The Prophetic Advice to Avoid Anger and Its Spiritual Benefits

Source: Sharḥ Kitāb al-Jāmiʿ from Bulūgh al-Marām by Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī
Translation: Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbd al-Salām bin Muḥammad Bhaṭwī

Hadith Reference:​

وعنه رضي الله عنه أن رجلًا قال: يا رسول الله أوصني، قال: لا تغضب، فردد مرارًا، قال: لا تغضب
[أخرجه البخاري]


Narrated by Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
A man said, “O Messenger of Allah, advise me.”
The Prophet ﷺ replied: “Do not get angry.”
He asked repeatedly, and the Prophet ﷺ kept replying: “Do not get angry.”
(Related by al-Bukhārī)

Reference:

• [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6116]

✦ Key Lessons and Benefits:​

➊ Who Was the Person Asking for Advice?


This question was asked by multiple companions on different occasions. According to Fatḥ al-Bārī, the question came from:

• Jāriyyah ibn Qudāmah
• Sufyān ibn ʿAbdullāh al-Thaqafī
• Abū al-Dardāʾ
• Ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهم)

Some asked:


“Tell me a brief statement that will benefit me.”
Others asked:
“Tell me a deed that will admit me into Paradise.”


In each case, the Prophet ﷺ replied: “Do not get angry.”
(For further detail, refer to Fatḥ al-Bārī, Hadith 6116)

➋ The Nature of the Prophet’s ﷺ Responses to Individual Needs


Though the Prophet ﷺ gave different pieces of advice to different people, this advice — “Do not get angry” — was repeated for certain individuals due to their disposition.


Scholars mention:
Just as a physician tailors treatment to each patient, the Prophet ﷺ—the greatest spiritual healer—would offer advice based on the specific character and needs of each companion.


So, if someone was inclined toward quick temper, the Prophet ﷺ would emphasize anger management. Given that anger is a universal weakness, this advice is relevant to all Muslims.

➌ Harms and Consequences of Anger


The Prophet ﷺ safeguarded the ummah by warning against anger, which is the source of countless evils:


Physical Effects:

• Face and eyes redden
• Limbs tremble
• Body tenses, facial features distort

Loss of Reason:

• One loses control
• May act violently—even murder
• Tears clothes, harms self
• Breaks objects, lashes out unjustly

Verbal Abuse:

• Utters offensive, harmful, or blasphemous words

Spiritual and Emotional Damage:

• Heart fills with hatred, envy, vengeance
• Inner peace disappears
• Leads to sins, and severing of ties with relatives, friends, and fellow believers

Reflection:
If a person could see themselves in a moment of rage, they would be deeply ashamed.


The Prophet’s ﷺ short advice—“Do not get angry”—holds immense wisdom, for it protects from spiritual destruction, emotional breakdown, and broken relationships.

➍ What Does “Do Not Get Angry” Really Mean?


Anger is a natural emotion. Islam does not forbid all anger, especially when:

• It's for the sake of Allah
• It fuels courage in jihād or defending truth

Thus, the command “Do not get angry” means:

• Avoid anger in situations where Allah dislikes it
• Control your anger when it arises

There are two phases addressed in “Do not get angry”:

A. Before Anger Arises: Prevent It​

Make effort to cultivate calmness, through:

• Forbearance (حلم)
• Modesty (حیا)
• Thoughtfulness (تفكر)
• Endurance (صبر)
• Forgiveness (عفو)
• Smiling, kindness, and open-heartedness

❖ Building these traits helps prevent anger from even arising.

B. After Anger Arises: Restrain It​

Ibn Ḥibbān رحمه الله said:


“After anger arises, do not do anything prohibited under its influence.”


✔ This means: Exercise self-control.
✔ Avoid acting on impulses that lead to disobedience.


Real Strength in Islam:


The Prophet ﷺ said:


“The strong man is not the one who defeats others in wrestling, but the one who controls himself in anger.”


True strength lies in subduing anger, not in unleashing it.

For guidance on how to remove anger once it appears, refer to Hadith no. 1396/2 in this chapter.