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