Part 5 (a): The Causes and Effects of Anger: Heart Therapy

Read the Table of Contents of Heart Therapy

Read Part 5 : Diseases and Vices of the hearts

The Causes of Anger

Internal Causes

A test from Allah, that is a natural tendency to get angry quickly, such that the slightest irritation can lead to great frustration. This is a test from Allah. Allah has created mankind all with different strengths and weaknesses. This is as a test for each individual. One person can find it hard to control his anger but easy to give in charity. Another could find it easy to control his anger but very difficult to be generous. It is upon each person to work on his own personal weaknesses such that he at least reaches a level of acceptance in Islam; that is, such that his weaknesses do not cause him to leave an obligation or fall into a prohibition.

External Causes

This type of anger is a result of the environment that the person finds himself in.

A person may keep company with people who boast about their anger and lack of forbearance. They speak proudly about how they act in accordance with their anger and call this bravery and courage. When a person keeps company with these types of people he may eventually begin to glorify this excessive anger and think that it is something good. And as the fire of anger gets severer the person becomes blinded by that anger and becomes less and less prone to listening to advice about his temper. If someone advises him, he does not listen to them; in fact, this enrages him further. And if his intellect tells him that he is wrong, the anger gets the better of him and extinguishes any rational. He is overcome with blinded emotion that he must act by.

Effects of Anger

• General External: Among the effects on the person and his character are those of the person’s color changing; confusion in speech and movements; clenched fists; red/blood-shot eyes, etc.

  Note: It is important to realise that the external ‘ugliness’ that is a manifestation of such excessive anger should, in itself, be sufficient for one to want to control his/her emotions; moreover, the external appearance is a mere reflection and indication of the internal condition.

• Tongue: Includes swearing, cursing and obscene speech that is generally considered unacceptable. Indeed the angry person himself would be embarrassed of his statements once his anger has calmed down.
• Limbs: The effect of anger is manifested on the limbs in his wanting to tear things, hurt, beat, wound, perhaps even kill, the one whom he is angry with (if possible). And in the absence of this person’s presence he gives vent to his anger via stamping on the ground or punching the air/walls, etc.
• Heart: These include jealousy, hatred, rancour, malice and so on.

The next part 5 (b): Anger Management