Hadith Text
وَعَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ رضي الله عنه أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ:
«مَنْ كَظَمَ غَيْظًا، وَهُوَ قَادِرٌ عَلَىٰ أَنْ يُنْفِدَهُ، دَعَاهُ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَلَىٰ رُؤُوسِ الْخَلائِقِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ حَتَّىٰ يُخَيِّرَهُ مِنَ الْحُورِ الْعِينِ مَا شَاءَ».رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ، وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَقَالَ: حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ.
Full Translation
On the authority of Muʿādh ibn Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever suppresses anger while he is able to act on it—Allah will call him before the heads of all creation on the Day of Resurrection, and will let him choose from the Hoor al‑ʿīn whatever he wishes.”
Narrated by Abu Dawud, and al-Tirmidhi who said: a good hadith.
Meanings of Key Words
- كَظَمَ غَيْظًا — suppresses anger; kaẓama means to hold it down, to bottle it, to keep it from emerging.
- وَهُوَ قَادِرٌ عَلَىٰ أَنْ يُنْفِدَهُ — while he is able to act on it; this is the key condition. He is not weak; he is restrained by choice.
- دَعَاهُ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ رُؤُوسِ الْخَلائِقِ — Allah calls him before the heads of all creation; a public honor on the Day of Resurrection.
- يُخَيِّرَهُ مِنَ الْحُورِ الْعِينِ مَا شَاءَ — let him choose from the Hoor al‑ʿīn whatever he wishes; the reward is so great that he is given choice among the most honored companions of Paradise.
- حُور الْعِين — Hoor al‑ʿīn; the pure, beautiful companions of Paradise with luminous eyes.
Hadith Lessons
This hadith describes a station of self-mastery that is not only private, but honored publicly before all creation. The person who can hold his anger when he is fully capable of acting on it is not ignored by Allah. On the Day of Resurrection, Allah Himself will call him forward before everyone, and will give him permission to choose from the highest ranks of Paradise. That is not a minor reward for a small act. It is divine favor for a moment of inner strength.
The condition is important: the person must be able to act on his anger. If a person suppresses anger only because he is weak or powerless, this is not the same station. The hadith praises the person who is strong enough to harm, but instead chooses to restrain himself. That choice is the essence of spiritual strength.
This hadith also connects with the earlier hadiths about anger. In one, the Prophet ﷺ says the strong one is not the wrestler, but the one who controls himself at anger. In another, he says the shortest advice is “do not become angry.” Here, he gives a direct picture of the reward: a public call before all creation, and the freedom to choose from the most honored companions of Paradise. Anger restraint is not just about avoiding sin; it is about gaining a station so high that Allah honors it in front of the entire world.
Three Questions to Close With
- When I am angry and fully capable of reacting, what stops me — fear, habit, or something deeper?
- If Allah honored me in front of all creation for one act of restraint, would I believe that holding back anger could be that act?
- Do I treat anger control as a small moral preference, or as a way to reach a station that Allah will announce before everyone?