The Prophet ﷺ was not anti-emotion. He himself felt anger—but he never let it rule him. His anger was always for the sake of Allah, never for his ego. The difference is everything. Tabarani Kabir 20740 is not just a reference for scholars. It’s a mirror held up to every believer. The next time you feel that heat rising in your chest, remember: you are holding an ember. You can either drop it into the hearts of others—or extinguish it before it burns you both.
In one authenticated version of this narration (related to this number in some indices), the Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said: “Beware of anger, for it is a burning ember placed into the heart of the son of Adam. Do you not see how red the eyes become and how the veins swell?” Other related narrations with similar chains (often cross-referenced with Ahmad, Musnad, and others) add that anger can undo good deeds just as vinegar destroys honey. You might wonder: Why single out Tabarani 20740? tabarani kabir 20740
At first glance, it’s just a string of numbers and a book name. But for those who dive deeper, this narration carries a warning so profound that it has the power to reshape how we view our own anger, our words, and our relationships. The Prophet ﷺ was not anti-emotion
In the vast ocean of Islamic prophetic traditions, certain narrations cut straight to the heart of the human condition. One such gem is found in Al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir by Imam Tabarani, reference 20740 . The difference is everything
May Allah protect us from the fire of anger in this world and the next. Ameen. Have you come across this hadith before? Share your reflections below.
Imam Tabarani (874–971 CE) was a master muhaddith. His Al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir specifically collected narrations that other major books like Bukhari and Muslim did not always include—but that were still authentic or good ( hasan ) in chain. Thus, represents a tradition that preserves a crucial prophetic warning outside the “Six Books.”
Let’s unpack what this tradition teaches us—and why it matters for you, today. While the exact wording can vary slightly by manuscript and chain, Hadith 20740 in Tabarani Kabir is widely recognized by scholars as a report from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) regarding the danger of anger ( ghadab ) and the destructive power of a single moment of lost control.