Home > The 40 Hadith of Nawawi > Hadith 16 of Nawawi
Hadith number 16 of the collection of the 40 hadiths of Imam an-Nawawi, in a faithful English translation.
Updated on 10 September 2026 at 2:45 AM
📖 19 min readThis hadith belongs to the collection of the 40 hadiths of Imam an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him), the most studied hadith compilation in the world: foundations of faith, worship and character, all authentic narrations.
This man asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to counsel him a brief counsel encompassing the traits of good to retain them, fearing retaining them not for their multiplicity; the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) counseled him not angering, then the man repeated this matter several times, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) repeating him this answer.
This indicates anger is the assembling of all evil, and guarding from it the assembling of all good.
Perhaps this man asking the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is Abu ad-Darda. At-Tabarani reports from Abu ad-Darda's hadith: I said: "O Messenger of Allah, direct me to an act entering me Paradise." He said: "Anger not, and Paradise is yours." Al-Ahnaf ibn Qays reports from his uncle Jariya ibn Qoudama that a man said: "O Messenger of Allah, say me a word and shorten upon me, perhaps I retain it." He said: "Anger not." The man repeated it several times, always saying: "Anger not." Imam Ahmad reports it. In a version of him, Jariya ibn Qoudama said: I asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and he mentions it. Most probable: the asker is Jariya ibn Qoudama; but Imam Ahmad mentions from Yahya al-Qattan that he said: thus said Hicham, meaning Hicham mentioned in the hadith Jariya asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him); Yahya said: and they say he met not the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), thus al-Ijli and others: "he is a Successor, not a Companion." Imam Ahmad reports from the hadith of az-Zouhri, from Houmayd ibn Abd ar-Rahman, from a man of the Prophet's Companions (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): I said: "O Messenger of Allah, counsel me." He said: "Anger not." The man said: I reflected when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said what he said: behold anger assembles the evil all. Malik reports it in the Mouwatta from az-Zouhri, from Houmayd, mursal. Imam Ahmad reports from Abdallah ibn Amr's hadith that he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) what distances him from Allah the Mighty and Majestic's anger? He said: "Anger not."
The Companion's word: "I reflected at what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: behold anger assembles the evil all": witnesses what we mentioned: anger assembles all evil. Ja'far ibn Muhammad said: anger is the key of all evil. Said to Ibn al-Moubarak: gather us beautiful character in a word? He said: "leaving anger." Ahmad and Ishaq ibn Rahawayh interpreted the character's fortress likewise by leaving anger, that reported raised: Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Marwazi cites it in the Book of Prayer, from Abu al-Ala ibn ach-Chikhkhir's hadith: a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) from before his face saying: "O Messenger of Allah, what deed best?" He said: "Beautiful character." Then came from his right saying: "O Messenger of Allah, what deed best?" He said: "Beautiful character." Then from his left: "O Messenger of Allah, what deed best?" He said: "Beautiful character." Then came from behind him: "O Messenger of Allah, what deed best?" The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) turned to him saying: "What ails you, comprehending not? Beautiful character: anger not, if you can." This is mursal.
His saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to whom he counseled: "anger not" bears two senses. The first: intending the causes engendering beautiful character: generosity, largeness, forbearance, shame, humility, bearing, ceasing harm, pardon, passing, restraining anger, easiness, optimism and like beautiful characters; the soul, adorned by these characters, becoming habit, obliges itself repelling anger when its causes occur. The second: intending: act not by anger's requirement when occurring, but strive your soul leaving its execution, doing what ordered; for anger, possessing Adam's son, is as commander ordering and forbidding him. To this sense Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: "And when they anger, they forgive."
If man complies not what his anger orders him, striving his soul: anger's evil is pushed, and perhaps his anger calms, going promptly, as if he then angered not!
To this sense the indication in the Quran by the Mighty and Majestic's word: "And when they anger, they forgive"; and His word: "And those restraining anger, and pardoning people: Allah loves the well-doers."
