Section
As for the claim:
“Anger is the boiling of the heart’s blood in pursuit of revenge,”
this is not true even in our case. Anger may arise to ward off something adverse before it occurs, in which case there is no revenge at all.
Moreover, anger accompanies the boiling of the blood in the heart; anger as such is not simply that boiling. In the same way, shyness accompanies a flushed face, and apprehension [that is, fear. See: al-Qāmūs, root w-j-l] accompanies a pale face, without the one being identical to the other. This is because, when the soul is moved to repel something harmful, if it perceives itself able to do so, the blood surges outward and anger ensues. If it perceives itself unable, the blood retreats inward and the face turns pale, as happens to a grieving person.
Moreover, even if we were to suppose that this is the true nature of our anger, it would not follow that the anger of Allah Most High is like ours, just as the reality of Allah’s essence is not like ours. He resembles neither our essences nor our spirits, and the same holds for His attributes as for His essence.
We know necessarily that if we posit two beings—one possessing the power to ward off corruption, and the other making no distinction between righteousness and corruption—the one possessing that power would be more perfect.
Thus, one who has no protective jealousy regarding indecencies—such as a cuckold—is condemned, as is one who lacks the zeal to defend the oppressed against injustice; whereas one who possesses protective jealousy by which he wards off indecencies is praised,