Anger Engine - 7

When you have the power and when you are angry, you are within a dangerous context. The same context, however, is necessary for the realization of utterly needed transformations that are later going to be named as "historic revolution". Eliminating the problems that have been ailing the society for too long needs such a dangerous juxtaposition as anger and power. Keeping that anger and power under control, however, is essential in order for this historic transformation to be for the good of everybody. Speaking of control, there are two extremes that must be avoided. One, you must make sure that you are not going beyond the limits and committing oppression while conducting your rightful mission. A proper target does not justify the unjust means to it. Two, you must avoid falling into the misuse of mercy when delivering justice related to the past events. Forgiveness must be exercised in a way not to encourage those committed to evil.

It is not fitting for a prophet that he should have prisoners of war until he has thoroughly subdued the land. You look for the temporal goods of this world; but Allah looks to the Hereafter: And Allah is Exalted in might, Wise. (8/67)

The above verse was revealed after the battle of Badr, when the Muslims had given the Meccan oppressors an unexpected and a dire blow. The details of this event can be read from the relevant sources. My intention here is to focus on the two points I raised above. Here, the Ruler of the universe tells His messenger that a lesson of mercy cannot be taught to the minds that have learned to exercise their own will through killing the innocent and stealing from the weak. A lesson of tolerance cannot be learned by the minds that have uprooted freedom of thought and expression through ways including, but not limited to, torture and pressure.

Such was the case with the Meccan opponents against the first Muslims. A permanent lesson had to be given to the evildoers so that the people in the aftermath will not dare to repeat the same. At this conjunction, forgiving even the most evil act sends the message that "you can get away with whatever you do". Plus, a temporary loss on the side of those evil people will seed a revenge. All of these must be blocked. Besides, those who were not as evil but were siding with the evil group for whatever reason must understand that they are given a free will in order to choose to counteract the evil pushes from people and from devil. Lack of good will and simply joining the crowds is not a valid excuse to support evil will.

If these sound to harsh for you, remember that it is the similar behavior on your side that led to the conditions in which you felt the anger towards God, because He was keeping you under heavy loads with no "apparent" reason. It took a long time and grave losses in order for you to realize things. The same is true of the other side. Psychology of herd and the psychology surrounding the status-quo are the same, no matter under what banner they are present, be them religious or otherwise.

So, let's delve into the first topic: not committing injustice when exercising power. It is very easy to misguide a person who is angry and who holds power. With unsubstantiated news and rumors, one can lead another person to give undeserved or excessive punishments. It is crucial at this point to cling to the basic principles of justice:

• a person is innocent unless proven otherwise
• benefit of doubt goes to the suspect
• crime is individual; hence no crime by affiliation
• crime and punishment must be proportional
• penalty is the same regardless of the identity of the criminal

Although these principles of justice have been established and known for long, they are violated many times due to pressure from outside or prejudice from inside. Both are not fitting to a believer: 

O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah , witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do. (5/8)

Believers, if one who publicly commits sins brings you any news, ascertain its truthfulness carefully, lest you harm people through ignorance and then regret what you have done. (49/6)

Second topic is not exercising unlimited forgiveness. As explained above, forgiving everything, no matter what, gives the message that individuals can commit anything without having to face any punishments or sanctions. It is important, however, to distinguish between the rights of God and the rights of people. A person not believing in God, i.e. atheists, are committing a crime against God, and it is due to Him to judge the situation. The same is not true of crimes against people, however. If, for example, the freedom of thought, expression and religion or another basic freedom and right of a person is violated by whoever, this violation is deserving of punishment.

Of course similar limitations can be put in place due to authentic reasons supported by proven, concrete crimes. Nevertheless, evil actors who use the public power to abolish the basic freedoms always come up with pretexts to do so, too. Therefore, it is important to distinguish between the limitations taken due to concrete actions and those built on prejudices and evil will. If a person or group has banned the basic individual freedoms and rights without relying on concrete crimes, then that person or group must be punished not only as a recompense to their acts but also as a lesson to the rest of the people.

The recompense of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and do mischief in the land is only that they shall be killed or crucified or their hands and their feet be cut off on the opposite sides, or be exiled from the land. That is their disgrace in this world, and a great torment is theirs in the Hereafter. (5/33)

And those who accuse chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses - lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from them testimony ever after. And those are the defiantly disobedient, (4/24)

After these two important lessons, remember that anger is not a state that is intended to last forever. It is there for a reason, and once that reason is fulfilled, the lead must be handed to wisdom and mercy. Never-quenching anger is a sign of going astray and itself an invitation for future troubles.

Fight them, Allah will punish them by your hands and bring them to disgrace, and assist you against them and heal the hearts of a believing people. And remove the rage of their hearts; and Allah turns (mercifully) to whom He pleases, and Allah is Knowing, Wise. (9/14-15)

So they defeated them by permission of Allah , and David killed Goliath, and Allah gave him the kingship and prophethood and taught him from that which He willed. And if it were not for Allah checking [some] people by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted, but Allah is full of bounty to the worlds. (2/251)

Relevant Quranic verses to the topic: 

And what is [the matter] with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and [for] the oppressed among men, women, and children who say, "Our Lord, take us out of this city of oppressive people and appoint for us from Yourself a protector and appoint for us from Yourself a helper?" (4/75)

Have you not seen those who were told, "Restrain your hands [from fighting] and establish prayer and give zakah"? But then when fighting was ordained for them, at once a party of them feared men as they fear Allah or with [even] greater fear. They said, "Our Lord, why have You decreed upon us fighting? If only You had postponed [it for] us for a short time." Say, The enjoyment of this world is little, and the Hereafter is better for he who fears Allah. And injustice will not be done to you, [even] as much as a thread [inside a date seed]." (4/77)

And the thief, male and female: cut off the hands of both, as a recompense for what they have earned, and a punishment exemplary from God; God is All-mighty, All-wise. (5/38)

