Spiritual Discussions For The Treatment of Anger - Part 2 of 3

QARAMAH (MIRACLES)



Through this self-training, many have attained miracles, and miracles of the Awliya (friends of Allah) are true.



It is important for us not to deny the miracles performed by the Awliya (friends of Allah), as this will lead one to Kufr. Nevertheless, it is important for us to engrave this in our mind that the Awliya cannot perform these miracles of their own accord; but they only take place by the will and permission of Allah SWT.



Qaramah (Miracles) is not the doing of the creation, but is exclusively the work of the Creator.



Imam Bukhari RA has explained that Rasulullah SAW said: (mafhum)


A pious servant of Allah among the Bani Israel once asked a man to lend him a thousand coins. That man asked the saint to bring a witness to which he replied, "Allah is enough for a witness." The man again asked him to bring forward a person to stand surety on behalf of the saint, so that in case he does not pay up, the money could be demanded from the one who stood surety. To this the saint replied, "Allah is responsible and stands surety."

On hearing this the other person said: "You have spoken the truth," and immediately gave the pious man a thousand coins. The pious man took the coins, crossed the river and fulfilled the work for which he had needed the coins.

Finally, the day on which he had promised to repay, arrived. When he reached the river bank, he became worried as there was no boat to take him across the river. Anxious to fulfil his promise, he thought of a plan. He made a hole in a piece of log, placed the thousand coins into it, knocked a nail to secure it and put it in the water to float across. Placing his trust in Allah, he made du'a: "O Allah! Let the coins reach their owner."

The winds could have changed direction and steered the log elsewhere, but this was a miracle that it reached its required destination. The creditor was waiting for some boat to arrive with the person at the bank of the river. Suddenly, he noticed a piece of log floating towards him. He picked it out of the water, thinking he would take it home and use it for firewood. When he hit it with an axe, the coins fell out with a note which read: "I could not get a boat in time, so I am sending your coins in this manner, putting my trust in Allah."

Soon afterwards, the man also arrived, after finding another a boat. He brought another thousand coins with him, just in case the first thousand which he had secured in the log might not have reached the owner and were lost. The owner said that he received the coins and explained how he found the log and what had happened. The man went back very happy, thanking Allah for this miracle.


REQUISITES & NON-REQUISITES FOR PIETY

Although miracles of the Awliya are true, they are not a requisite for being a wali. Some foolish people think it is compulsory for every saint to perform miracles. For anyone to be a wali, he has to have piety. Obedience to the Shari'ah and abidance to the Sunnah is absolutely essential. Even chastity is not a requisite, that a wali will never sin. Yes, this is a requisite for Prophethood! A wali can become weak and get involved in sin, but to remain a wali, there is a condition that he repents and asks forgiveness from Allah.

A person lived in the company of Junaid Baghdadi RA for ten years but did not see any miracle taking place at his hands e.g. flying in the air or walking on water etc. Disappointed, he decided to go away, explaining his reason to Junaid RA. Junaid RA asked him if he (the person) had ever seen him (Junaid RA) doing any action against the Sunnah or Shari'ah in those ten years. The man replied in the negative. Upon this Junaid Baghdadi RA sighed and said:

"If a slave has not displeased his Master for even a moment in ten years, can there by a greater miracle than this?"

Mulla Ali Qari RA writes:

"Steadfastness upon the Sunnah and Shari'ah is more virtuous than a thousand miracles."

Thus, returning to the main topic of discussion, thus by controlling one's anger and tolerating the harm which comes to one from the creation, many pious people have attained the blessings of miracles.

Shah Abul Hasan Khirqani RA used to ride on a lion, bringing with him wood from the jungle on it, and if sometimes the lion would become troublesome, he would whip it with a live snake.

A person from Khurasan went to Kharqan to take the Bai'ah (pledge) at Sheikh Khirqani RA's hands. When Khirqani RA's wife asked this man why he had come, he related his reason.

