When the companions used to pray, they wouldn't be distracted by anything. The Masjid was demolished, and one of them still continued praying. Another one had his leg amputated during prayer.
Because it's all about controlling your emotions and remaining focused. Don't surrender to your emotions. How? "الا بذكر الله تطمئن القلوب"
Anger - الغضب
Again, the cause of our anger goes back to our weaknesses. The triggers vary from person to person.
Anger is an emotion we react with to defend ourselves - our ego. Anger usually has to do with selfish reasons. It's mostly "Why did they do this to me?"
When you look at anger mentioned in the Qur'an, you'll find that the majority of it is regarding Allah's anger. This is because anger doesn't suit the human being, but it suits Allah, because His anger is perfect; free of deficiency. And because He is the King.
And even though Allah has anger, He said, "رحمتي سبقت غضبي"
And this anger is a restricted attribute of Allah - He isn't angry all the time. It's limited to certain people and actions.
Allah's anger is good for us, because it makes us fear Allah. We shouldn't fear anyone except Him. Allah's anger is something worthy to be feared - unlike the fear of human beings, which creates an imbalance and tension in the environment.
And nothing is like Allah's anger. Allah said, "ليس كمثله شيء"
You find that nowadays we get angry for very trivial reasons. Technology's spoilt us, and we're used to things coming quickly. We lack tolerance and patience. We get angry because the Wi-Fi isn't connecting, or because the battery gets drained quickly, etc. We can't handle anything slightly difficult. In the past they used to travel for months, yet if a plane is delayed for an hour we freak out.
We get angry about the weather, the traffic, waiting in a que, etc. The list is endless. Everything makes us angry. We waste our energy on an emotion that's not good for us.
We go out, we say "quickly" get ready. We "quickly" drive. We "quickly" go out because we need to go home soon. We "quickly" need to get into bed. We "quickly" need to sleep and be awake for school or work the next day. We hate waiting. We want everyone else to be efficient. We've become machines because we're always dealing with machines.
النفس المطمئنه is like a cloud; floating. Allah says in [25:63]:
Islam teaches us to relax. We're taught not to even to run to the Masjid if we're late to a prayer, an appointment with Allah. We should go with tranquility.
Allah mentioned certain people getting angry in the Qur'an:
1) Musa عليه السلام
Why did he get angry? He went to meet Allah for 40 days, and assigned Harun عليه السلام to replace him. When he came back, his people were committing Shirk.
This is praiseworthy anger - He wasn't angry for himself, but for Allah.
In [7:150]:
He wasn't angry because they didn't listen to him. He was angry out of sadness for them. This is mercy.
The Prophet ﷺ never got angry for himself, even during the incident of Ta'if, when they were stoning him. And the Angel came offering to crush them, but he ﷺ said perhaps there'll be from their offspring people who worship Allah. He ﷺ would get angry for the sake of Allah, and his face would become red.
2) The anger of the believers and how they deal with it
In [42:37]:
The believers aren't exempted from feeling angry, but when they do, they forgive. This is their state.
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَجُلاً، قَالَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَوْصِنِي. قَالَ " لاَ تَغْضَبْ ". فَرَدَّدَ مِرَارًا، قَالَ " لاَ تَغْضَبْ "
Narrated Abu Huraira that a man said to the Prophet ﷺ, "Advise me! "
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Do not become angry."
The man asked (the same) again and again, and the Prophet ﷺ said in each case, "Do not become angry." [Bukhari]
And in [3:134]:
If you forgive, Allah will forgive you. Surpress your anger.
People tell you to speak about your emotions, to let it all out, while Allah tells you to surpress it.
Joy - الفرح
Everyone seeks joy. It's a feeling you get when you reach a goal or get something you want. People go to the therapists when they're sad, angry, afraid, but no one goes when they're happy. The therapists job is to turn this anger, sadness, fear, into joy. And this creates even more problems - because our emotions are supposed to be balanced. People think joy is the solution to negativity, but it's actually poison if you don't truly understand it. It's like a balloon which floats up and then pops. Joy in the Qur'an is mostly dispraised, except for one type. Anger, sadness, fear, can help you identify your weaknesses, but joy can be deceiving; like استدراج.