O you who believe! Whoever of you reverts from his religion, (know that in his stead) Allah will bring a people whom He loves and who loves Him, humble toward believers, stern toward disbelievers, striving in the way of Allah, and not fearing the blame of any blamer. Such is the grace of Allah which He gives unto whom He wills. Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing. (5/54)

O believers, look after your own souls. He who is astray cannot hurt you, if you are rightly guided. Unto God shall you return, all together, and He will tell you what you were doing. (5/105)

And thus have We made in every town its guilty ones become the greatest ones, that they may plan therein; and they do not plan but against their own souls, and they do not perceive. (6/123)

So We make the evildoers friends of each other for what they have earned. (6/129)

Is not Allah sufficient for His servant? And they seek to frighten you with those apart from Him; And whoever Allah leaves astray - for him there is no guide. (39/36)

Verily, We have given you (O Muhammad SAW) a manifest victory. That Allah may forgive for you what preceded of your sin and what will follow and complete His favor upon you and guide you to a straight path And that Allah might help you with a mighty help. It is He who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers that they would increase in faith along with their [present] faith. And to Allah belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth, and ever is Allah Knowing and Wise. (48/1-4)

O believers, take not My enemy and your enemy for friends, offering them love, though they have disbelieved in the truth that has come to you, expelling the Messenger and you because you believe in God your Lord. If you go forth to struggle in My way and seek My good pleasure, secretly loving them, yet I know very well what you conceal and what you publish; and whosoever of you does that, has gone astray from the right way. (60/1)

Anger Engine - 6

The connotation of anger is heat. Indeed, when angry, our body temperature increases and it becomes manifest on our faces. This state of ours, when explosively relieves itself, causes destructive results. Breaking things apart as such does not have to be the case, however. The same energy and power can be channeled to make permanent changes for the better.

In our study of anger towards God, we came to the point where we voluntarily decided to change things in ourselves. We started to work on a more direct and unmediated relationship with him. We were hoping to find, at last, peace with God and peace in our soul through such efforts. To our surprise, however, we realized that our All-Wise Guide wants us to do more and risk more! Why is it not enough for Him that we want to change ourselves?

There are several rays of wisdom shining from this enigma. First, God has different names and attributes, each having a different manifestation. Our state of anger towards Him, although forgivable through His mercy, requires a payment or a sacrifice as atonement. That is why we are pushed towards our limits, which may seem exacerbating the situation; but in fact, that state is a precursor to the peaceful days, as required by His compassion, mercy and generosity (2/214).

Second, the final word of God, Quran, is sent not as a library classic (25/30, 62/5) but as a genetic code to be brought alive through our deliberate and thoughtful actions (13/31, 59/21). Failing to do so is against the will of God. Therefore, He wants us to embrace the Quran wholly, and practice it even if it means going against the status quo, prejudices, social pressure or even if it means material loss (5/54). By pushing us to our limits in different aspects of life, several of them at the same time, the All-Wise Educator is ensuring that we are going to be obliged to explore the entire universe of the Quran. After all, it was us who had invited the tribulations by acting conservatively and risk-free by orbiting around the same, old planet (2/85).

Third, when we make a decision to change things in our selves, while crushed under the pressure of the unfortunate events, this is a reactionary state that is destined to fade by time. It does not warrant a permanent change (44/15). That is, even if we do things for a little while in the way pleasing to God, in the long run, as our feelings and anger sooth, we are likely to return to a robotic and conservative state, devoid of life and change. Quran is there to bring life to our relationship with God through His different names. So, our Lord pushes us to make irreversible changes both in ourselves and around us to cast a permanent improvement. He wants to ensure that we are not going to go back. Of course, He could do this using His infinite will and power, but that is against the notion of free will. So, our tolerant Lord prepares the grounds upon which we are going to take actions willfully. What those actions are depends on who we are and the circumstances we are in. We must read the Quran through the lens of the conditions surrounding us, which are likely to help us see the points that were previously invisible (50/22).

Fourth, if we are amidst unjust and unfair treatments, on one side it is us who must change, but on the other side, our environment must change, too. If God is telling us the signs of change through the tongue of misfortunes, He is also telling us by the same token to change things around ourselves as well. After all, justice and solidarity among people can not be established without healing the existing injustices. After all, the same mistakes are inevitable without changing the minds and paradigms. Ok but, how can you accomplish this daunting task, given that it is your failure thereof that has led to the tribulations and oppression crushing you?

This is where your faith goes into a challenge. If you do what is due to you and change yourself for the better, than on the other side of this contract is your Lord (2/40). He is the one to change what you are unable to. How He makes that happen is a matter of wonder. One thing is for sure, though. When He gives the reins to your hand in order for you to steer things towards the good, you must be ready for it. Realize that you cannot get ready for such mission if you don't get rid of the psychology of herd, if you cannot break free of slave mentality. You cannot prepare grand projects for the future, if your greatest ambitions are about recreating the past, which has been devastated by the Almighty. Looking into prosperous days requires you to trust in the power and will of your Merciful and Wise Lord, who is the cause of all causes.

So, the best time to make changes to ourselves is when we are angry and under pressure. It is also the best time to draft comprehensive plans to be  realized in the future. The readiness of those plans and your commitment thereof are not going to be wasted by the Exquisite Designer of the universe, who dislikes waste (6/95, 7/31). He is going to prepare not only the conditions but also the people so that you can achieve in short time what would be impossible for you otherwise.

GET READY.

