The word “anger” (غضب) and its derivatives (الغضب, مغضب) find their way into the Quran at least a dozen times, even though often in different contexts. Linguistically, anger is a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility.
Technically, anger is a natural internal change of emotions. It prompts one to attack and seek revenge on Muslims badly.
Do Islamic studies and work on your anger because Islam always tells you about peace. and We will go through everything about anger at length, including a hadith on anger.
What Does the Quran Say About Anger?
The Quran describes the great virtue of controlling anger. For example,
- “And those who avoid the greater sins, and illegal sexual intercourse, and when they are angry, they forgive.” (42:37)
- “Those who spend (in Allah’s Cause) in prosperity and in adversity, who repress their anger and forgive people, and Allah loves such good-doers.” (3:134)
- One of the attributes of the rightful owners of Paradise is stated in Surah Ash-Shura verse 37, as,
وإذا ما غضبوا هم يغفرون
“And when they get angry, they forgive.”
Read about: Hadith on Forgiveness
Hadith on Anger in Arabic
Wrath i.e. anger is that emotion of oneself that provokes him to take revenge on another person. Sometimes, angry feelings can become overwhelming and can be difficult to handle. Therefore, in a hadith on anger in Arabic, our beloved Prophet (PBUH) said,
عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، ليس الشديد بالصرعة إنما الشديد الذي يملك نفسه عند الغضب. (مسلم، ٢١٤٣)
“in a hadith on anger, It is narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (PBUH) said: A wrestler does not beat others, but a wrestler is the one who controls himself when he is angry.“ (Muslim)
How Can I Control my Anger?
Islam however gives us many examples of how to control anger and how to channel it into acceptable actions. As always if a person is unsure about how to act in any situation he needs only to look to the Prophet (PBUH) or our righteous companions to find the best way to act. Thus, there are many ways to control anger, for example,
- Seek refuge in Allah, from the plots of Shaytan by reciting (أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم).
- Make ablution, because water extinguishes fire.
- Change positions, if you are standing, sit, if you are sitting, lie down and sling to earth. In a hadith on anger, the Prophet (PBUH) said,
“If any of you becomes angry and he is standing, let him sit down, so his anger will go away; if it does not go away, let him lie down.”
- Remove yourself from the situation. This could be likened to our modern equivalent, time out.
- Be silent, words spoken in anger cannot be taken back.
According to Hidayah Network teachers, Controlling anger is a sign of righteousness. It pleases Allah, and the person controlling their anger is rewarded. The Prophet (PBUH) said,
“If anyone suppresses anger when he is in a position to give vent to it, Allah, the exalted, will call him on the Day of Resurrection and ask him to choose from the rewards offered.”
Effects of Anger
Although anger is a natural feeling it can have negative effects on those who allow it to control them, and adverse effects on those around them. For example,
- Anger can destroy relationships, health, property, and livelihood.
- Uncontrolled anger is one of its tools of Shaytan and it can lead to bloodshed, profanity, etc. All such things are sins and imperfections in religiousness.
- Anger can destroy lives and Prophet Muhammad called it a lump of hot coal on the heart of a descendant of Adam.
- Keep the dangers of anger in view, because it is anger that mostly breeds differences and quarrels, rifts between two brothers. The Prophet (PBUH) said,
“Verily, anger corrupts the matter just as vinegar spoils honey.”
- It can cause divorce between the husband and wife as well as hatred, hostility and even killing one another.
Anger is From Shaytan Hadith
The Prophet (PBUH) also advised us that performing ablution was an acceptable method of anger management. He (PBUH) said,
“Anger comes from shaytan, Shaytan was created from fire, and the fire is extinguished only with water; so when any of you is angry, he should perform ablution”.
Besides, the Prophet Muhammad suggested that when angry a believer could try other methods to rid himself of the influence of shaytan. He once advised a man who was angry and fighting, to seek refuge in Allah from the influence of shaytan.
Hadith on Anger and Patience
When anger is successfully kept in check, the result is patience. If there is a strong recommendation in Islam to control anger. Get Online Islamic classes and follow Islam. By inference, there is equally great emphasis on developing and strengthening patience. One of the hadiths on anger and patience describes that;
ما من جرعة أعظم أجرا عند الله من جرعة غيظ كظمها عبد ابتغاء وجه الله
“No one has swallowed back anything more excellent in the sight of Allah, than the anger he restrains, seeking to please Allah.” (Ibn Majah)
Thus, Allah is with those who remain patient. He has promised Paradise for those who forgive His people and repress their anger.
Hadith Do Not Get Angry
Abu Hurayrah narrated that, once a man came to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and said, “Advise me!” He said, “Do not get angry.” The man asked the same question several times and the Prophet (PBUH) said in each case, “Do not get angry.” (Bukhari)
Abu Darda reported that: I humbly asked, “O Beloved Prophet (PBUH), Please inform me of such an act that will enter me into Paradise.” The Prophet (PBUH) replied,
(لا تغضب ولك الجنة)
“Do not get angry then Paradise is for you”.
When You Are Angry, Be Silent! Hadith
Further to that in the traditions of the Prophet we can find many instances of how to behave when anger threatens to engulf us. in another hadith on anger, He (PBUH) said,
“If any of you becomes angry, let him keep silent.”
If a person is trying to be silent, it will restrict his ability to fight or utter obscenities and harsh words. You might have regretted saying something in retaliation, but not after staying silent. It is stated in Tirmidhi,
(من صمت نجا)
‘‘he who remains silent attains salvation.” (Tirmidhi)
There is also an excellent Urdu proverb, ‘One moment of silence leads to a hundred moments of peace.’
Conclusion
Thus we find that Islam offers a person several ways to control the very natural emotion of anger. To begin with, a person could change his position. An angry person could make ablution and offer two or more extra units of prayer. The Prophet (PBUH) said in hadith on anger,
(لا يقضين حكم بين اثنين وهو غضبان)
“Let not one of you make a judgment between two people when he is in a state of anger”
We can also follow the example of the Prophet by making our anger for the sake of Allah when His rights are violated. This is the kind of controlled anger that is praiseworthy. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) used to pray,
“O Allah I ask for the ability to speak a word of truth when I am pleased and when I am angry.”