Do not get angry

Arabic text

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه: أَنَّ رَجُلًا قَالَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: أَوْصِنِي، قَالَ: «لَا تَغْضَبْ» فَرَدَّدَ مِرَارًا قَالَ: «لَا تَغْضَبْ».

Translation

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "Advise me." He said: "Do not get angry." He repeated that several times, and every time, he would say: "Do not get angry."

Explanation

One of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to direct him to something that would benefit him. He instructed him not to get angry. This means he should avoid the things that would make him angry and should restrain himself in case he becomes angry, not going to excess in his anger by killing, beating, cursing, and so on. The man repeated his request for advice several times, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said no more in his advice than "Do not get angry".

Benefits

• The Hadīth warns against anger and its causes, for it combines all evil, and avoiding it leads to all goodness.
• Anger for the sake of Allah, like getting angry when Allah's prohibitions are violated, is commendable.
• If needed, one may repeat the speech so that the addressed person can understand it and realize its significance.
• It shows the merit of seeking advice from a knowledgeable person.

Topics

• Virtues and Manners
• Jurisprudence of Ethics
• Praiseworthy Morals