Relevant Quranic verses to the topic: 

Children of Israel, recall My favors which you enjoyed. Fulfill your covenant with Me and I shall fulfill Mine. Revere only Me. (2/40)

... So do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part? Then what is the recompense for those who do that among you except disgrace in worldly life; and on the Day of Resurrection they will be sent back to the severest of punishment. And Allah is not unaware of what you do. (2/85)

Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said,"When is the help of Allah ?" Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near. (2/214)

And what is [the matter] with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and [for] the oppressed among men, women, and children who say, "Our Lord, take us out of this city of oppressive people and appoint for us from Yourself a protector and appoint for us from Yourself a helper?" (4/75)

O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah , witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do. (5/8)

O you who believe! Whoever of you reverts from his religion, (know that in his stead) Allah will bring a people whom He loves and who loves Him, humble toward believers, stern toward disbelievers, striving in the way of Allah, and not fearing the blame of any blamer. Such is the grace of Allah which He gives unto whom He wills. Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing. (5/54)

O believers, look after your own souls. He who is astray cannot hurt you, if you are rightly guided. Unto God shall you return, all together, and He will tell you what you were doing. (5/105)

Indeed We sent to nations before thee, and We seized them with misery and hardship that they might be humble; Then why, when Our punishment came to them, did they not humble themselves? But their hearts became hardened, and Satan made attractive to them that which they were doing. Then, when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We opened unto them the gates of all things till, even as they were rejoicing in that which they were given, We seized them unawares, and lo! they were dumbfounded. (6/42-44)

Surely Allah causes the grain and the stone to germinate; He brings forth the living from the dead and He is the bringer forth of the dead from the living; that is Allah! how are you then turned away. (6/95)

O Children of Adam! wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and drink: But waste not by excess, for Allah loveth not the wasters. (7/31)

And if there was any qur'an by which the mountains would be removed or the earth would be broken apart or the dead would be made to speak, [it would be this Qur'an], ... (13/31)

And the Messenger cried out: O my Lord! surely my people have treated this Quran as a forsaken thing. (25/30)

And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good. (29/69)

We shall remove the torment for a while but you will revert to your old ways. (44/15)

Certainly you were heedless of it, but now We have removed from you your veil, so your sight today is sharp. (50/22)

Had We sent down this Quran on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rending asunder by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect . (59/21)

The example of those who were entrusted with the Torah and then did not take it on is like that of a donkey who carries volumes [of books]. Wretched is the example of the people who deny the signs of Allah. And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people. (62/5)

Anger Engine - 4

"Till, when the Messengers despaired, deeming they were counted liars, Our help came to them and whosoever We willed was delivered. Our might will never be turned back from the people of the sinners." (12/110)

If you are subjected to unrelenting misfortunes, that means you are forced by the destiny to change. You may be aware of this or not but, things will never be the same again because of the sufferings that have carved their memories permanently into your memory. You subconscious has developed an immune reaction towards the conditions that brought about your misery. Even if you consciously have not understood this situation yet, your brain is more intelligent than you! That's why it thinks on your behalf, when it realizes that you are not taking proper action. If, on the other hand, you have pondered on the events and critically analyzed things, you sure have made some conclusions to seed the change in your life.

Thus was the situation of the Muslim world a century ago. Wars and conflicts that claimed the lives of millions and killed the hopes of the survivors forged the people in ways that was impossible otherwise. I am saying this, but that should not be understood as an indifference to human suffering. Rather, I want to take a picture of the past, now that we are far enough from it. The signs of a need for change were knocking on the doors of the believers, but they consistently managed to convince themselves otherwise, and backed up their position using the holy sources. So, until those cruel times, the Muslims, especially the scholars, had full conviction about their truthfulness according to their understanding of the revealed word of God. Accordingly, they went on with their critique-lacking and politically-guided ways of life that they had learned from their intellectual forebearers. So, they repeatedly worked hard to disregard the deteriorating situations in favor of their millennium-long understandings. Doing so, they closed their eyes to the creation unfolding before their eyes, but they forgot the fact that creation is also the word of God in the process of revelation, if you are willing to heed. That is why ease comes out from embracing the creation, and the oppposite from deeming yourself immune to the winds of change.

But as for him who is a miser, and self-sufficient, And rejects the best, We will ease him toward difficulty. (92/8-10)

The discrepancy between what has been told you about God's will and what is happening outside was the reason of your anger against God. Now that the body of scholars and their teachings have lost reputation, and now that the community of believers, that has been acting not as a support for the good but as an obstacle against change, has been dismantled, you are ready for a brand new meeting with God, His messenger and His word. A meeting that will take place along with other individuals who are ready to embark on an adventure towards God through uncharted territories, using the vehicles of insight and will power:

Say: "This is my way: I invite to Allah with insight (on evidence clear as the seeing with one's eyes), I and whoever follows me. Glory to Allah!... (12/108)

O you who believe! Whoever of you reverts from his religion, (know that in his stead) Allah will bring a people whom He loves and who loves Him, humble toward believers, stern toward disbelievers, striving in the way of Allah, and not fearing the blame of any blamer. Such is the grace of Allah which He gives unto whom He wills. Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing. (5/54)

Nevertheless, as the saying goes, flowers make their blooms with the rain, while the snakes make their venom with the same. A time of rebirth brings its own challenges. That is, the properties of those blessed ones foretold in the verses above can also be understood as admonishment for not straying once again!

That is because Allah would not change a favor which He had bestowed upon a people until they change what is within themselves. And indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing. (8/53)

Anger Engine - 3

Prophet Muhammad pbuh recommends taking action to calm your anger, when you feel so.

"When one of you becomes angry while standing, he should sit down. If the anger leaves him, well and good; otherwise he should lie down." (Abu Dawud, 4782, Grade: sahih)

“Anger comes from the devil, the devil was created of fire, and fire is extinguished only by water; so when one of you becomes angry, he should perform ablution.” (Abu Dawud, 4784, Grade: weak)

How can this recommendation shed light on our topic? What does it mean to sit down, for example, in case of anger towards God? Remember that anger narrows our focus and initiates actions that will remove the source of anger, not through the wisest but, through the shortest and quickest path. This kind of reaction, though, is detrimental in the case of faith. So, sitting or lying down when you are angry with God could mean, first, not to speak or act as if you are an unbeliever. That, however, doesn't mean suppressing your thoughts and feelings. Inside, you must discuss your matters with God, and when you are done making your point clear, you should listen to Him through all possible "ears". What are those ears? They are any language through which God can convey you a message. This can be His revealed book, serendipitous life events, natural events or nature itself, inspirations...

