Quran Garden

Session 462

Chapter 3

Verse 134

They are those who donate, both in ease and hardship, restrain their rage, and pardon people.  God loves those who do good.  (Chapter 3: Verse 134)

God ended verse 133 by describing a paradise as wide as the universe.  In this verse, He gives us some characteristics of the people who will earn such a wonderful place. 

Let's start with people who "restrain their rage."  Hamza, the uncle of our beloved Muhammad and the master of all martyrs, was killed in the battle of Uhud.  It was a terrible event in and of itself, but his body was also mutilated.  Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan, one of the leaders of Quraysh, removed his liver, chewed it, and spat it out. 

The news of Hamza's death saddened and angered our beloved Muhammad.  But when he learned that Hind mutilated the body and tried to eat his liver, he, peace be upon him, became livid.  He said.  "God did not allow Hind to swallow Hamza's liver because the Almighty will not torment any part of Hamza in the fire." Hind was destined for Hellfire, and had she eaten the liver; it would have nourished and formed cells in her body.  Thus, a part of Hamza would have also entered hell, and God would not allow it.  Hence, the Almighty made her body tremble and throw up.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, considered the death and mutilation of Hamza the most horrific incident that had ever happened to him; He said in anger, "If God grants me victory over Quraysh, I will mutilate thirty men of their dead."  At that moment of extreme anger, when our beloved Muhammad lost his closest relative and protector, Allah put the matter of restraining rage front and center.  The Almighty revealed the following aya,

If you have to retaliate, do so to the extent you have been harmed; but if you endure patiently, it is indeed better for the patient.  (16:126)

This is irrefutable evidence that Islam is a fair and balanced religion.  Allah does not react to anything or act on impulse because to react means to change, and Allah is the ever-constant.  Even when the matter deeply affected Muhammad, peace be upon him; God's command was to be fair in punishment or do good towards the enemy.  Allah made fairness and patience general goals for all Muslims applicable at times of peace and war alike. 

The phrase "restrain their rage" has its linguistic origin in the desert environment.  'To restrain' is translated from Arabic' Kazm.'  When people went to the water well, they carried with them leather pouches to transport water.  Once the pouch was filled, the man or woman would firmly tighten a drawstring so no water would spill out as they walked or rode their horse.  The act of tightening the drawstring is called 'kazm al-qirbah.'  

Similarly, anger fills the human soul and stirs inside.  God does not forbid anger because it is a natural human emotion, but He wants you to control your anger and express it appropriately just as you control the water in a pouch and only pour out what is needed.  Thus, we use the verb, Kazm, for restraining anger.

Had God not wanted anger, He would not have created us with the ability to get angry.  Instead, He made it for certain purposes, just like He created the sexual desire for specific purposes.  Sexuality preserves the species, but it, too, should be controlled.  Allah set rules of how and when it can be exercised safely for the benefit of the people and the society.  The same is true for the natural reaction of anger.  God says,

Muhammad is the Messenger of God.  Those who follow him are harsh towards the disbelievers and compassionate towards each other.  You see them kneeling and prostrating, seeking God's bounty and His good pleasure: on their faces they bear the marks of their prostrations.  This is how they are pictured in the Torah and the Gospel: like a seed that puts forth its shoot, becomes strong, grows thick, and rises on its stem to the delight of its sowers.  So God infuriates the disbelievers through them; God promises forgiveness and a great reward to those who believe and do righteous deeds.  (48:29)

Take note that a believer is not required to be humble all the time or harsh every day.  Instead, a balanced person reacts according to the situation.  When a believer is with the believers, he or she is merciful, but firmness and strength are required when facing the enemies of faith.  The key is to control each emotion.   God says,

They are those who donate, both in ease and hardship, restrain their rage, and pardon people.  God loves those who do good.  (Chapter 3: Verse 134)

In verse 119 of Al-Imran, we discussed the appropriate actions an angry Muslim can take.  First, when someone hurts or wrongs you, whether they are believers or not, you can respond in kind and punish fairly; this is justice and satisfies your anger.  Second, you can rise to a higher level and restrain your anger.  For example, if someone insults you, you walk away from the situation without insulting them back.  This requires more effort because you still feel angry yet choose not to express it or act impulsively.  Third, you can pardon, which means to let go of the feelings of anger altogether and make your heart as pure as it was before the incident.  'Pardon' is translated from the Arabic' Afu.'  It has its roots in the desert environment, where the wind completely erases footprints left by travelers in the sand.  Lastly, you can do good towards the one who angered you, which is the highest level of Ihsan.