The anger generated by the vanity of our egos is one of the most harmful weeds, most inimical to our spiritual growth.  When anger rages it engulfs the light of faith, transforming it into fire.  The light of faith is the Pure light of God, but when it is transformed into fire it no longer illumines, it burns.

When you find yourself overcome by anger you must run quickly to a mirror and look at yourself.  That ugly sight will be enough to calm your anger – for who wants to look like the devil himself?

When a person is angry their actions are satanic, destructive and self-destructive.

Our Grandsheikh stresses the necessity of abandoning anger because, when the ego’s anger dominates a person they may readily deny even the sovereignty of God and put themselves in rebellion against the Overwhelming One – and that is very dangerous.

Anger also wreaks havoc on our physical bodies causing illness and premature aging, especially when a high level of anger is maintained over a long period of time.

Why its difficult

Very few people can turn back anger when it assaults them.  This is why so few people advance spiritually.  The reason that anger is so difficult to defeat is simply because it is an intrinsic part of our physical and spiritual makeup.  Anger corresponds to the element of fire in our make-up, (which is a balance of fire, water, earth and air). 

 Only those who are trained from a very early age by enlightened parents or teachers will have learned to keep these elements in balance.  In most people, any of these elements may predominate on different occasions according to external circumstances and intrinsic properties, pushing the balance off centre. 

Fire flares up in the face of provocation, teasing, aggression or attempts subdue the will.  These occasions are usually common in our early lives, so we are all skilled at getting angry from a very early age.

Two ways to control it

Our Grandsheikh suggested that we perform a special Dhikr (meditation) at night in order to gain the upper hand in our struggle against anger.  When you arise in the last third of the night to perform superogatory prayers, after performing your ablutions, start by turning your face to the House of God and implore Him to aid you in your attempt to subdue anger.  Then repeat 100 times,  ‘Ya Haleem’  which means “ Oh God who is Forbearing, Slow to anger.” 

This name, al-Haleem, is a Divine Attribute which Allah wishes to bestow generously upon us - should we seek to receive it.  The first step is to ask God, in this way, to help us become forbearing; and then we must meditate on that Divine Attribute so that it may be absorbed into our being.  We are literally calling it upon ourselves. 

Next we must adopt a practice in our everyday lives that will further our purpose. This practice is simply to show no anger, even when you feel it welling up inside.  Don’t spit that anger out at those around you and poison the atmosphere like a fire breathing dragon. 

 Hold it in; but not like a lump of undigested food.  No - you must digest it. 

Digest your Anger

 A certain amount of anger is part and parcel of every personality.  Without some of that fire in our makeup we would die.   Because of this it is possible for us to digest a certain amount of anger without suffering adverse side–effects. 

 Of course if we were to stay unchanged over a long period of time and swallow the same amount of anger we would overdose.    That does not happen because, in time, our intake of anger deceases as we learn and are granted the ability not to react angrily to provocation.

So, just as a baby at first drinks large quantities of milk and then moves on to solids, we can swallow and digest anger in the full knowledge that other forms of nourishment are soon forthcoming.

Progress

 If you can mange to refrain from showing anger for 40 days you will have passed a great milestone.  If you can successfully avoid it for 40 days anger will begin so assault you less frequently – once every 40 days.  If you can manage to keep yourself in this manner for the first 40 days, and thereafter for 40 more periods of forty days (a little over 4 years), Satan will announce to his helpers, “Don’t bother attacking that person.  You are just wasting your time and energy.  Their defences are impenetrable.  One thousand attacks are just as futile as one.  Leave them alone. They have escaped from our hands.”

 Satan’s helpers are the selfish ego, vain desires, and worldliness.  These are our four great enemies; and whoever learns to control their anger will be victorious against these base influences.

 Whenever you feel anger arising, you must be aware that you are being tested.  Such tests are sent your way from the spiritual world in order to ascertain your trustworthiness.  Disliked events are sent from that realm so that you may have the chance to forbear and thereby advance towards your goal.  If there were not some benefit to be found in anger, it would not exist.  The benefit is found by being patient in the face of it.

  Without passing this test there can be no improvement.  Forbearance is a key to Divine Stations; and that key is forged by facing odious events with patience, and controlling our anger. 

So, anger is a two edged sword.  If you can grasp its handle firmly, you may rend the veil that blinds our heart’s eye;  but if it is in the hands of your enemies your faith will be severed.

Abridged and English modernised from Unity Ocean  pp39-44