Al-Adab Al-Mufrad
Anger
كتاب الْغَضَبِ
Chapter 640
بَابُ الْغَضَبِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Isma‘il related to us: Malik related to me, from Ibn Shihab, from Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyab, from Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘The strong person is not the one who overpowers others in wrestling. The truly strong person is the one who controls himself when angry.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
الصُّرَعَة is the person who throws or overcomes others in wrestling; the report redefines strength as self-control.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ahmad ibn Yunus related to us: Abu Shihab ‘Abd Rabbih related to us, from Yunus, from al-Hasan, from Ibn ‘Umar, who said: ‘There is no swallow whose reward with Allah is greater than a swallow of anger that a servant restrains, seeking the face of Allah.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic repeats جرعة (“a gulp/swallow”) metaphorically for a mouthful of anger that is restrained for Allah’s sake.
مَا مِنْ جَرْعَةٍ أَعْظَمَ عِنْدَ اللهِ أَجْرًا مِنْ جَرْعَةِ غَيْظٍ كَظَمَهَا عَبْدٌ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ اللهِ
The Arabic uses “gulp/swallow” metaphorically with anger; the English keeps this image, which may sound unusual.
Would “an instance of anger a servant swallows” read more naturally while preserving the image?
Chapter 641
بَابُ مَا يَقُولُ إِذَا غَضِبَ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
‘Ali ibn ‘Abd Allah related to us: Abu Usamah related to us: I heard al-A‘mash say: ‘Adiy ibn Thabit related to us, from Sulayman ibn Surad, who said: Two men exchanged insults in the presence of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. One of them became angry and his face reddened. The Prophet looked at him and said: “I know a phrase that, if he said it, would make this leave him: ‘I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed.’” A man went to that man and said: “Do you know what he said? He said: ‘Seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed.’” The man replied: “Do you think I am mad?”’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The final retort rejects the suggestion; it is translated directly without adding an explanation of the man’s response.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Uthman read to us, from Abu Hamzah, from al-A‘mash, from Ibn Thabit, from Sulayman ibn Surad, who said: I was sitting with the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, while two men were insulting one another. One of them turned red in the face and his neck veins swelled. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘I know a phrase that, if he said it, would make what he is experiencing go away.’ They said to him: ‘The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed.”’ He said: ‘Am I possessed by madness?’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
This is a variant of the preceding report. The source says that his neck veins swelled and the man rejected the suggestion by asking whether he was mad.
Chapter 642
بَابُ يَسْكُتُ إِذَا غَضِبَ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Musaddad related to us: ‘Abd al-Wahid ibn Ziyad related to us: Layth related to us: Tawus related to me, from Ibn ‘Abbas, who said: The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Teach and make things easy; teach and make things easy; teach and make things easy.’ He repeated three times. ‘When you are angry, be silent,’ repeated twice.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The source counts the instruction to teach and make easy three times, and the instruction to remain silent when angry twice.
Chapter 643
بَابُ أَحْبِبْ حَبِيبَكَ هَوْنًا مَا
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
‘Abd Allah related to us: Marwan ibn Mu‘awiyah related to us: Muhammad ibn ‘Ubayd al-Kindi related to us, from his father, who said: I heard ‘Ali say to Ibn al-Kawwa’: ‘Do you know what the first man said? Love your beloved with moderation, for he may one day become someone you dislike; and dislike the one you dislike with moderation, for he may one day become someone you love.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
هَوْنًا مَا means gently or moderately, not “an easy matter” as in the English witness.
أَحْبِبْ حَبِيبَكَ هَوْنًا مَا،
هَوْنًا مَا means gently/moderately, describing degree of affection rather than the ease of loving.
None; the translation follows the Arabic idiom.
Chapter 644
بَابُ لا يَكُنْ بُغْضُكَ تَلَفًا
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Sa‘id ibn Abi Maryam related to us: Muhammad ibn Ja‘far informed us: Zayd ibn Aslam related to us, from his father, from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, who said: ‘Do not let your love become an excessive attachment, nor your hatred become destructive.’ I asked: ‘How so?’ He replied: ‘When you love, you become attached with a child’s intensity; and when you hate, you wish destruction upon your companion.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The expression كلف describes excessive attachment/infatuation; تلف is ruin or destruction. The explanation that follows is preserved.
لاَ يَكُنْ حُبُّكَ كَلَفًا، وَلاَ بُغْضُكَ تَلَفًا
كلف and تلف are concise, rhyming terms; the explanation that follows provides their intended sense.
Should the opening aphorism preserve the rhyme in a more compressed English form?