At this point, you may remember from the previous episode that a wisdom behind your situation could be that you were expected to "attack" your faith, but you failed to do so, hence your current situation. However cruel and outrageous it may sound, the real meaning hidden here is that, as a believer, you are not supposed to be a blind imitator; not according to Islam, at least. That's why God does not leave you on your own, sufficing with your confession of your belief in Him (29/2-3). Rather, He wants you to keep going and live adventures so that you can experience different manifestations of His names. This kind of life is going to increase your knowledge of God, make your faith in Him more authentic. Failing to do so, however, is going to leave your faith as a dry imitation, waiting to be crunched under the weight of life events. In short, as a human being, you are meant to make experiments with your faith, which may seem as attacking your faith, but which actually is a transformation of yourself to "faith in flesh and bone". 

In the story of Moses pbuh, we read many of such experiments. Although told by God to do certain things, from a purely human perspective, it is a suicidal idea for Moses to go to pharaoh both because he is accused of a murder and because he is going to dare to ask the unacceptable from the pharaoh. But Moses does it. Later on in his story, we see that at some point, after seeing the persistance of the pharaoh in disbelief and in oppressing the children of Israel, he goes really angry with the situation, because Moses does know that it is God who gave the pharaoh that wealth and power, by which he is exercising all kinds of evil acts, and that it is God who keeps the pharaoh in that highly capable position despite those evil acts. And yet, it is the same God who sends Moses to dare the impossible and risk everything. Seeing the inertia of the events and people, the mental constructs of Moses shake and he raises a reproach to God, followed by an angry prayer against the evildoers (10/88). Still, he wilfully goes on with submitting to God and with his God-given mission.

A similar occasion of reproach takes place following the visit of prophet Muhammad to Taif. After he invites the inhabitants of Taif to Islam, or at least to give him protection so that he can go on with his mission, not only they reject him but also they stone him and chase out of the city. Covered in blood, Muhammad takes a rest near an orchard and talk to his Lord:

"Into whose hands will You entrust me? Unto some far off stranger who will ill-treat me? Or unto a foe whom You have empowered against me? "

Yet, he does not let his resentment take over himself, and wilfully chooses to proceed with his submission to God and God-given mission, and says "I don't care as long as You are not angry with me."

Having seen the examples of the messengers of God, let's get back to us today. We had mentioned earlier that if you feel anger towards God, among other factors, three major candidates underlying this situation are:

1. your knowledge of God is incomplete and/or contains errors.
2. your perception of the events is incomplete and/or contains errors.
3. your knowledge yourself is incomplete and/or contains errors.

The discussion so far expounds on the first. Before proceeding to others, though, I would like to highlight the importance of reading the book of God as a means of talking to God directly, without any intermediaries (i.e. translators, interpreters,.scholars). Remember, anything that stands between you and God are to be cleared. This is the essence of Islam.

The second item in the above list actually is linked to the topic of patience. In this life, we may not know what is going to happen as a result of what (31/34). That inherent uncertainty brings about a state of stress and anger. However, if one can try to direct that power of anger towards contemplation-based actions, rather than towards reactionary bursts, one can survive these times and can, actually, come out refreshed and renewed. Remember:

God changes not what is in a people, until they change what is in themselves. (13/11)

Finally, discovering what potentials God has sown in you is a duty on each and every individual, because God does not like wasting (7/31), and leaving those potentials idle is a clear act of wasting. Therefore, if you are assuming a life style in which everything is going into a routine and you are boiling yourself down to a mechanical servant, even if you are not neglecting the obligatory acts of worship, you can be forced by God to move. Even the stones move in remembrance and reverence of God (2/74)!

Has not the time yet come for those who believe that their hearts should be humble for the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth? And that they should not be like those who were given the Book before, but the time became prolonged to them, so their hearts hardened, and most of them are transgressors. (57/16)

Anger Engine - 2

If the feeling of anger is a behavioral manifestation of our immune system to avoid losses and damage, it makes sense that we get angry towards the loved ones more quickly, because loving means putting down your shields against someone and letting them be close to you beyond others. Believing in God, in this context, is a major cause for anger, because you are submitting your entire being and making yourself vulnerable to an entity who can do anything with you (3/40,47) with eternal and infinite impunity (21/23).

Linking back to some of the points raised in the first episode, a believer's expectation of good things from God prepares the grounds for anger towards Him, when and if those expectations are not only not met but also crushed with the exact opposite of the expectation. Still, it is intriguing that God constantly admonishes and orients the believers to be expecting of good things from Him and strive for the realization of favors. On one side, it is God who wants to be known as the bountiful and merciful, and on the other side, it is again Him who is creating anger towards Himself. Why is He doing this?

Before anything else, let's see some Quranic verses related to the engendering of the mentioned expectations:

Say, "What would my Lord care for you if not for your supplication?" (25/77)

Or, Who answers the distressed one when he calls upon Him and removes the evil, and He will make you successors in the earth. (27/62)

And your Lord says, "Call upon Me; I will respond to you." (40/60)

You will certainly ask Him for help. He will save you from hardship if He decides to do so and you will forget all about your gods." (6/41)

Call upon your Lord in humility and privately; (7/55)

And do not make mischief in the earth after its reformation, and call on Him fearing and hoping; surely the mercy of Allah is nigh to those who do good (to others).(7/56)

And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way. (2/186)

Say: Who is it that delivers you from the dangers of the land and the sea (when) you call upon Him (openly) humiliating yourselves, and in secret: (6/63)

Therefore remember Me, I will remember you, and be thankful to Me, and do not be ungrateful to Me. O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient. (2/152-153)

Unto Him is the real prayer. Those unto whom they pray beside Allah respond to them not at all, save as (is the response to) one who stretches forth his hands toward water (asking) that it may come unto his mouth, and it will never reach it. The prayer of disbelievers goes (far) astray. (13/14)

Recall your Lord if you forget to do something. Say, "I hope that my Lord will provide me better guidance."(18/24)

So call not upon another god with Allah, lest you be of those who are punished. (26/213)

And He answers those who believe and do good deeds, and gives them more out of His grace; (42/26)

and whoever is careful of (his duty to) Allah, He will make for him an outlet, And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allah has set a measure for all things.(65/2-3)

At this point, it may be better to stop and recall your thoughts about the evil problem and "why God doesn't answer the prayers when and as asked". You may also make some outside reading, if you haven't done so, on these issues, because I am not going to do a discussion of those topics here. Rather, I want to keep my focus on the wisdom behind God's deliberate drive of individuals or humanity at large mad about Himself.