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded the angry practicing causes repelling anger and calming it, and praised him possessing his self at anger. In the two Sahihs, from Soulayman ibn Sourad: two men disparaged at the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), we sitting, one insulting his companion angered, face reddened. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "I know a word said, removing what he feels: should he say: I seek refuge with Allah from the stoned devil." They said to the man: hear you not what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says? He said: I am not mad. Imam Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi report Abu Sa'id al-Khudri's hadith that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said in his sermon: "Listen: anger is an ember in Adam's son's heart, see you not his eyes' redness, jugulars' swelling? Whoso sensing thereof anything: let him cling to the earth." Imam Ahmad and Abu Dawoud report Abu Dharr's hadith that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "If one of you angers standing: let him sit, anger departing; else lie down." Said: the meaning herein: the standing ready for vengeance, the sitting below it, the lying farther: commanded distancing vengeance's state. Witnessing that his narration from Sinan ibn Sa'd's hadith, from Anas, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and al-Hasan's mursal from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Anger is an ember in man's heart kindling, see you not his eyes' redness, jugulars' swelling? Whoso sensing thereof anything: let him sit and anger not outrun him." Intended: restraining it in self, not passing it to other by deed's harm. To this sense the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said in the trials: "The lying therein better than the sitting, the sitting therein better than the standing, the standing better than the walking, the walking better than the running." This by example's manner of hastening in trials, the meaning: whoever nearer hastening therein is worse than farther.
Imam Ahmad reports from Ibn Abbas's hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "When one of you angers: let him silence," saying it thrice. This also great medicine of anger; for the angry issues in anger-state what regretting often at anger's passing: insults and other great harm; silenced, this evil all departs.
How beautiful Mouwarriq al-Ijli's word (may Allah have mercy on him): "I never filled with anger, nor spoke in anger what regretting once pleased." Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz angered one day; his son Abd al-Malik (may Allah have mercy on them) said: "You, O Commander of the Faithful, with what Allah gave and preferred you: this anger?" He said: "And what dye you not, O Abd al-Malik?" Abd al-Malik said: "What avails my chest's breadth, returning not therein anger till appearing?!" These are people possessing their selves at anger: Allah pleased with them. Imam Ahmad and Abu Dawoud report Ourwa ibn Muhammad as-Sa'di's hadith: a man spoke him angering; he rose, performed ablution, saying: my father related me, from my grandfather Atiyya: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Anger is of the devil, the devil created of fire, and fire extinguished by water: when one of you angers, let him perform ablution." Abou Nou'aym reports by his chain, from Abu Mouslim al-Khoulani speaking Mou'awiya a thing at the pulpit angering; descended, performed ablution, returning the pulpit saying: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: "Anger is of the devil, the devil of fire, and water extinguishes fire: when one of you angers, let him perform ablution." In the two Sahihs, from Abu Hourayra, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The strong is not the wrestling; the strong is he possessing his self at anger." In the Sahih of Muslim, from Ibn Mas'oud, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "What count you of the wrestling among you?" We said: whom men wrestle not. He said: "Not that, but he possessing his self at anger." Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawoud, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah report from the hadith of Muadh ibn Anas al-Jouhani, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Whoever restrains anger able executing: Allah calls him Resurrection day over the creatures' heads, leaving him choose of the Houris what he wills." Imam Ahmad reports Ibn Umar's hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "No servant swallows a gulp better with Allah [the Mighty and Majestic] than a gulp of anger restrained seeking Allah the Most High's face." From Ibn Abbas's hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "No gulp more beloved to Allah than a gulp of anger a servant restrains: Allah fills his interior with faith." Abu Dawoud reports its sense of a narration of some Companions, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), saying: "Allah filled him with security and faith."
Maymoun ibn Mihran said: a man came to Salman saying: "O Abu Abdallah, counsel me." He said: "Anger not." He said: "You command me angering not, and it seizes me what I possess not?!" He said: "If angering, possess your tongue and hand." Ibn Abi ad-Dunya reports it. Possessing his tongue and hand is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) pointed by his command to the angry sitting and lying, and commanding him silencing.
Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz said: "Succeeded he preserved from desire, anger and greed." Al-Hasan said: "Four: whoever has them, Allah preserves him the devil and forbids him the Fire: possessing his self at desire, fear, lust and anger." These four al-Hasan mentioned are evil all's principle. Desire of a thing: the soul's inclination to it, believing its profit; whoever desires a thing, that desire carries him seeking it every way he believes leading, much possibly forbidden, and possibly the desired thing forbidden. Fear: the thing's fear; man fearing a thing causes repelling it every way he believes repelling, much possibly forbidden. Lust: man's inclination to suiting and delighting; may incline much to forbidden, as fornication, theft, drinking khamr, even disbelief, sorcery, hypocrisy, heresies. Anger: heart's blood boiling seeking repelling the harmer fearing occurrence, or seeking vengeance of whom harm occurred after occurrence; from that arises much forbidden acts as killing, striking, injustices kinds, aggression, and much forbidden sayings as qadhf, insult, obscenity, sometimes rising disbelief's degree, as ran for Jabala ibn al-Ayham. And the oaths unlawful holding legally, and the wife's divorce followed by regret.
