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Ramadan
is a month of serenity and spiritual elevation. But when the body’s glucose
level decreases too much from fasting, this could lead to irritability and
aggression. Other factors may also contribute to the feeling of irritability,
such as refraining from the habitual cigarette. Prophet Mohamed (peace be upon
him) advised us to ‘keep our cool’ while fasting and prevent ourselves from
being easily provoked or dragged into a fight. The practice of self-control is a
pertinent part of fasting. From Prophet Mohamed’s (peace be upon him)
traditions, “If one of you is fasting, he should avoid sexual relation with
his wife and quarreling, and if somebody should fight or quarrel with him, he
should say, ‘I am fasting’.”
The
following are a few tips to reduce the level of edginess during Ramadan through
obtaining higher levels of self-control:
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If
you begin to feel angry or irritated say, “I seek refuge with Allah from
Satan.”
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Do
not try to resolve issues with anyone when you are fatigued or irritated.
Try to always pick the best time to talk to people, preferably when they are
not easily infuriated.
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Always
think of the consequences of your irritability. Will it create unnecessary
tensions in your relationships between your boss, colleagues, family or
relatives? Be creative and invest your anger in channels other than arguing.
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Train
yourself to forgive others throughout this Noble month. Do not underestimate
the power
of forgiveness and positive thinking.
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Do
not express your anger immediately. Take time to think over the best way to
deal with the problem. The next day when you meet the person that has
angered you, express your discontent rationally.
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To
reduce the pressures of the day, allocate a relaxation period. Use this time
to pray and concentrate in prayer. As Allah says, [ And seek assistance
through patience and prayer, and most surely it is a hard thing except for
the humble ones] (Al-Baqarah 2:45)
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Exercise
regularly; this relaxes the body and mind. Try to abstain from smoking or
any other stimulants which increase the sense of irritability.
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Ablution
is a good way to begin relaxing because it stimulates the biological
rhythms of the body. Ablution consists of 26 washing movements to be carried
out 5 times a day—a total of 130 daily washing movements. This can be
performed as a form of reflexotherapy.
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Meditation is a good way to control your temper and relieve stress. Know more about how you can relieve stress through prayer:
The “Yoga” of Islamic Prayer and
Islamic Oases From Daily
Stress.
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Immediately
when you get angry, try to change your position. If you are sitting, stand,
and vice versa. You might also want to let off some steam by drawing,
writing, or anything else that relaxes you. Try to express yourself in a way
that you will not regret later.
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Controlling
your anger and refraining from venting that anger, even if you are in the
right, is a rewarding quality, literally. Always remember the Qur’anic
verse, [Those who spend (of that which Allah hath given them) in ease and in
adversity, those who control their wrath and are forgiving toward mankind;
Allah loveth the good;] (Aal `Imran 3: 134).
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Keep
a track record of the times you lost your temper. You can then analyze what
you did wrong and the common factor between all the incidents, which you can
then avoid in the future.
At
the end, remember the hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) “The strong is
not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but the strong is the one
who controls himself while in anger.” (Al-Bukhari).
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