Of course, the One with infinite wisdom and knowledge and unbounded will power can design different paths of life for each individual. He can also guide people through innumerable ways towards what is pleasing to Him. And, being the ultimate judge on the judgment day, He can forgive or waive the things that we deem outrageous. In short, the first point to note here is that this is a subtle issue, in which we may not understand everything, or things may clarify much later. So, we have to accept that we may not have answers always to our guiding question.

In order to take a glance of the second point, think of these two situations and answer which one of them imply more love and belonging? First one is a case where person A is angry towards person B, but cannot voice it or prefers not to. Rather, person A shuts themselves towards person B. Second situation is again person A being angry towards person B, and voices their anger and frustration towards B, and B listens without echoing the same anger. Later on, person A and person B work out their relationship, and they reach an even stronger bonding.

It is clear in the above story that the lack of conflict in the appearance of the first case does not imply love and the presence of conflict in the latter does not imply lack of love. So, one has to admit the fact that they may go through situations in this life where their love and belonging may be put to test by means of "evil looking" events inducing anger towards God. Furthermore, one has to exercise their freedom of expression towards God. Of this needs to be done with the due respect. That is, addressing God when in public and addressing Him when in private requires different levels and kinds of respect. If you are angry, let it be known in private. If your soul is getting crushed, shout it from the depths of your heart, for it sure is heard. Perhaps this collapse of your mental and spiritual structures is among the aims attached by God to the calamity surrounding you.

"Letting go of anger toward God may not happen all at once. But each day, hand over your anger to Him. Thankfully we have a patient, kind-hearted God who can carry everything we bring to Him. Even our anger."

Adam Weber

Next, remember that anger narrows our focus to what is endangering us (89/16). It pushes us towards a destructive action. In the case of anger towards God, what can you destroy? God?

The only thing you can really destroy when you are angry with God is yourself. That includes your attitude towards God, i.e. your faith. And perhaps, this is exactly what is intended here! Shocking, as it may sound, attacking your faith actually can be part of the actions you were expected to take until then, but didn't. Let's dig in here.

If you were a person who didn't believe in God, you would get mad about people or things when you are faced with adversity. As your faith in God grows more authentic and stronger, you realize and feel the grasp and the control of God in life events, and so, it becomes increasingly harder for you to attribute the adversities to the people. You know for sure that God did not interfere with what happened or is happening! Fast forward, if you are eventually getting angry towards God in this situation, it is clear that you need a spiritual/mental "cardiac surgery". Given that God does not commit injustice (3/182, 8/51), there must be something wrong, which you are missing and which is driving you crazy. So what is it and why is it?

Three major candidates in this regard are listed below. As we later consider them one by one, you will see that they are very much interconnected.

1. your knowledge of God is incomplete and/or contains errors.
2. your perception of the events is incomplete and/or contains errors.
3. your knowledge of yourself is incomplete and/or contains errors.

Emotion Management - 5

A machine is a machine because it does exactly what we design it for. However, there are machines that do the same thing no matter when and where, and there are machines that can learn and adapt to who, when and where. Today's smart technologies are distinguished from the past technologies, mainly because they can evolve and do things that were not explicitly registered in their memory in the beginning. More technically speaking, they "learn". How do they do it? Of course by "reading", "analyzing", "predicting", "trying" and "not fearing failure".

Wait a second! I said "not fearing failure". A machine has no emotions. How can it fear? If you think so, too, this is exactly the point I am trying to make. A machine has no conscience and no free will to deliberately try something. If there is no intention, there is no failure. So, failure and the feelings and emotions coming with it are the things that we, humans, have in our minds. That's why it is meaningless to shout at your car when it breaks down; or a car is not guilty in case of an accident but its driver, although it is the car what made the harm and damage. Therefore, both success and failure comes with a prerequisite of intention.

Accordingly, when we talk about the learning of the machines, we are automatically considering the intentions of the designers and manufacturers manifest in that machine and its actions. Also, when we say that machines don't fear failure, we are basically confirming the famous observation that "success usually comes from consistent trials and learning from errors, without succumbing to the shame of failure."

Although virtually everybody is in favor of the development and deployment of technology, which feeds from the tolerance shown for the mistakes on the way, we humans are not as welcoming to the human mistakes. We have a tendency to curtail the "courage to stand up and try again" in others and in ourselves. Except for babies and sometimes little children!

Remember, failure or success has a prerequisite of intention. A baby or a little child has no clear intention, and are innocent. That's how they get away without being reprimanded or punished for their mistakes as an adult, and that's how they go on trying.

Why is this topic important for us, when we are discussing emotion management? At the end of the previous episode, we had said "So, we need to develop an emotional immunity to travel on the questionable grounds, build brakes to avoid sins and acquire connections to recovery methods in case we sin." A rule of thumb in all of the three cases in this sentence is to keep going. That is, no matter what happens, as quickly as possible, as much as possible and as diverse as possible, go on doing good deeds.

"Indeed, Allah leaves astray whom He wills and guides to Himself whoever turns back [to Him]. Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured. Those who have believed and done righteous deeds - a good state is theirs and a good return." (13/27-29)

In order to better digest this verse, remember that in the Quranic terminology, heart does not refer to the biological heart (7/179). It refers to our thinking ability with common sense. If anything, the word heart in the Quran refers to the brain. One can ask at this point why, instead of saying brain directly, is the heart mentioned? If you think in terms of our topic, you can have a glance of the answer. Thoughts are not free of emotions, and emotions are linked to the heart in the public speech. So, the concept of "a heart that understands" comprises all of these.