The believer's due: his lust restricted seeking what Allah licensed him, sometimes taking it with good intent: rewarded; his anger repelling harm in religion to him or other, and vengeance of who disobeyed Allah and His messenger, as the Most High said: "Fight them: Allah punishes them by your hands, humiliates them, supports you against them, and heals believing people's breasts."
Such was the Prophet's state (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): avenging not himself; but Allah's inviolabilities violated, nothing stood to his anger. Striking not by hand a servant nor a woman, except striving in Allah's path. Anas served him ten years, never saying uff, nor of a thing done: why did you? nor of a thing not done: why not done? In a version: when some of his family blamed him, he said (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Leave him: were a thing decreed, it would be." In at-Tabarani's version Anas said: "I served the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ten years, never knowing anything granted him, nor anything contradicting him, pleasing Allah with what was."
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) asked of the Messenger of Allah's character (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), saying: "His character was the Quran", meaning he disciplined by its manners and adorned by its characters: Quran's praised was his pleasure, Quran's blamed was his wrath. Came in a narration of her saying: "His character was the Quran: pleased at His pleasure, wrathful at His wrath." He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), of intense shame, confronted none of what he disliked, the dislike known in his face, as [in the Sahih, from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was shyer than the virgin in her veil; seeing what he disliked, we knew it in his face]. Ibn Mas'oud relating him the sayer's word: this is a share wanting not Allah's face, it grieved him (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), his face changed, angering, adding not but: "Moussa was harmed more than this and was patient." He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), seeing or hearing what Allah dislikes, angering thereby, saying therein, not silent. Entering Aisha's house (may Allah be pleased with her), seeing a curtain with images: his face colored, tearing it, saying: "Of the most punished of people Resurrection day: the imagers of these images." Complained the imam lengthening people his prayer, delaying some from prayer with him: angering, anger intensifying, exhorting people, commanding lightening. Seeing the spittle in the mosque's qibla: irating, scratching it, saying: "One of you, being in prayer, Allah facing his face: spit not facing his face in prayer."
Of his invocation (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "I ask You the word of truth in anger and pleasure." Very precious: man saying only truth, angering or pleased; for most people, angering, stopping not their saying. At-Tabarani reports from Anas's hadith, raised: "Three of faith's characters: who angering, his anger enters him not falsehood; who pleased, his pleasure exits him not truth; and who able, taking not what is not his."
Reported of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) informing of two men of before us: one worshiping, one dissolute on himself; the worshiper exhorting him not ceasing, seeing him one day on a sin magnifying, saying: "By Allah, Allah forgives you not?!" Allah forgave the sinner and voided the worshiper's work. Abu Hourayra said: "I spoke a word voiding my world and hereafter." Abu Hourayra warned people saying such a word in anger, reported by Imam Ahmad and Abu Dawoud. This was angering for Allah, speaking in his anger for Allah what not permitted, decreeing upon Allah what knowing not: Allah voided his work, how of him speaking in his anger for himself following his desire what not permitted?
In the Sahih of Muslim, from Imran ibn Houssayn, they were with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in some journeys, and a woman of the Ansar upon a she-camel irritated, cursing it; the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) heard, saying: "Take her luggage and leave her." May coincide the exaucement's hour. Therein also, from Jabir: we traveled with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in an expedition, and a man of the Ansar upon a mount irritated by some irritations, saying to it: go, Allah curse you. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Descend of it: accursed accompanies us not. Invoke not upon your souls, your children, your wealth: you would coincide Allah's hour of giving asked, granted you." All that indicates the angry's invocation may be answered coinciding exaucement's hour, and prohibited invoking upon self, family, wealth, in anger.
