is yours.”
['Sahih al-Jami'; # 7374]
The Messenger of Allah said:
“Whoever controls his anger at the time when he has the means to act upon it, Allah will call him before all of mankind on the Day of Resurrection, and will let him choose of the Hur al-’Ayn whoever he wants.”
[Reported by Abu Dawud (4777), and it is in 'Sahih al-Jami' (6518)]

8 – Remember that 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]

9 – Submit to reminders:

Ibn ‘Abbas narrated:
“A man sought permission to speak to ‘Umar bin al-Khattab, then he said: “O Ibn al-Khattab, you are not giving us much and you are not judging fairly between us.” ‘Umar was so angry that he was about to attack the man, but al-Hurr bin Qays – who was one of those present – said: “O Commander of the Believers! Allah said to His Prophet: {“Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish.”} [al-A'raf; 199], and this man is one of the foolish.” By Allah, ‘Umar could go no further after al-Hurr had recited this verse to him, as he a man who was careful to adhere to the Book of Allah.”
['Fath al-Bari'; 4/304]
…as opposed to how one of the hypocrites reacted when one of the Companions said to him: “Seek refuge with Allah from the Devil,” So, he replied: “Do you think I am crazy? Go away!”
['Fath al-Bari'; 1/465]

10 – Remember the bad effects of anger:

‘Alqamah bin Wa’il narrated:
“My father said to me: “I was sitting with the Prophet, when a man came to him leading another man by a rope. He said: “O Messenger of Allah, this man killed my brother.” The Messenger of Allah asked him, “Did you kill him?” He said: “Yes, I killed him.” He asked: “How did you kill him?” He said: “He and I were hitting a tree to make the leaves fall for animal feed, and then he insulted me, so I struck him on the side of the head with an axe and killed him.”"
['Sahih Muslim'; # 1307]

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Makkah Metro : The Journey of Hajj goes green

A high speed train to Makkah in Saudi Arabia will cut down on carbon emissions during hajj this year, but its reach is limited for now.

Every year, around three million Muslims from across the world prepare for the spiritual journey of a lifetime. Many will have been saving up for the trip for years and will be prepared to travel thousands of miles to reach their destination :  Makkah in Saudi Arabia to perform the hajj.

As one of the five pillars of Islam, every Muslim who has the financial and physical ability is encouraged to make the pilgrimage to Makkah which is Islam’s most holy site. The question is can this pilgrimage, which in this Modern Age leaves behind trail of waste and carbon emissions, really be transformed into something more green.

The UN-backed Muslim Seven Year Plan which announced plans to encourage Muslims to be more environmentally friendly. This year for the first time ever, pilgrims will be able to reduce their carbon footprint during hajj by travelling between Makkah’s holy sites via a very green form of public transport- the train.

 

From this November 2010, the high speed train will be able to transport 130,000 passengers between the holy sites which will help reduce the number of vehicles on the roads and make hajj journeys more eco-friendly.

The Makkah Metro, officially known as the Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro is an 18.1 kilometres (11.2 mi) long elevated metro under construction in the city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia for opening in November 2010. It is also known as the Makkah Metro, and is sometimes incorrectly referred to as a 'monorail'.

 

The Makkah Metro, as its been dubbed, is only in the first stages and is operating at 33 percent of its total capacity. It will be fully operational by hajj season 2011 and will carry around 500,000 passengers by then at the rate of 72,000 passengers an hour in a single direction. By the final stage in 2012 the metro, which has elevated tracks to avoid busy roads, will be able to transport up to two million people. This rail network is expected to reduce traffic by approximately 30,000 cars - so not only will it reduce congestion but it will also cut the noxious emissions which cars release. The introduction of the train network is clearly an important step towards making hajj more environmentally friendly.

It has been announced that Muslims wishing to use Makkah's first metro when they converge on the holy city next month for their annual pilgrimage will have to pay SR250 for a ticket that will serve them for seven days. Three different types of tickets will cover all holy sites in Makkah and will allow the pilgrims to take the train into the city to perform their rites before returning to their residence inside or outside the city, Ajel online newspaper said, quoting Habib Zain Alabidin, Undersecretary at the Saudi Ministry of Municipal affairs.

"The ticket's price is set at SR250 (US$ 67) that will cover a full trip into and out of Makkah for seven days... another ticket is priced at SR100 (US$ 27) for four days," he said.

Officials said last week the train has a capacity to transport 170,000 passengers in its first stage and two million when the third and final phase is completed.

Saudi Arabia has allocated nearly SR6.7 billion (US$ 1.8 billion) for the metro, which begins continuous service next month for the first time in Makkah's history. Officials expect the project to largely contribute to easing road congestions caused by the accumulation of thousands of cars near Makkah. Habib Zain Alabidin says the railway would operate throughout the year.

China Railway Construction Corp, part of a Saudi-French-Chinese consortium which won the contract, is carrying out the project, involving nearly 5,000 workers. The train is the Gulf’s second metro system after the Dubai Metro.

"Allah hath promised to Believers, men and women, gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein, and beautiful mansions in gardens of everlasting bliss. But the greatest bliss is the good pleasure of Allah: that is the supreme felicity." [The Holy Quran, Surah Al Tawbah 9:72]

 

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Professor and Student

An atheist (Non believer of God) professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty. He asks one of his new students to stand and.....

Prof: So you believe in God?

Student: Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is God good?

Student: Sure.

Prof: Is God all-powerful?

Student: Yes.

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?

(Student is silent.)

Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?

Student: Yes.

Prof: Is Satan good?

Student: No.

Prof: Where does Satan come from?

Student: From...God...

Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student: Yes.

Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?

Student: Yes.

Prof: So who created evil?

(Student does not answer.)

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?

Student: Yes, sir.

Prof: So, who created them?

(Student has no answer.)

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, 

son...Have you ever

seen God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your

God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?

Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?

Student: Yes.

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?

Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Prof: Yes.

Student: And is there such a thing as cold?

Prof: Yes.

Student: No sir. There isn't.

(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student : You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light....But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?

Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one.To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor.Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher? 

(The class is in uproar.)

Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?

(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain,sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.

Student: That is it sir... The link between man & god is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving & alive.

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Five Reasons why Allah uses problems

The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you – depending on how you respond to them. Unfortunately, most people fail to see how Allah wants to use problems for good in their lives. They react foolishly and resent their problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring.

Here are five ways Allah wants to use the problems in your life:

1. Allah uses problems to DIRECT you.

Sometimes God must light a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is God trying to get your attention? “Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways.”

2. Allah uses problems to INSPECT you.

People are like tea bags…if you want to know what’s inside them, just drop them into hot ever water! Has God tested your faith with a problem What do problems reveal about you? “When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience.”

3. Allah uses problems to CORRECT you.

Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It’s likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove…. But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something… health, money, a relationship.. .. by losing it. “It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws.”

4. Allah uses problems to PROTECT you.

A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious.. Last year a friend was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem – but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when management’s actions were eventually discovered. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good…”

5. Allah uses problems to PERFECT you.

Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two things you’re going to take with you into eternity. “We can rejoice when we run into problems…they help us learn to be patient.. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.”

Here’s the point:

God is at work in your life – even when you do not recognize it or understand it.

 
But it’s much easier and profitable when you cooperate with Him.


“Success can be measured not only in achievements, but in lessons learned, lives touched and moments shared along the way”


Allah Knows Best…

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