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: Mawlana Suhail Motala

Approved by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by: Mawlana Haroon Abasoomar