The verse quoted above admonishes that Allah guides those who return to Him. In order to return, you must first be heading away! Upon your experiences, whatever they might be, you must return to Him through remembrance of a thinking heart that energizes good deeds. With this state, you are promised a warm welcome with your Lord. And such warm welcome is the manifestation of the fact that your Creator does not define you through your mistakes but through your returns; a fact that encourages further attempts of discovery and an attitude that fosters love and belonging to your Friend.

In this context, you can remember the story of Nuayman ibn Amr, a companion of the prophet Muhammad pbuh. This companion, although fought in the name of God in many battles and pursued other good deeds in his life, could not give up alcohol despite the clear ban by Allah. Nevertheless, he never succumbed to his failure to give up, but always stood up and tried again. And for this attitude of his, he was praised by the messenger of God.

Emotion Management - 3

Treating emotions as signs from God brings about a few questions. First of all, can you treat all emotions as signs of God? Sometimes our emotions direct us away from Him, sometimes they trigger us to obey our desires and trespass the borders of the licit. Nevertheless, in certain cases, emotions show us God's path! How to know, what to do?

“He will show you His signs, and you will recognize them” (27/93). 

“We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth” (41/53).

Remember, after an event, what makes you feel like "you have witnessed God" is the emotions that are triggered during that event. So, without emotions, the signs don't make sense. So, if God is going to show His signs to a people whether in the horizons or within themselves, this means emotions are at work. That is the emotions are employed by God to create the effect of "having witnessed". Then, knowingly or unknowingly, when a person blinds himself towards his emotions, he is closing the windows through which God's light shines. In this context, forgetting God and becoming ignorant of  one's self  merge.

And be not like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves. Those are the defiantly disobedient. (59/19)

Furthermore, in this framework, deliberately silencing your emotions or emotions of others using various means, e.g. psychological or rhetorical, is an action that is identical with disbelief, because you are becoming blind towards God's signs and deaf towards His messages.

And those who disbelieve in God's signs and the encounter with Him -- they despair of My mercy, and there awaits them a painful chastisement. (29/23)

Now then has come unto you a clear (sign) from your Lord,- and a guide and a mercy: then who could do more wrong than one who rejects Allah's signs, and turns away therefrom? (6/157)

All this tells us that the emotions are part of our journey to God, but we haven't resolved our problem at the outset. How can we distinguish the underlying motive of our emotions? Are they Godly or are they carnal?

Let's go step by step. If your emotions are directing you towards an action that is clearly forbidden by God, this is a clear misdirection disguised in your emotions. But is this it? I mean, you need only to disregard that emotion, and go on with your life? No, stop. Of course committing an action that is forbidden by God is wrong, but your emotions may carry a message, a Godly message, that may feel otherwise at first glance!

It is possible that your emotions are pointing at the essential needs of your psyche or of your body, which must be met through the licit, but which you haven't done so for various reasons. In such a case, your body or your psyche is going to show increasingly compelling urges and emotions to meet that essential need, and as the owner of this body and soul, you are responsible to take care of their needs. If you don't, even if you manage to keep yourself from trespassing the limits of God in this world, you are clearly going to be held accountable for what you did to your body and soul. So, instead of oppressing yourself, you must decipher the embedded message of your emotions and act accordingly as soon as possible.

Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Turn in repentance to your Lord and submit to His will before you are afflicted with the torment after which you can receive no help. (39/53-54)

And those who when they commit an indecency or do injustice to their souls remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their faults-- and who forgives the faults but Allah, and (who) do not knowingly persist in what they have done. (3/135)

Along the same lines, it is also possible that you are misinterpreting your emotions due to the cultural biases and prejudices that are wrong in the face of the creation, but which survived due to the bigotry of the people (e.g. read benefits of sins). In this case, your emotions may seem like they are motivating you to do evil in your perception when, in fact, they are guiding you towards the proper path of life intended by God.

When it is said to them: "Follow what Allah has sent down." They say: "Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following." (Would they do that!) Even though their fathers did not understand anything nor were they guided? (2/170)

A compounded case of misdiagnosing and mistreating the emotions happens when you try to do exactly what is described above. Let's say, for some reason, you did not meet the needs of your body or psyche, i.e. material or mental needs, and your emotions directed you towards meeting them. At this point, either you fall into the hands of your urges and commit something that you would otherwise not or you treat these emotions of yours as disguised messages and try to understand and pursue those embedded messages. In both cases, you find yourself doing things that feel awkward! This feeling, let's call it an emotion of alarm, bangs to your head and you understand (!) that this was all Devil's plot against you, and you committed a sin, and you should never ever have quit the safe ground of yours, as you had done until before that action. While in this state, you become more attentive to the negative aspects of what happens around you, and you deem that "all of these adversities are signs from God for you to return". So, you take a 180 degree turn and stick your head into the same life style where you continue oppressing yourself with an intention to please God.

Before delving into the above case, let's see what the modern science says about emotions: forecasts of our brain of what is coming ahead. So, our brain is programmed to prepare us for future events in order to protect us. Now, our brain makes those forecasts based on past experiences or on learned material, including what has been ingrained in our minds culturally. Accordingly, a malformed mentality is going to prepare the grounds for the burgeoning of wrong emotions and wrong interpretations of the events due to those wrong emotions!

As you can see, you can not normally get out of this vicious cycle unless and until you take an action that truly feels awkward and you continue doing that until it doesn't anymore feel awkward, even if those around you try to turn you back. This kind of willful action necessitates firm ties with the Book of God, because you are trying to find what is truly pleasing to God and because you are intending to leave everything and everyone behind. A miscalculation in this regard means suicide! How can you be sure that what you are doing is the thing to do?

