Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalam-o-Aliequm
I heard many people says that ANGER is haram on muslims, kindly confirm is there any type of anger which is haram on muslims ?

Thank you very much

Your Brother in Islam

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Answer:

Is Anger haraam on muslims

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Anger, grief, joy, etc. are natural emotions of a human beings, and thus are not in any way declared forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (saws), nor is one accountable for having or experiencing these natural emotions from the heart.

What one will be accountable for in the Court of Allah, is what he displays or acts or utters when encountered with these natural emotions. Thus, in essence, one is not accountable in the Court of Allah for what one feels in his heart when faced with these natural emotions of grief or anger etc., but rather one is accountable only for what one does with his hands and what one says with his tongue.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.390 Narrated by Anas bin Malik

We went with Allah's Messenger (saws) to the blacksmith Abu Saif, and he was the husband of the wet-nurse of Ibrahim (the son of the Prophet). Allah's Messenger (saws) took Ibrahim and kissed him and smelled him and later we entered Abu Saif's house and at that time Ibrahim was in his last breaths, and the eyes of Allah's Messenger (saws) started shedding tears. 'Abdur Rahman bin 'Auf said, "O Allah's Messenger (saws), even you are weeping!" He (saws) said, "O Ibn 'Auf, this is mercy." Then he (saws) wept more and said, "The eyes are shedding tears and the heart is grieved, and we will not say except what pleases our Lord, O Ibrahim! Indeed we are grieved by your separation."

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 4.21 (part)

It is reported in a sound hadith that the Prophet (saws) said: "Allah does not punish a person for shedding tears or feeling pain in his heart. But He does punish, though he may show mercy, because of (what he utters with) this," and then he pointed to his tongue.

There are many traditions in the authentic Sunnah where it is narrated that even the Messenger of Allah (saws) displayed this natural emotion of anger:

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3292 Narrated by Mahmud ibn Labid

When Allah's Messenger (saws) was informed about a man who had divorced his wife, declaring it three times without any interval between them, he (saws) arose in anger and said, "Is sport (mockery) being made of the Book of Allah Who is Great and Glorious, while I am amongst you?"

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.279 Narrated by Ali

The Prophet (saws) gave me a silk suit and I wore it, but when I noticed anger on his (saws) face, I cut it and distributed it among my women-folk.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.130 Narrated by Aisha

The Prophet (saws) entered upon me while there was a curtain having pictures (of animals) in the house. His (saws) face got red with anger, and then he got hold of the curtain and tore it into pieces. The Prophet said, "Such people as paint these pictures will receive the severest punishment on the Day of Resurrection."

Al-Muwatta Hadith 58.14

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr from his father that the Messenger of Allah (saws) gave a man from the Banu Abd al-Ashal charge over some sadaqa. When he came to ask him for some camels from the sadaqa, the Messenger of Allah (saws) was so angry that the anger showed in his face. One way in which anger could be recognized in his face was that his eyes became red. Then he (saws) said, "This man has asked me for what is not good for me or him. If I refuse it, I hate to refuse. If I give it to him, I will give him what is not good for me or him." The man said, "Messenger of Allah (saws)! I will never ask you for any of it!"

The following is the guidance given by the Messenger of Allah (saws) on how to confront the natural emotion of anger:

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 5145 (part) Narrated byAbu Sa'id al-Khudri

Allah's Messenger (saws) stood up among us to deliver an address after the afternoon prayer, and he did not leave out anything that would happen up to the Day of Resurrection without mentioning it. In the course of his address he mentioned anger, saying, "Some are swift to anger and swift to cool down, the one characteristic making up for the other; some are slow to anger and slow to cool down, the one characteristic making up for the other; but the best of you are those who are slow to anger and swift to cool down, and the worst of you are those who are swift to anger and slow to cool down." He continued, "Beware of anger, for it is a live coal on the heart of the descendant of Adam. Do you not notice the swelling of the veins of his neck and the redness of his eyes? So when anyone experiences anything of that nature he should lie down and cleave to the earth."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 5116 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "No one has swallowed back anything more excellent in the sight of Allah, Who is Great and Glorious, than anger he restrains, seeking to please Allah The Most High."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 5114 Narrated by Abu Dharr

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "When one of you becomes angry while standing he should sit down. If the anger leaves him, well and good; otherwise he should lie down."

Al-Muwatta Hadith 47.12

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Said ibn al-Musayyab from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "A strong person is not the person who throws his adversaries to the ground. A strong person is the person who contains himself when he is angry."

Your Question: kindly confirm is there any type of anger which is haram on muslims?
Thus in conclusion, my beloved brother in Islam, the Truth is that anger in itself is neither haraam nor halaal, but rather what one does and says during this state of natural emotion will determine whether his deed or statement is permissible or forbidden.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan