Juma Mubarak · Dhow Noor Circle

Juma Mubarak

This week’s reflection focuses on the first verse from the collection on Emotional Intelligence in the Qur'an:

[Aal-e-Imran:134]:

الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ فِي السَّرَّاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

Who spend [in the cause of Allah] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people - and Allah loves the doers of good;

The Qur’an provides us with a literal roadmap for emotional regulation. It doesn't tell us not to feel anger. Anger is a natural human emotion. But it highlights the mastery required to restrain it when it flares, and the spiritual strength needed to excuse others.

True power isn't losing control when things go wrong. True power is having the strength to react, but choosing to pause instead.

Most of us have been conditioned to let our anger drive our actions, running on an automatic loop that creates the same painful results in our marriages, our families, and our homes. But real growth starts when we interrupt that pattern.

This week, ask yourself:

* What usually triggers my anger at home or at work?

* When my body tightens and my mind speeds up, do I just react, or can I find a way to pause?

* Who am I being when I let anger dictate my words, and who do I actually want to be?

This week's practice:

When a trigger hits this week, try a simple living interrupt: S.T.O.P.

1. Stop in your tracks.

2. Take a deep breath.

3. Observe your thought (Is this reaction going to help me or hurt me?).

4. Proceed mindfully.

May Allah help us master our nafs, grant us the capacity to overlook the faults of others, and place us among the virtuous whom He loves.

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