The answer: you can not be sure! The only sure thing you can be is your sincerity towards God. You trust that your Lord is going to guide you towards His ways for the sake of your sincere intentions. So, you submit to your Merciful and Wise Guide, which is the true meaning of being a Muslim, i.e. one who has submitted:

And (as for) those who strive hard for Us, We will most certainly guide them in Our ways; and Allah is most surely with the doers of good. (29/69)

An event that contains all of these was lived during the life of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh. One day, one of the companions approached the prophet complaining about himself: "I feel an urge for fornication". Although those around were appalled by the daring revelation by this person, the messenger of God, first, convinced him of the wrongness of adultery:

- Would you like this to be done to your mother?
- No!
- Know that the person you are doing adultery with is the mother of someone.
- Would you like this to be done to your sister?
- No!
- Know that the person you are doing adultery with is the sister of someone.

Having convinced this man, Muhammad pbuh places his hand on the man's chest and prays for him to recover from this state. Finally, he marries the man to a woman. Later, the man becomes one the most chaste people of his time. (Musnad Ahmad, 21708)

Isn't it normal for a man to feel an urge to satisfy his lust, especially if he is not married? I am not defending adultery nor placing the male's needs above everything else, as you may think as a person of today, but I am trying to make a point: if a person's biological, psychological or  mental needs are not met, they are going to feel an irresistible urge to satisfy those needs. And this urge, in itself, is not necessarily evil. It is a guidance to you by the Creator in order for you to establish justice in your body that is entrusted to you.

Emotion Management - 2

Feeling valued and having self-confidence are two great dynamics of the human soul, we said at the end of the last episode. And we also said, who, other than the infinitely powerful, infinitely generous and infinitely loving one, can satisfy the appetites and passions of the human soul? Nevertheless, these two dynamics are also at the heart of arrogance and rebellion against the Creator. So, the same emotions that surround our ego are both clouds of rain, bringing water of life, and are a veil depriving us of the Light of God.

Those who boast unjustly in the world, I keep them away from understanding my verses (signs) (7/146)

“Indeed, Allah is not timid to present an example - that of a mosquito or what is smaller than it. And those who have believed know that it is the truth from their Lord. But as for those who disbelieve, they say, "What did Allah intend by this as an example?" He misleads many thereby and guides many thereby. And He misleads not except the defiantly disobedient.” (2/26).

“So whoever Allah wants to guide - He expands his breast to [contain] Islam;” (6/125)

How come the same event or observation become a means of going astray for some and a means of guidance for others? The answer partly lies in the emotions that shape our vision, understanding and expectations into the future. A person without any ties to God and without any expectations of an afterlife is bound to formulate a world in their minds, where their judgment criteria are the standard of everything. And, that can lead to making God speak/act the way you desire (of course in your imagined reality).

And he entered his garden while he was unjust to himself. He said, "I do not think that this will perish - ever. And I do not think the Hour will occur. And even if I should be brought back to my Lord, I will surely find better than this as a return." (18/35-36)

The same emotions that seek self-subsistence and boundless independence go on to silence the other emotions that voice the signs of God. In simpler words, for example today, rational explanation and scientific basis are at the heart of atheist claims, because using these tools deliberately, one can silence their certain emotions (or choke, should I say!), such as awe, that evoke the innate need to feel recognized and valued by your Creator. Famously known as "the need for love and belonging" that helps us find our Ever Close Lord is silenced by the scientific explanations that are formulated and worded in godless ways. This is not to say that science is essentially against faith, but the current dominant drive is accordingly.

And We sent to no city a prophet [who was denied] except that We seized its people with poverty and hardship that they might humble themselves [to Allah]. Then We exchanged in place of the bad [condition], good, until they increased [and prospered] and said, "Our fathers [also] were touched with hardship and ease." So We seized them suddenly while they did not perceive. And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah , We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied [the messengers], so We seized them for what they were earning." Then, did the people of the cities feel secure from Our punishment coming to them at night while they were asleep? Or did the people of the cities feel secure from Our punishment coming to them in the morning while they were at play? Then did they feel secure from the plan of Allah ? But no one feels secure from the plan of Allah except the losing people. Has it not become clear to those who inherited the earth after its [previous] people that if We willed, We could afflict them for their sins? But We seal over their hearts so they do not hear. (7/94-100)

In the above verses, the people think that the events of life have nothing to do with being a message of God, and they happen on their own according to some dynamics that need to be determined through intellectual inquiry. That is, even if they initially had a suspicion that the life events could be signs of God, they insist on not heeding those emotions and silence them. Later on with the change of conditions, they go on with their evil actions saying "I told you. It is life with ups and downs. Just bear with it and make the most of it." But they turn out to be wrong, and they are not even able to understand this, because their emotions have created blockage between them and the larger reality. So, in their small-sized and short-lived realities, they feel independent of God in any way and experience emotions due to being the masters of their world until the predetermined end comes to them.

“We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth” (41/53). 

And how many a sign within the heavens and earth do they pass over while they, therefrom, are turning away. (12/105)

As some emotions are fighting against others, where is "I"? What is "I" doing? Is my free will non-existent in the face of my emotions? Some people today claim that free will, just like conscience, is an illusion, and that it is an emotional entity that lives in our minds, but otherwise, it has no reality. Can this be true?

Well, I should say that the above claim can be shown to be true, but with a logical flaw in the process. First, you must understand that seeing things free of your emotions is very difficult, if not impossible. Accordingly, we don't normally stay above our emotions and choose from them. They are like the lenses of our eyes; we see through them. We don't see without them. This is similar to analyzing the body and heart separate from each other. Both a heartless-body and a bodyless-heart are dead. Furthermore, they both need each other to manifest their abilities. Free will and emotions are alike. One can not deny the existence of one in the face of the other.

