Don’t Be a Firebreathing Dragon
One of the most harmful weeds and the most damaging to our spiritual growth is the anger generated by the vanity of our egos. 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 illuminates; it burns.
A moment of anger may destroy everything, and you may regret it, but it is useless if you have already pulled the trigger. Don’t be gunpowder when fire approaches, or you and the other will both explode; instead, be water! Our Grandshaykh said, “O Nazim Efendi, don’t even kill a mosquito with anger.”
Control of our anger comes from humility; for cultivating this trait, Allah will dress us in robes of honour. But losing one’s temper is prideful arrogance because it means a man says to himself, “I am better than you, and I have a right to be angry.” If you need to be annoyed at something, direct it to your whining ego.
Excerpts from the book: The Timeless Sufi Wisdom of Shaykh Nazim.
By: Ibrahim Shukrullah Gutmann
