Is it a sin to get angry?

The short answer

Feeling anger is part of being human, and even prophets felt it. The Prophet ﷺ never took revenge for his own sake, but he did act when Allah's limits were violated, and he became angry when people were being harmed. What is blameworthy is anger driven by ego, and letting anger push you into words or actions that are wrong.

Evidence 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Explanation

The Quran describes Musa (AS) returning to his people "angry and grieved" when they worshipped the calf. He threw down the tablets, and "when the anger subsided in Moses, he took up the tablets" 1. A prophet felt strong anger at something truly wrong.

The Prophet ﷺ was the same, with a clear rule. Aisha (RA) said he "never took revenge over anybody for his own sake" and acted only "when Allah's legal bindings were outraged" 2. One Companion said he never saw him more furious than when a man complained that he was missing the congregational prayer because the imam made it so long. He told the people that some of them were making others dislike good deeds 3. His anger protected people; it did not serve his ego.

So why did he tell a man, again and again, "Do not become angry" 4? Because much of our everyday anger is about pride, our convenience, or someone not doing what we wanted, and it quickly leads to insults, cruelty and regret. The advice means: do not let anger take control of you. Allah praises believers who, "when they are angry, they forgive" 5. The verse assumes they do get angry; what earns praise is their response.

A simple test. Ask yourself two things. Why am I angry: is it for Allah, for justice, for someone being harmed, or for my ego? And what am I about to do with it: something fair and measured, or something I will regret? The Prophet ﷺ said real strength is controlling yourself when angry 6.

Even a prophet's anger is shown in the Quran as something to be handled carefully: Yunus (AS) "went off in anger", was then tested in the darkness, and was saved when he turned back to Allah 7. Feeling angry is not the sin; letting it rule you can be.

The evidence

  1. 1
    Quran Al-A'raaf · 7:150–154

    Musa (AS) returned angry and grieved at the calf-worship, and took up the tablets once his anger subsided.

    وَلَمَّا رَجَعَ مُوسَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦ غَضۡبَٰنَ أَسِفࣰ ا قَالَ بِئۡسَمَا خَلَفۡتُمُونِي مِنۢ بَعۡدِيٓۖ أَعَجِلۡتُمۡ أَمۡرَ رَبِّكُمۡۖ وَأَلۡقَى ٱلۡأَلۡوَاحَ وَأَخَذَ بِرَأۡسِ أَخِيهِ يَجُرُّهُۥٓ إِلَيۡهِۚ قَالَ ٱبۡنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱسۡتَضۡعَفُونِي وَكَادُواْ يَقۡتُلُونَنِي فَلَا تُشۡمِتۡ بِيَ ٱلۡأَعۡدَآءَ وَلَا تَجۡعَلۡنِي مَعَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ۝١٥٠ قَالَ رَبِّ ٱغۡفِرۡ لِي وَلِأَخِي وَأَدۡخِلۡنَا فِي رَحۡمَتِكَۖ وَأَنتَ أَرۡحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ ۝١٥١ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُواْ ٱلۡعِجۡلَ سَيَنَالُهُمۡ غَضَبࣱ مِّن رَّبِّهِمۡ وَذِلَّةࣱ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجۡزِي ٱلۡمُفۡتَرِينَ ۝١٥٢ وَٱلَّذِينَ عَمِلُواْ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ ثُمَّ تَابُواْ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهَا وَءَامَنُوٓاْ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهَا لَغَفُورࣱ رَّحِيمࣱ‏ ۝١٥٣ وَلَمَّا سَكَتَ عَن مُّوسَى ٱلۡغَضَبُ أَخَذَ ٱلۡأَلۡوَاحَۖ وَفِي نُسۡخَتِهَا هُدࣰ ى وَرَحۡمَةࣱ لِّلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِرَبِّهِمۡ يَرۡهَبُونَ ۝١٥٤

    150 And when Moses returned to his people, angry and grieved, he said, "How wretched is that by which you have replaced me after [my departure]. Were you impatient over the matter of your Lord?" And he threw down the tablets and seized his brother by [the hair of] his head, pulling him toward him. [Aaron] said, "O son of my mother, indeed the people oppressed me and were about to kill me, so let not the enemies rejoice over me and do not place me among the wrongdoing people 151 [Moses] said, "My Lord, forgive me and my brother and admit us into Your mercy, for You are the most merciful of the merciful 152 Indeed, those who took the calf [for worship] will obtain anger from their Lord and humiliation in the life of this world, and thus do We recompense the inventors [of falsehood] 153 But those who committed misdeeds and then repented after them and believed - indeed your Lord, thereafter, is Forgiving and Merciful 154 And when the anger subsided in Moses, he took up the tablets; and in their inscription was guidance and mercy for those who are fearful of their Lord

  2. 2
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 6126
    Sahih Bukhari

    The Prophet ﷺ never took revenge for himself, only when Allah's limits were violated.