Allah gave us emotions to worship Him - they're all عبادات. But we feel like joy is for us, that's why we don't understand dispraised joy.
1) Joy when evil happens to others
This is the joy of the hypocrites. Allah said in [9:50]:
The most imbalanced people are the hypocrites. The believers feel for each other and love for each other what they love for themselves.
This happiness has do with selfish reasons - They don't care about other people.
"الحمد لله it wasn't me, it was someone else"
2) Joyful when disobeying Allah
This is the happiness of the hypocrites as well. In [9:81]:
The hypocrites didn't go for Jihad, and this is a sin. And they were happy they didn't go.
It's like a person feeling happy that he doesn't pray, fast, learn. He's happy and proud with his disobedience.
E.g. I'm happy I humiliated so-and-so, put her down, etc.
If you commit sins and feel sad about it, that's good. But the hypocrites violate the rules and feel proud.
3) Joyful during division - When you feel like you're right and everyone else is wrong.
In [23:53]:
Every group feels happy about themselves. This is a dispraised feeling - because you're confident with yourself. Who said you were correct or guaranteed this to you?
There's no لا حول و لا قوة الا بالله or "إياك نعبد و إياك نستعين"
This happens amongst the students of knowledge. It's like a competition. The believers say in [52:26]:
The heart changes quickly. There were scholars who were on the right path, and then deviated. We are alive and constantly in trials - we don't know what could happen. Allah said in [53:32]:
4) Happy with yourself when getting good
In [30:36]:
We are in this life constantly tested. Nothing is reward or punishment. It's just an exam paper. Would you excessively rejoice over an exam paper?
Our exam can be good or bad. Most people think that the test is limited to the bad that happens to us - but it's in both good and bad.
When you have a good husband, good job, good children, you rejoice and become happy with yourself. You become proud. Who said this is the recompense?? It's just a test.
They think they have a high status, they're lucky, whenever good happens to them. But it's just a test, regardless if someone is good or bad to you,
If you balance this feeling you'll solve many sicknesses of the heart like envy, pride, etc.
5) Feeling joy and satisfaction with the knowledge you have
In [40:83]:
This is pride, contentment, satisfaction with the knowledge you have. There's no "ربي زدني علما"
Musa عليه السلام was knowledgeable, but when he found out someone had a knowledge he didn't have, he went searching for more.
It's as if someone is teaching you and you say "I know, I know, I know". If knowledge comes, take it.
6) Joy when getting worldly riches
In [28:76]:
The same thing happened to the owner of the two gardens in سورة الكهف.
7) Joy when receiving a gift as a bribe
In [27:36]:
Bilqis sent gifts to Sulayman عليه السلام as a bribe. But he was content with what Allah had given him; it was the religion of Allah which made him happy, and he returned the gift.
You don't want to waste your happiness on a bribe. Your happiness should be for something more than that.
8) Joy when getting something
In [57:22-23]:
Don't be sad if you didn't get something of this world. Believe in the Qadar - if Allah decrees it for you, you'll get it.
And if you get, don't excessively rejoice. Because this happiness will make you arrogant, boastful.
You either get or don't get in this world. If you get, it's because Allah decreed it. If you don't get it, it's because Allah decreed it. Control your emotions before it leads you to a sickness of the heart.
What is the real, balanced, praiseworthy joy?
In [10:57-58]:
Real, true, healthy happiness is happiness with the Qur'an, with the religion, with faith, with Allah. When you acquire knowledge you become happy. But ask yourself why? Is it because of the teacher, my friend, my intelligence, etc. You should be happy because Allah is teaching you, because Allah united our hearts, put love in our hearts for each other. Rejoice with the favours of Allah.
If you're happy because of a person, it will never last. Other imbalances will come into play. Today a person is your best friend, tomorrow she'll be your enemy.
But if you're happy for Allah, you'll always be happy. And you'll always love to acquire knowledge; you won't stop or start because of people.
E.g. Sometimes we use certain airlines because the flight attendants are nice. But as soon as we go on the plane, their treatment changes. Allah teaches us whenever we direct your emotions to other than him, it's bound to change. People are humans, the way they treat you changes. But the سنة of Allah never changes. Happiness with Allah is perpetual, praiseworthy happiness.
The دعاء of the Prophet ﷺ:
This is what makes you happy.
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