لا تغضب

The hadith. Abu Hurayra reported that a man said to the Prophet ﷺ: "Advise me." He replied: لَا تَغْضَبْ "Do not get angry." The man repeated his request several times, and each time he replied: "Do not get angry."

Source: hadith no. 16 of An-Nawawi. Reported by Al-Bukhari (no. 6116).

Why this advice? Anger is at the root of many wrongs: insults, blows, broken relationships, words we regret. Whoever masters it protects himself from all of this. The advice is short so it is easy to remember, and repeated to show how important it is.

But isn't anger natural? Yes. Scholars explain that the hadith asks two things: working on our character so we get angry less easily (patience, gentleness), and, when anger comes, not letting it decide for us. There is also a just anger, when Allah's limits are crossed; even then, the Prophet ﷺ remained in control of himself.

The truly strong. The Prophet ﷺ said: "The strong one is not the one who overpowers others in wrestling; the strong one is the one who controls himself when angry." (Bukhari 6114, Muslim 2609)

Practical ways, taught in the sunna: • Seek Allah's protection: "A'uudhu billaahi mina sh-shayṭaani r-rajiim." (Bukhari 6115) [À VÉRIFIER : numéro] • Change position: if standing, sit down; otherwise, lie down. (Abu Dawud 4782) [À VÉRIFIER : numéro et degré] • Stay silent: say nothing while the anger is there. • Make wudu: a hadith recommends it (Abu Dawud 4784), but its chain is discussed [À VÉRIFIER : degré].

And you? What most often makes you angry (a brother or sister, a game, a remark)? Choose one of the ways above in advance and try it next time.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation The man asked for advice several times, and the answer did not change. This shows that controlling anger is not a small detail: it opens the door to many other qualities and closes the door to many mistakes.

The model is the Prophet ﷺ himself. 'A'ishah related that he never took revenge for himself; he only became angry when the limits set by Allah were violated (Bukhari 3560, Muslim 2327). His anger was never a matter of ego.

The Qur'an describes the God-conscious as "those who restrain their anger and pardon people" (meaning of part of 3:134). There are two steps: first holding back one's anger (not acting under its influence), then going further and forgiving.

This hadith closes the course. The ten hadiths studied form a path: a sincere intention, a religion lived on three levels, a sound heart, excellence, trust in Allah, sincerity towards others, and self-control.

Lessons to draw from it • When anger rises, I don't speak or act straight away. • I use the means from the sunnah: seeking refuge with Allah, changing position, staying silent. • I work on my character so that I get angry less easily. • After holding back my anger, I try to go further: forgiving.

Key points to remember • لَا تَغْضَبْ (Bukhari 6116). • "The strong one is he who controls himself when angry" (Bukhari 6114, Muslim 2609).

The main message True strength is self-control: whoever holds back his anger and forgives protects himself from many regrets.