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As for the statement, “Anger is the boiling of the heart’s blood in pursuit of revenge,” this is not correct even with regard to us. Anger may arise to ward off something harmful before it occurs, in which case there is no revenge at all.

Furthermore, anger accompanies the boiling of the heart’s blood; anger itself is not simply that boiling. Likewise, modesty accompanies a reddening of the face, and fear accompanies a paling of the face, but neither is identical to the accompanying change. This is because, when the soul is moved to repel something harmful, if it senses that it has the power to do so, the blood surges outward, giving rise to anger. If it senses its own inability, the blood retreats inward, causing the face to grow pale, as happens to someone who is sorrowful.

Moreover, even supposing that this were the true nature of our anger, it would not follow that Allah Most High’s anger must be like ours, just as the reality of Allah’s essence is not like ours. He resembles neither our essence nor our souls, and His attributes are like His essence in this respect.

We know self-evidently that if we suppose two beings, one possessing a strength by which he wards off corruption, while the other is indifferent to righteousness and corruption, the one possessing that strength is more perfect.