Etiquette of Controlling Anger (Al-Ghadab) in the Quran & Sunnah
Etiquette of Controlling Anger (Al-Ghadab) in the Quran & Sunnah
Anger in Islam (al-ghadab wa kazm al-ghayz): the strong man redefined, “Do not get angry” as complete advice, sitting and lying down, and the reward of swallowed rage, from the Quran and authentic Sunnah.
Part 1: Anger in the Light of the Quran
1. Those who restrain anger — and pardon people.
Allah says:
ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ فِى ٱلسَّرَّآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَٱلْكَـٰظِمِينَ ٱلْغَيْظَ وَٱلْعَافِينَ عَنِ ٱلنَّاسِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
-the ones who spend (for Allah’s sake) in prosperity and adversity, and those who control anger and forgive people. And Allah loves those who are good in their deeds, (Surah Aal-e-Imran 3:134)
The people of taqwa are described by what they do at the moment of provocation: they swallow the anger, then they pardon — and Allah loves the doers of good.
2. When they are angry, they forgive.
Allah says:
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَـٰٓئِرَ ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْفَوَٰحِشَ وَإِذَا مَا غَضِبُوا۟ هُمْ يَغْفِرُونَ
and (for) those who abstain from the major sins and from shameful acts; and (for those who) when they get angry, they forgive, (Surah Ash-Shura 42:37)
In the portrait of the believers who trust their Lord, the answer to anger is a single word: forgiveness — listed between avoiding the great sins and answering the call of prayer.
Part 2: Mastering Anger in the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ
1. The strong man is the one who controls himself in anger.
“The strong is not the one who overcomes people by wrestling; the strong is the one who controls himself when he is angry.”
Lesson: Strength in the Sunnah is measured at the moment of rage, not in the wrestling ring.
2. “Advise me.” — “Do not get angry.” Again and again.
A man said: “Advise me.” He ﷺ said: “Do not get angry.” The man repeated his request several times, and every time he ﷺ said: “Do not get angry.”
Lesson: Of all the advice a man could carry away, this was the whole of it — because anger is the door behind which most other sins wait.
3. Angry while standing? Sit. Still angry? Lie down.
“When one of you becomes angry while standing, let him sit down; if the anger leaves him, good — otherwise, let him lie down.”
Lesson: The Sunnah treats anger like a fire to be starved of posture and motion: change the body, and the heart follows.
4. Swallowing rage while able to act on it.
“Whoever suppresses his anger while he is able to act upon it, Allah will call him before all of creation on the Day of Resurrection and let him choose whichever of the wide-eyed maidens (hur) he wishes.”
Lesson: The reward is announced publicly — before all creation — for the victory no one on earth even saw.
Adab No. 64 — all evidences for this entry, taken from the DeenHub Global library. Open any link to read the original hadith or ayah in full.
- Part 1, Point 1: Surah Aal-e-Imran (3), Ayah 134
- Part 1, Point 2: Surah Ash-Shura (42), Ayah 37
- Part 2, Point 1: Sahih al-Bukhari 6114 (Sahih)
- Part 2, Point 2: Sahih al-Bukhari 6116 (Sahih)
- Part 2, Point 3: Sunan Abu Dawud 4782 (Sahih (Al-Albani))
- Part 2, Point 4: Sunan Abu Dawud 4777 (Hasan (Al-Albani))