Suppressing one’s anger, a means of averting Allah’s punishment

Question

Is this narration reliable?

“Allah abandons the punishment to anyone who can abandon his own anger”

 

Answer

 

1) Imam Tabarani (rahimahullah) and others have recorded the following narration:

 

Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

“Whomsoever suppresses his anger, Allah will avert his punishment…”

(Al Mu’jamul Awsat, Hadith: 1342)

 

‘Allamah ‘Iraqi and Hafiz Haythami (rahimahullah) have declared the above Hadith as weak.

(Al Mughni ‘An Hamlil Asfar, Hadith: 3108 and Majma’uz Zawaid, vol. 8 pg. 68)

 

2) Imam Abu Ya’la (rahimahullah) and others have also recorded a similar Hadith on the authority of Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik (radiyallahu ‘anhu) with a weak chain.

(Musnad Abu Ya’la, Hadith: 4338. Refer: Majma’uz Zawaid, vol. 10 pg. 298)

 

Although the above narrations are weak, they are supported by numerous narrations. Among them is the following:

 

Hafiz Abu Bakr ibn Abid Dunya (rahimahullah) has recorded the following narration:

“Whomsoever controls his anger, Allah will protect him from his punishment”

(Kitabus Samt, Hadith: 21)

‘Allamah ‘Iraqi (rahimahullah) has declared the chain of narrators of the above Hadith as sound (hasan)

(Al Mughni ‘An Hamlil Asfar, Hadith: 2826)

 

Also see Al Matalibul ‘Aliyah, under Hadith: 3144.

 

Note:

The narration in question recorded as a Hadith of Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) -marfu’an- and as the statement of Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik (radiyallahu ‘anhu) -mawqufan-. ‘Allamah Mundhiri (rahimahullah) seems to prefer the mawquf version [i.e. as the statement of Sayyiduna Anas] as being the correct version.

(Targhib, vol. 3 pg. 525)

 

 

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best

 

Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala

 

Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar

 

Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar