Source: Sharḥ Kitāb al-Jāmiʿ from Bulūgh al-Marām by Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī
Translation: Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbd al-Salām bin Muḥammad Bhaṭwī
وعن أنس رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم:
من كف غضبه كف الله عنه عذابه
It is narrated from Anas (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Whoever restrains his anger, Allah will restrain His punishment from him.”
Narrated by al-Ṭabarānī in al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ. It also has a corroborating narration (shāhid) from Ibn ʿUmar as reported by Ibn Abī al-Dunyā.
"أحب الناس إلى الله تعالى أنفعهم للناس، وأحب الأعمال إلى الله عز وجل سرور تدخله على مسلم، أو تكشف عنه كربة، أو تقضي عنه دَيْنًا، أو تطرد عنه جوعًا... ومن كف غضبه ستر الله عورته، ومن كظم غيظه ولو شاء أن يمضيه أمضاه ملأ الله قلبه رجاء يوم القيامة، ومن مشى مع أخيه في حاجة حتى تتهيأ له أثبت الله قدمه يوم تزل الأقدام... وإن سوء الخلق يفسد العمل كما يفسد الخل العسل."
“The most beloved of people to Allah is the one who is most beneficial to people. The most beloved of deeds to Allah is to bring happiness to a Muslim, to relieve him of distress, to pay off his debt, or to drive away his hunger...
Whoever restrains his anger, Allah will conceal his faults.
Whoever swallows his rage while capable of acting upon it, Allah will fill his heart with hope on the Day of Resurrection.
Whoever walks with his brother to fulfill a need until it is accomplished, Allah will make his feet firm on the Day when feet will slip.
And indeed, bad character ruins deeds just as vinegar spoils honey.”
[See: Silsilat al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah, ḥadīth 906]
The core message of this ḥadīth is that anger, when not restrained, becomes a source of immense harm — both in this world and the Hereafter.
But controlling anger becomes a means of earning Allah’s mercy and avoiding His punishment.
Covering of faults by Allah
Hearts filled with hope on the Day of Judgment
Stability on a day when people will stumble
Divine assistance in worldly affairs
"ليس الشديد بالصرعة، إنما الشديد الذي يملك نفسه عند الغضب"
“The strong person is not the one who overpowers others, but the one who controls himself when angry.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim]
✔ Anger, when suppressed for Allah’s sake, becomes a source of protection from divine punishment.
✔ The narration, though weak in some chains, is established through multiple authentic routes.
✔ It highlights Allah’s reward for inner struggle and control.
✔ A believer should be slow to anger, quick to forgive, and seek Allah’s pleasure through restraint.
✔ Acts of kindness, patience, and fulfilling others’ needs are among the most beloved deeds to Allah.
Translation: Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbd al-Salām bin Muḥammad Bhaṭwī
❖ Ḥadīth
وعن أنس رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم:
من كف غضبه كف الله عنه عذابه
It is narrated from Anas (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Whoever restrains his anger, Allah will restrain His punishment from him.”
Narrated by al-Ṭabarānī in al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ. It also has a corroborating narration (shāhid) from Ibn ʿUmar as reported by Ibn Abī al-Dunyā.
Referencing
- This exact wording is not found in the published version of al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ, but a similar phrase is present in a longer ḥadīth narrated from ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه):
"من كف غضبه ستر الله عورته"
“Whoever suppresses his anger, Allah will conceal his faults.”
[Al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ, Ḥadīth 2033] - Shaykh al-Albānī in Silsilat al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah [906] confirmed the authenticity of the narration based on supporting chains. Though one isnād is weak due to Bakr bin Khunays, he is ṣadūq with some errors, and the overall narration becomes ḥasan due to multiple routes.
- Full narration recorded by Ibn Abī al-Dunyā in Qaḍāʾ al-Ḥawāʾij, Abū Isḥāq al-Muzkī, and Ibn ʿAsākir, among others.
✿ Full Ḥadīth (From Ibn ʿUmar)
"أحب الناس إلى الله تعالى أنفعهم للناس، وأحب الأعمال إلى الله عز وجل سرور تدخله على مسلم، أو تكشف عنه كربة، أو تقضي عنه دَيْنًا، أو تطرد عنه جوعًا... ومن كف غضبه ستر الله عورته، ومن كظم غيظه ولو شاء أن يمضيه أمضاه ملأ الله قلبه رجاء يوم القيامة، ومن مشى مع أخيه في حاجة حتى تتهيأ له أثبت الله قدمه يوم تزل الأقدام... وإن سوء الخلق يفسد العمل كما يفسد الخل العسل."
“The most beloved of people to Allah is the one who is most beneficial to people. The most beloved of deeds to Allah is to bring happiness to a Muslim, to relieve him of distress, to pay off his debt, or to drive away his hunger...
Whoever restrains his anger, Allah will conceal his faults.
Whoever swallows his rage while capable of acting upon it, Allah will fill his heart with hope on the Day of Resurrection.
Whoever walks with his brother to fulfill a need until it is accomplished, Allah will make his feet firm on the Day when feet will slip.
And indeed, bad character ruins deeds just as vinegar spoils honey.”
[See: Silsilat al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah, ḥadīth 906]
✦ Benefits and Reflections
➊ Suppressing Anger Prevents Divine Punishment
The core message of this ḥadīth is that anger, when not restrained, becomes a source of immense harm — both in this world and the Hereafter.
But controlling anger becomes a means of earning Allah’s mercy and avoiding His punishment.
➋ Anger Control Leads to Spiritual Rewards
Covering of faults by Allah Hearts filled with hope on the Day of Judgment Stability on a day when people will stumble Divine assistance in worldly affairs✦ Additional Insights
- This does not negate just anger for the sake of Allah (e.g., seeing wrongdoing or oppression) — such anger must be guided by wisdom and Shariah boundaries.
- The ḥadīth encourages sabr (patience) and ḥilm (forbearance) — two great prophetic traits.
- Suppressing anger is a sign of spiritual strength, as in the authentic ḥadīth:
"ليس الشديد بالصرعة، إنما الشديد الذي يملك نفسه عند الغضب"
“The strong person is not the one who overpowers others, but the one who controls himself when angry.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim]
Summary
✔ Anger, when suppressed for Allah’s sake, becomes a source of protection from divine punishment.
✔ The narration, though weak in some chains, is established through multiple authentic routes.
✔ It highlights Allah’s reward for inner struggle and control.
✔ A believer should be slow to anger, quick to forgive, and seek Allah’s pleasure through restraint.
✔ Acts of kindness, patience, and fulfilling others’ needs are among the most beloved deeds to Allah.