    Narrated `Aisha:Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was given the choice of one of two matters he would choose the easier of the two as long as it was not sinful to do so, but if it was sinful, he would not approach it. Allah's Apostle never took revenge over anybody for his own sake but (he did) only when Allah's legal bindings were outraged, in which case he would take revenge for Allah's sake." (See Hadith No. 760. Vol)

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ مَا خُيِّرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ قَطُّ إِلاَّ أَخَذَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا، مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ إِثْمًا، فَإِنْ كَانَ إِثْمًا كَانَ أَبْعَدَ النَّاسِ مِنْهُ، وَمَا انْتَقَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِنَفْسِهِ فِي شَىْءٍ قَطُّ، إِلاَّ أَنْ تُنْتَهَكَ حُرْمَةُ اللَّهِ، فَيَنْتَقِمَ بِهَا لِلَّهِ‏.‏

  3. 3
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 90
    Sahih Bukhari

    The Prophet ﷺ was most furious when an imam's long prayers were driving people away.

    Narrated Abu Mas`ud Al-Ansari:Once a man said to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I may not attend the (compulsory congregational) prayer because so and so (the Imam) prolongs the prayer when he leads us for it. The narrator added: "I never saw the Prophet (ﷺ) more furious in giving advice than he was on that day. The Prophet said, "O people! Some of you make others dislike good deeds (the prayers). So whoever leads the people in prayer should shorten it because among them there are the sick the weak and the needy (having some jobs to do)

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي خَالِدٍ، عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الأَنْصَارِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، لاَ أَكَادُ أُدْرِكُ الصَّلاَةَ مِمَّا يُطَوِّلُ بِنَا فُلاَنٌ، فَمَا رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي مَوْعِظَةٍ أَشَدَّ غَضَبًا مِنْ يَوْمِئِذٍ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنَّكُمْ مُنَفِّرُونَ، فَمَنْ صَلَّى بِالنَّاسِ فَلْيُخَفِّفْ، فَإِنَّ فِيهِمُ الْمَرِيضَ وَالضَّعِيفَ وَذَا الْحَاجَةِ ‏"‏‏.‏

  4. 4
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 6116
    Sahih Bukhari

    The Prophet ﷺ repeatedly advised, "Do not become angry."

    Narrated Abu Huraira:A man said to the Prophet (ﷺ) , "Advise me! "The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do not become angry and furious." The man asked (the same) again and again, and the Prophet (ﷺ) said in each case, "Do not become angry and furious

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ ـ هُوَ ابْنُ عَيَّاشٍ ـ عَنْ أَبِي حَصِينٍ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَجُلاً، قَالَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَوْصِنِي‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ تَغْضَبْ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَرَدَّدَ مِرَارًا، قَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ تَغْضَبْ ‏"‏‏.‏

  5. 5
    Quran Ash-Shura · 42:37

    Believers avoid major sins, and when they are angry, they forgive.

    وَٱلَّذِينَ يَجۡتَنِبُونَ كَبَٰٓئِرَ ٱلۡإِثۡمِ وَٱلۡفَوَٰحِشَ وَإِذَا مَا غَضِبُواْ هُمۡ يَغۡفِرُونَ ۝٣٧

    And those who avoid the major sins and immoralities, and when they are angry, they forgive

  6. 6
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 6114
    Sahih Bukhari

    The strong one is he who controls himself when angry.

    Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ لَيْسَ الشَّدِيدُ بِالصُّرَعَةِ، إِنَّمَا الشَّدِيدُ الَّذِي يَمْلِكُ نَفْسَهُ عِنْدَ الْغَضَبِ ‏"‏‏.‏

  7. 7
    Quran Al-Anbiyaa · 21:87–88

    Yunus (AS) went off in anger, was tried in the darkness, called on Allah and was saved.

    وَذَا ٱلنُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَٰضِبࣰ ا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِي ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ أَن لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبۡحَٰنَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ۝٨٧ فَٱسۡتَجَبۡنَا لَهُۥ وَنَجَّيۡنَٰهُ مِنَ ٱلۡغَمِّۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُـۨجِي ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ۝٨٨

    87 And [mention] the man of the fish, when he went off in anger and thought that We would not decree [anything] upon him. And he called out within the darknesses, "There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers 88 So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers

This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24

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