As for Moujahid in the Most High's word: "Were Allah hastening the people's evil their hastening of good, their term decided": he said: it is the entertainer of family, child, wealth, angering against him, saying: "O Allah, bless not therein. O Allah, curse it." Saying: were that hastened him, would perish of invoking and death-making. That indicates all the angry invokes upon self, family, wealth may be answered. And the hadith indicated possibly answered coinciding exaucement's hour.
As for reported of al-Foudayl ibn Iyad: "Three not blamed of anger: the faster, the sick, the traveler." Al-Ahnaf ibn Qays: "Allah inspires the two guardians with Adam's son: write not upon My servant in his irritation anything." Abu Imran al-Jouni: "The sick, impatient and sinning, the angel at the right says the angel at the left: write not." No base to it: reported by Ibn Abi ad-Dunya, all that has no sound legal origin indicating, and the hadiths mentioned before indicating its contrary.
The Prophet's word (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "angering, silence" indicates the angry is charged in anger-state silencing; then reprised of speech.
Authentic of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanding the angry deviating his anger by sayings and acts calming: that is the eye of the duty of cutting anger, how said: he not charged in anger-state of what issues of him? Atta ibn Abi Rabah said: "Nothing made the scholars weep weeping of life's term like an anger one angers demolishing a work of fifty years, or sixty, or seventy. And many an anger plunged its author what he could not." Reported by Ibn Abi ad-Dunya.
Then those saying of the Ancients: the angry, his anger's cause lawful, like illness and travel, or obedience like fast: not blamed, intending no sin upon him if of what occurs of him in anger-state much of speech requiring irritation or insult and like, as said (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "I am but a human, pleased as humans please, angering as humans anger; any Muslim I insult or strike: make it him expiation." As for what was of disbelief or apostasy, killing a person, taking wealth without right and like: no Muslim doubts they intended not the angry not reprised. Likewise what occurs of the angry of divorce, freeing or oath: reprised of all that without disagreement. Examples therein. In Imam Ahmad's Mousnad, from Khoulaya bint Tha'laba, Aws ibn as-Samit's woman: she returned to her husband, angering, he declaring her back bare, being an old great man, his character soured, weary; she came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), complaining him what she meets of his bad character, Allah descended the zihar verse, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded him the zihar's expiation in a long story. Ibn Abi Hatim reports it another way, from Abu al-Aliya: Khoulaya, her husband angering, declared her; she came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), informing him, saying: he intended not divorce. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "I see you not but forbidden to him," mentioning the story at length, at its end saying: Allah turned the divorce, making it zihar: this man declared in anger's state. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw then the zihar was divorce, having said: "she is forbidden to him thereby", meaning divorce obligating him; Allah making it expiable zihar, obliging the expiation, not annulling. Mujahid reports, from Ibn Abbas: a man said: I repudiated my wife thrice, angering. He said: Ibn Abbas: "He cannot license you what Allah forbade you: you disobeyed your Lord, and your wife became unlawful to you?!" Al-Jawzajani and ad-Daraqoutni report it with a chain at Muslim's conditions.
The judge Ismail ibn Ishaq reports in the Book of Quran's Judgments with a sound chain, from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): the laghw in oaths: what was in dispute, jest, play, and the speech the heart contracted not; and the expiation oath on every oath sworn seriously of a matter in anger or other, doing or leaving: the oath's contraction therein is the expiation. Likewise Ibn Wahb reports it, from Younous, from az-Zouhri, from Ourwa, from Aisha. And this is of the soundest chains. No divorce in irritation.
This indicates the hadith reported of her raised: "no divorce nor freeing in irritation", either unauthentic, or its interpretation by anger uncorrect. The Companions' fatwas of the angry's oath. Authentic of more than one Companion answering the angry's oath contracted, and therein the expiation, reported of Ibn Abbas contradicting that authenticates not its chain. Al-Hasan said: "The sunna's divorce: divorcing her one, pure of intercourse, his choice between him and her three menstrues; appearing him resuming her: more entitled; were he angry: three menstrues, or three months, she not menstruating, removing his anger." Al-Hasan said: "Allah showed lest one regret in divorce as Allah commanded him." The judge Ismail criticized him.
Many scholars made the allusions with anger like the explicit, that divorce occurs thereby apparent, and n't accepting its interpretation with anger other than divorce. Some made anger with the allusions like intention, engaging thereby divorce also in the inward, how anger made preventing the explicit divorce's occurrence?!