CONTROL YOUR ANGER: 11

ANOTHER INCIDENT OF IMAM ABU HANIFAH RE

For forty years Imam Abu Hanifah RE prayed Fajr prayer with the Wudu (ablution) that he had done for Isha prayer. And it wasn’t that he slept after Fajr prayer. He was a businessman and he was also a religious teacher so he performed these activities in the morning and used to sleep after Zuhur prayers. One day when he had just laid down to rest after Zuhur prayers in his first floor home when someone knocked on the door downstairs. Imagine the distress of someone who has been awake the whole night and the whole morning and has just laid down to rest. However, Imam Abu Hanifah RE came downstairs and opened the door. There was a person there who said that he wanted to ask a religious question. Even though Imam Abu Hanifah RE had a set time in the morning to answer religious questions but he didn’t say anything and asked, “What question do you want to ask?” The person that he had forgotten the question he wanted to ask. Imam Abu Hanifah RE said, “That’s okay. When you do remember the question do come and ask.” He then went back to bed.

As soon as Imam Abu Hanifah RE laid down on the bed there was another knock on the door downstairs. When he opened the door, he saw the same person standing there who said, “Hazrat, I am sorry. I remembered my question after you left but by the time you came back downstairs I had forgotten it.” Imam Abu Hanifah RE didn’t become angry and simply said, “It is okay. When you do remember the question do come and ask.”

As soon as Imam Abu Hanifah RE laid down in bed again there was another knock. When he opened the door again it was the same person who said, “Imam sahib! Now I remember the question. Is human faeces sweet or bitter in taste?” Had it been any other person he would have lost his temper but Imam Abu Hanifah RE had tamed his anger through Tazkiah (inner purification). He simply answered the question and didn’t show any anger. At this the person said, “Imam sahib! I beg your forgiveness. You beat me today.” Imam Abu Hanifah RE asked, “How did I beat you?” He replied, “I was arguing with a friend. I was saying that Hazrat Sufyan Suri RE is the humblest and mild-mannered person on earth, and he was saying that you are the humblest and most mild-mannered person on earth. To test you I thought that I will bother you during the time you usually rest in, and then I will ask such a silly question. If you became angry then I will win, and if you didn’t become angry then my friend will win. But you have defeated. I have not seen a humbler person on earth who has as much control over his anger as you do.”