She was a very ill-tempered woman and upon hearing this she recited:

"La Hawla Walaa Quwwata Illa Billah" - and said:

"Who in this world can know the condition of this man better than me? I am with him day and night. He is a crafty deceiver! How did you get involved with him? Have you no brains?"

She spoke so bitterly to him that he cried and thought to himself that his trip had been wasted. However,the people of the locality urged him to go into the jungle, and meet the Sheikh, and not form any wrong opinion about the Sheikh as his wife was an ill-tempered woman.

When he reached the jungle, sure enough, there was Sheikh Abul Hasan Khirqani RA seated on the lion's back.

Sheikh Jalaluddin Rumi RA says that through Kashf (divine inspiration), it transpired to Sheikh Khirqani RA that this person had heard his wife's bitter talks and was grieved. Sheikh Khirqani RA laughed and asked what was the matter.

That man replied:

"Sir, your wife is a very bad-tempered woman, why did you marry her?"

Sheikh Khirqani RA replied:

"The miracle which you see in front of you i.e. sitting on a lion while using a live snake as a whip, was attained by patiently bearing the harms caused to me by this woman."


In the words of Sheikh Jalaluddin Rumi RA:

"If my patience would not tolerate the burden of her ill-temper, then do you think this lion would bear my burden and become my slave?"

It is the way of Allah, that when He blesses one with a gift, He does so after training of the self. This self-training is called Islahi Nafs.

After bringing Imaan upon oneself, to remain firm on it is called steadfastness, as is stated in the Qur'an. There are many who remain Awliya for one moment, and the next moment they turn into devils. For a few days they are like Angels, but when the Nafs (Self) overpowers them, then they become like devils. Whenever anger overpowers them, they do not think who they are and who is their Allah. Then upon absorbing the storm of anger they even forget, that a little while ago they were making Tilawat (reading the Qur'an), last night they performed Tahajjud and even read Solat-ul-Dhuha today. In anger, these people change into Shaytaan, say whatever they want to say, and even start becoming violent.

Why is such a person called a Shaytaan?

The reason is because Shaytaan is created from fire and it is stated in one Hadith that anger is also created from fire.


THE CONDITION OF AN ANGRY PERSON

Allamah Alusi RA quotes one Hadith in Ruhul Ma'ani:

"Save yourself from anger, because it is a flame of fire which burns the heart of the son of Adam."

Rasulullah SAW has explained through two proofs that the matter and substance of anger is made from fire.

One is: "Do you not see that the veins of the angry one's throat swell up"; and the other is that the eyes get red. The eyes show that there is a fire in the heart. The eyes are like glasses through which one can see the fire inside the heart. So anger is definitely fire. In anger, people do such actions which cannot be practised otherwise.

People have even sworn at Allah and the Shari'ah in anger, and became Kafirs, just like that!

May Allah SWT save us. Ameen.

In anger, one fights one's parents, is harsh to one's wife and oppresses her, causing her deep sighs and lamentations. In anger, the wife becomes insolent towards the husband, a son fights with his father, a student fights with his teacher, a disciple fights with his spiritual guide, an Ummati fights with his Nabi and the bondsman fights with Allah!

Through this dangerous illness, one is deprived of his venerable elders' kindness. One who respects his elders will be rewarded by their kindness. May Allah SWT bless us with the Taufîq to fully submit to our elders, and to tolerate whatever they tell us.

There are many incidents that took place where, because of anger, homes have been broken up.

Brothers and sisters;

Anger is very serious and dangerou , therefore we must never hesitate to remedy it.

Let us read on and see the petty matter over which this person divorced his wife:

That day, their young son was ill and did not go to work. The father beat him, saying that he was telling a lie, whereas one is not justified to suspect or think ill of another without a valid proof.

The mother then intervened, by telling the father to stop hitting the son. A mother naturally loves her children more than the father, because she is the one who carries them in her womb for nine months, then delivers them with so much pain, then breast-feeds them with her blood which is changed into milk.

Thus, being a mother, she pitied her son and said to her husband:

"Do not beat him so mercilessly like a butcher."