Second, if you assume that free will is non-existent at the outset, and use people who are solely at the mercy of their animal desires and drives, then you can show that by conditioning the minds, i.e. the emotions, you can manipulate the actions of those people as you wish. The logical flaw in this process is that silencing of the free will does not mean its non-existence. So, for the same processes, people who are trained to exercise their free will would respond differently, and perhaps unpredictably, and this would clearly punch a hole in the presumption of the experiment. What is more, you can use this mechanism to motivate people to do good and to do evil.

Is this mind experiment merely mental, or have there been cases throughout the history that prove the analysis we made here? The answer is yes to both. There have been numerous cases where people have been manipulated based on their animal drives, and were manipulated to commit evil actions (murder, theft, rape, etc.) against their conscience, hence a case lost for the free will. There have also been many cases where people acted opposite to the expectations, and exhibited altruistic, heroic or creative actions due to their belief in God and the afterlife.

Do the Unbelievers think that My servants can take protectors besides Me?... (18/102)

are men whom neither commerce nor trafficking diverts from the remembrance of God and to perform the prayer, and to pay the alms, fearing a day when hearts and eyes shall be turned about,(24/37)

Among the Believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah: of them some have completed their vow (to the extreme), and some (still) wait: but they have never changed (their determination) in the least: (33/23)

Emotion Management - 1

Emotions are one of the elements that separate humans from machines. What transforms a piece of metal to a valuable memory is the emotions associated with it. What makes a human being special for us is the emotions we harbor for them. And what inspires a good lesson out of any experience is the emotions that are triggered by it. So, it is important to explore the emotions and learn to manage them, because they are part of the secret behind the fact that we are alive, conscious and are accountable for our actions.

You must have heard of time management, anger management, risk management, crisis management, perception management. How about emotion management? This is a concept that is newly emerging and gaining popularity due to its relation to how satisfied we are in anything we do or in life in general. I should say that I have a problem with this framework on emotions, because I think that emotions are not "an animal to be tamed and put into our service". Rather, I think that emotions belong to a larger picture that extends to infinity, where we are not necessarily the center of everything but where we are in relation to everything. The foremost of these relations is, of course, with our Creator, who equipped us with the emotions.

Reading through the Quran, you can come across with the situations where emotions are evident. In this first episode of "Emotion Management", we are going to start a journey through the Quran, during which we are going to see some examples and reflect upon them.

And if We give man a taste of mercy from Us and then We withdraw it from him, indeed, he is despairing and ungrateful. If after his hardship, We grant him a blessing, he grows proud and rejoicing and says, "All my hardships have gone". Except those who are patient and do good, they shall have forgiveness and a great reward. (11/9-11) 

But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, "My Lord has humiliated me." And as for man, when his Lord tries him and [thus] is generous to him and favors him, he says, "My Lord has honored me." (89/15-16)

Here, we see a person who, first, falls into despair due to hardship. Such despair, actually, stems from the subconscious supposition that "the good days are gone for ever". Depending on the depth and duration of the hardship, grief calls its twin-at-birth, i.e. anger. When not properly treated, grief triggers anger, which is originally aimed at destroying the cause of grief (see the story of prophet Moses in this context, 20/83-98). This is a psychological immune response for our well-being, but its uncontrolled action here is carrying its owner away from God. Remember that what exacerbates the situation is the magnitude and size of the misfortune, not in reality but, in our imagination. It is all about our expectations of the future. Just like getting angry towards your teacher, who is challenging you to improve yourself and thus destroying your comfort, is pointless, building mountains of imaginary losses when there is actually one or a few is irrational.

Our Sustainer wants us to see and stick to the reality, and He doesn't like despairing of Him. Then why did He create the link between grief and anger, which in turn creates complications on the way to Him? Yes, it is true that He created us and everything in us, but remember that He created us with a free will and with an auto-pilot. Our free will is the real us, but if we don't exercise our will in the proper way, then the auto-pilot kicks in to ensure our stability in existence. This is when the undesired results emerge. Plus, God clearly tells that He does not burden the humans with a load beyond their capacity (2/286), but sometimes the load may be more than what you are used to or greater than what you think you are capable of. In such cases, we humans may lean towards despair and rebellion as an auto-pilot reaction. Nevertheless in the long run, we are asked to take the reins of our free will and pull the stick up, as implied by the "forgiveness" mentioned in the above verses. Our merciful and compassionate God wants to see us and accompany us as we emerge from darkness to His light. And sometimes, He wants us to break the walls around us in order to open the way for other blessings.

Allah is the guardian of those who believe. He brings them out of the darkness into the light; and (as to) those who disbelieve, their guardians are the evil ones who take them out of the light into the darkness; they are the inmates of the fire, in it they shall abide. (2/257)

Returning to the above verses on human emotion in case of alternation of blessings and misfortunes, we are told that when God removes the restriction on the person, who has been hopeless and ungrateful until then, they go to the other extreme of "supposing everything will be fine for ever", a subconscious and irrational overgeneralization leading again to ungratefulness to the granter and sustainer of those blessings. So again, our Guide wants us to realize that neither the blessings nor the misfortunes occur on their own, nor are they unbounded. Everything takes place through a plan, and we are asked to trust our Supporter.

No disaster strikes upon the earth or among yourselves except that it is in a register before We bring it into being - indeed that, for Allah , is easy. (57/22)

These same notions, and more, are depicted in other verses, too, where, for example, the person goes on subconsciously thinking that they receive blessings either because they are special or because they deserved them.

So when harm afflicts a man he calls upon Us; then, when We give him a favor from Us, he says: I have been given it only by means of knowledge. Nay, it is a trial, but most of them do not know. (39/49)

The notion of deserving the blessings and honors, i.e. self confidence, is a reflection of ego, and it also exhibits itself in "the acceptance of the great trust by humans", whereby they accept being tested by the free will:

“Indeed, we offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they declined to bear it and feared it; but man [undertook to] bear it. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant.” (33/72)

Feeling valuable and having self confidence for taking risks and accepting challenges are essential dynamics for the human soul. They are also helpful for taking refuge in God and seeking His accordance and help, because who, other than the infinitely powerful One, can meet the needs of a creature that has unbounded appetites and passions!