Controlling Anger
كظم الغيظRestraining anger and responding with patience
Qur'an
القرآن الكريمٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ فِى ٱلسَّرَّآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَٱلْكَـٰظِمِينَ ٱلْغَيْظَ وَٱلْعَافِينَ عَنِ ٱلنَّاسِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
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;
Translation: Saheeh International
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَـٰٓئِرَ ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْفَوَٰحِشَ وَإِذَا مَا غَضِبُوا۟ هُمْ يَغْفِرُونَ
And those who avoid the major sins and immoralities, and when they are angry, they forgive,
Translation: Saheeh International
وَلَمَن صَبَرَ وَغَفَرَ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ لَمِنْ عَزْمِ ٱلْأُمُورِ
And whoever is patient and forgives - indeed, that is of the matters [requiring] determination.
Translation: Saheeh International
Hadith
الحديث النبويعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لَيْسَ الشَّدِيدُ بِالصُّرَعَةِ، إِنَّمَا الشَّدِيدُ الَّذِي يَمْلِكُ نَفْسَهُ عِنْدَ الْغَضَبِ ".
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "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."
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَجُلاً، قَالَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَوْصِنِي. قَالَ " لاَ تَغْضَبْ ". فَرَدَّدَ مِرَارًا، قَالَ " لاَ تَغْضَبْ ".
Narrated Abu Huraira:
A man said to the Prophet (ﷺ) , "Advise me! "The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do not become angry." The man asked (the same) again and again, and the Prophet (ﷺ) said in each case, "Do not become angry."
عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ أَنَّ رَجُلًا قَالَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَخْبِرْنِي بِكَلِمَاتٍ أَعِيشُ بِهِنَّ وَلَا تُكْثِرْ عَلَيَّ فَأَنْسَى قَالَ اجْتَنِبِ الْغَضَبَ ثُمَّ أَعَادَ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ اجْتَنِبِ الْغَضَبَ
Humayd ibn Abdur Rahman reported:
A man came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, saying, “Tell me of a word I can live by but not so much that I forget.” The Prophet said, “Avoid being angry.” The man repeated his question, and the Prophet said, “Avoid being angry.”
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَنْ كَظْمَ غَيْظًا وَهُوَ يُقَدِّرُ عَلَى إِنْفَاذِهِ مَلَأَهُ اللَّهُ أَمْنًا وَإِيمَانًا وَقرأ وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
Abu Huraira reported:
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever suppresses his rage although he is capable of unleashing it, then Allah will fill him with assurance and faith.” And the Prophet recited the verse, “They are those who suppress their rage and forgive people, for Allah loves those who do good.” (3:134)
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لاَ تَبَاغَضُوا وَلاَ تَحَاسَدُوا وَلاَ تَدَابَرُوا وَكُونُوا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ إِخْوَانًا وَلاَ يَحِلُّ لِمُسْلِمٍ أَنْ يُهَاجِرَ أَخَاهُ فَوْقَ ثَلاَثِ لَيَالٍ " .
Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Anas ibn Malik that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
"Do not be angry with each other and do not envy each other and do not turn away from each other, and be slaves of Allah, brothers. It is not halal for a muslim to shun his brother for more than three nights."
عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ دُلَّنِي عَلَى عَمَلٍ يُدْخِلُنِي الْجَنَّةَ قَالَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا تَغْضَبْ وَلَكَ الْجَنَّةُ
Abu Darda reported:
I said, “O Messenger of Allah, tell me about a deed that will admit me into Paradise.” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Do not be angry and you will enter Paradise.”
عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ مُعَاذِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " مَنْ كَظَمَ غَيْظًا وَهُوَ يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يُنَفِّذَهُ دَعَاهُ اللَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَلَى رُءُوسِ الْخَلاَئِقِ حَتَّى يُخَيِّرَهُ فِي أَىِّ الْحُورِ شَاءَ " .
Sahl bim Mu'adh bin Anas Al-Juhani narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:
"Whoever suppresses his rage while he is able to unleash it, Allah will call him before the heads (leaders) of creation on the Day of Judgement, so that he can inform Him of which of the Hur he would like."
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ثَلَاثٌ كُلُّهُنَّ حَقٌّ مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ ظُلِمَ بِمَظْلَمَةٍ فَيُغْضِي عَنْهَا لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَّا أَعَزَّ اللَّهُ بِهَا نَصْرَهُ وَمَا فَتَحَ رَجُلٌ بَابَ عَطِيَّةٍ يُرِيدُ بِهَا صِلَةً إِلَّا زَادَهُ اللَّهُ بِهَا كَثْرَةً وَمَا فَتَحَ رَجُلٌ بَابَ مَسْأَلَةٍ يُرِيدُ بِهَا كَثْرَةً إِلَّا زَادَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِهَا قِلَّةً
Abu Huraira reported:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “There are three persons who will get what they deserve. No servant is wronged, and he withholds retaliation for the sake of Allah Almighty, but that Allah will strengthen him with His support. A man does not open the door of charity to strengthen family ties, but that Allah will increase his wealth. And a man does not open the door of begging to usurp wealth but that Allah will increase his poverty.”
Statements of the Salaf
أقوال السلفلاَ يَكُنْ حُبُّكَ كَلَفًا، وَلاَ بُغْضُكَ تَلَفًا، فَقُلْتُ: كَيْفَ ذَاكَ؟ قَالَ: إِذَا أَحْبَبْتَ كَلِفْتَ كَلَفَ الصَّبِيِّ، وَإِذَا أَبْغَضْتَ أَحْبَبْتَ لِصَاحِبِكَ التَّلَف.
Aslam said, "'Umar ibn al-Khattab said, 'Do not let your love be a total infatuation. Do not let your anger be destruction.' I asked, 'How is that?' He replied, 'When you love, you are infatuated like a child. When you hate, you desire destruction for your companion.'"
مَا مِنْ جَرْعَةٍ أَعْظَمَ عِنْدَ اللهِ أَجْرًا مِنْ جَرْعَةِ غَيْظٍ كَظَمَهَا عَبْدٌ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ اللهِ.
Ibn 'Umar said, "There is nothing that is swallowed greater with Allah in reward than a slave of Allah who swallows and contains his rancour out of desire for the pleasure of Allah."
Allah has commanded patience at a time of anger, and forbearance and forgiveness at a time of being wronged. If they do so, Allah will protect them from Satan and subdue their enemies such that they become like dear friends.
Source: Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī 41:34
Statements of Scholars
أقوال العلماءIn short, this quality of responding to evil in the best manner transforms enmity into love and removes blameworthy character traits of malice, envy, backbiting, and so on.
Source: Mirqāt al-Mafātīḥ 8/3197