Upon this interference from his wife, the husband flared up with anger and shouted:

"Why must you interfere when I am fixing him up..."

"...because of this I give you Talaq! Talaq! Talaq!"

A great lesson is to be learnt from this unfortunate incident. One who does not endeavour to reform himself, finally destroys himself as well as those connected to him. A person can never hope for betterment without the process of reformation.

Therefore, reformation of the Nafs (Self) is of utmost importance, for one's success - in this world and the Hereafter.


COMPANIONSHIP OF THE PIOUS

Many people believe that one can be reformed merely by reading some good books. If this was truly the case then there would be no need for Allah SWT to send Messengers AS to the people. We must always remember that the reason why Allah SWT send Prophets AS and Rasuls AS to people was solely for their guidance and reformation by means of cleansing and purifying their hearts. Therefore, first the Nabi AS fulfils this duty and thereafter his deputies follow suit. One cannot understand books without a teacher. This is a process of teaching and learning. For the book of Allah, the people of Allah are created.

In the commentary for Surah Al-Fatihah in Ma'riful Qur'an, Mufti Muhammed Shafi'i RA has written:

"To understand the Book of Allah, it is necessary to have the people of Allah."

The fuel of strength for acting upon the book of Allâh will be attained from the bosoms of these pious people.

If a Nabi is alive during that time, then this knowledge will be attained from his bosom; otherwise it may be attained from the bosoms of their disciples.

Therefore brothers and sister - for one's reformation, contact with a reformer is absolutely necessary. It is not enough merely to have friendship and companionship with them, but to keep them informed about our spiritual condition is the actual purpose. Then, whatever advice they give, one should obediently act upon it.

The rights of companionship are not only feeding the people of Allah with good food, and then to imagine that one has fulfilled their rights, but actually it is informing them of one's condition and thereafter obedience to their advice with sincerity.


INTRODUCTORY BASIC REMEDY

Let us now discuss on the basic formula for the removing anger:

Whenever we get angry, we should immediately recite:

"A'udzubillahi Minash Shaytaanir Rajîim"

- and move away from the person who is the cause of your anger. If possible, we should go and make wudhu and perform two raka'ats of Solat and then proceed with du'a. Our elders have also prescribed drinking water, because water is - in a way, a cure for anger. When a fire breaks out, water is used to extinguish it. During anger, if we are standing at that time, then we should sit down, and if we are sitting down, then we should lie down. In this way, we are getting further away from taking revenge. If we are standing, then it will be easy to run towards the person for taking revenge. Using water will cool one's temper.

After that, we should think of Allah's punishments. Allah has more power over ourselves than what we have over that person we are angry with. Just as we are angry with someone today, then what if Allah Ta'ala becomes angry with us and has to punish us, then what will we do? Let us think of Allah, His power and His punishment. When an angry person does not think of these things, it proves that he/she has become ensnared in the clutches of Shaytaan. In such conditions, it does not matter as to whether he is a Sufi, a Scholar, a Sayyid or a Da'ie.

How can it be possible for a Mu'min to not remember Allah at the time of his/her own anger? In the state of anger, one should think of his position as a servant of his Master, Allah Most High, who is watching him/her. We are always hopeful of Allah's mercy upon us, and wish that Allah will forgive our faults on the day of Qiyamah, yet we refuse to show mercy upon His creation. Here we become totally heedless. If anybody troubles us, we do not find rest until and unless we take revenge.

Allamah Abul Qasim Qushairy RA says:

"A friend of Allah does not take revenge, and one who takes revenge can never be a friend of Allah."

One who does not know how to treat Allah's creation with mercy, how can he/she be hopeful of the mercy of Allah upon himself/herself? Therefore Allah revealed a verse which says that if you want Allah's mercies and forgiveness for yourselves, then forgive the faults of His servants. Even if one commits the same mistake of getting angry over and over again, then too he/she should not lose hope. After one's anger has subsided, he/she should hasten to make amends.