1 - Seek refuge with Allah from the Devil:
Sulayman bin Sard narrated:
"I was sitting with the Prophet, when two men began slandering oneanother. One of them was red in the face, and the veins on his neckwere standing out. The Prophet said: "I know a word which, if he wereto say it, what he feels would go away. If he said: "I seek refuge withAllah from the Devil," what he feels would go away.'"
['Fath al-Bari'; 6/337]
The Messenger of Allah said:
"If a man gets angry and says: "I seek refuge with Allah," his anger will go away."
['Sahih al-Jami'; # 695]
2 - Remain silent:
The Messenger of Allah said:
"If any of you becomes angry, let him keep silent."
['Sahih al-Jami'; # 693]
3 - Sit down or lie down:
"Abu Dharr was taking his camels to drink at a trough that he owned,when some other people came along and said to one another: "Who cancompete with Abu Dharr in bringing animals to drink and make his hairstand on end?" A man said: "I can." So, he brought his animals andcompeted with Abu Dharr and ended up breaking the trough.Abu Dharr wasstanding when he saw this, so, he sat down, then he laid down. Someoneasked him: "O Abu Dharr, why did you sit down then lie down?" He said:"The Messenger of Allah said: "If any of you becomes angry and he isstanding, let him sit down, so that his anger will go away. If iit doesnot go away, let him lie down."""
[Reported in the 'Musnad' of Ahmad (5/152) and 'Sahih al-Jami' (694)]
al-Imam al-Khattabi said: "One who is standing is in a position tostrike and destroy, while the one who is sitting is less likely to dothat, and the one who is lying down can do neither. It is possible thatthe Prophet told the angry person to sit down or lie down so that hewould not do something that he would later regret, and Allah Knowsbest."
['Ma'alim as-Sunan'; 5/141]
4 - Smile:
Anas bin Malik narrated:
"I was walking with the Messenger of Allah, and he was wearing aNajrani cloak with a rough collar. A bedouin came and seized himroughly by the edge of his cloak, and I saw the marks left on his neckby the collar. Then the bedouin ordered him to give him some of thewealth of Allah that he had. The Prophet turned to him and smiled, thenordered that he should be given something."
['Fath al-Bari'; 10/375]
5 - Remember the advice of the Prophet:
Abu Hurayrah narrated:
"A man said to the Prophet: "Advise me." He said: "Do not becomeangry." The man repeated his request several times, and each time theProphet said to him: "Do not become angry.""
['Fath al-Bari'; 10/456]
According to another narration, the man later said: "I thought aboutwhat the Prophet said, and I realized that anger combines all kinds ofevil."
[Reported in the 'Musnad' of Ahmad; 5/373]
6 - Remember the high status of those who control themselves:
The Messenger of Allah said:
"The strong man is not the one who can overpower others. Rather, thestrong man is the one who controls himself when he gets angry."
[Reported in the 'Musnad' of Ahmad; 2/236, and it is authentic]
The Messenger of Allah also said:
"The strongest man is the one who, when he gets angry and his face reddens and his hackles rise, is able to defeat his anger."
['Sahih al-Jami'; # 3859]
Anas bin Malik narrated
"The Messenger of Allah passed by some people who were wrestling. Heasked: "What is this?" They said: "So-and-so is the strongest; he canbeat anybody." The Messenger of Allah then said: "Shall I not tell youwho is even stronger then him? The man who, when he is mistreated byanother, controls his anger, has defeated his own devil and the devilof the one who made him angry.""
['Fath al-Bari'; 10/519]
The Messenger of Allah said:
"Do not become angry, and Paradise is yours."
['Sahih al-Jami'; # 7374]
The Messenger of Allah said:
"Whoever controls his anger at the time when he has the means to actupon it, Allah will call him before all of mankind on the Day ofResurrection, and will let him choose of the Hur al-'Ayn whoever hewants."
[Reported by Abu Dawud (4777), and it is in 'Sahih al-Jami' (6518)]
8 - Remember that resisting anger is one of the signs of righteousness:
"And march forth in the way to forgiveness from your Lord, and for aParadise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for therighteous; those who spend in prosperity and in adversity, repressanger, and pardon men. Verily, Allah loves the good-doers."[Al'Imran; 134]
9 - Submit to reminders:
Ibn 'Abbas narrated:
"A man sought permission to speak to 'Umar bin al-Khattab, then hesaid: "O Ibn al-Khattab, you are not giving us much and you are notjudging fairly between us." 'Umar was so angry that he was about toattack the man, but al-Hurr bin Qays - who was one of those present -said: "O Commander of the Believers! Allah said to His Prophet:
"Showforgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish."[al-A'raf; 199], and this man is one of the foolish." By Allah, 'Umarcould go no further after al-Hurr had recited this verse to him, as hea man who was careful to adhere to the Book of Allah."
['Fath al-Bari'; 4/304]
...as opposed to how one of the hypocrites reacted when one of theCompanions said to him: "Seek refuge with Allah from the Devil," So, hereplied: "Do you think I am crazy? Go away!"
['Fath al-Bari'; 1/465]
10 - Remember the bad effects of anger:
'Alqamah bin Wa'il narrated:
"My father said to me: "I was sitting with the Prophet, when a man cameto him leading another man by a rope. He said: "O Messenger of Allah,this man killed my brother." The Messenger of Allah asked him, "Did youkill him?" He said: "Yes, I killed him." He asked: "How did you killhim?" He said: "He and I were hitting a tree to make the leaves fallfor animal feed, and then he insulted me, so I struck him on the sideof the head with an axe and killed him.""
['Sahih Muslim'; # 1307]
