Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
Allah’s anger is an attribute established by the Qur’an and Sunnah. It is an attribute of perfection befitting His Majesty and is not like the anger of created beings. The fact that Allah becomes angry with those who deserve His anger and is pleased with those who deserve His pleasure does not conflict with His perfection. Rather, part of His perfection is that the righteous and the evildoer are not equal before Him. As for the term “change,” it is an ambiguous term that is neither affirmed nor denied absolutely in the revealed texts. Rather, its intended meaning must first be considered.
Muslims are agreed that Allah Almighty is exalted above every deficiency and that all attributes of perfection belong to Him.
His life is perfect, His knowledge is perfect, His power is perfect, and all His attributes befit His greatness and majesty.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) explained that every perfection that contains no deficiency is affirmed for Allah in the most complete manner, and that affirming perfection necessarily entails denying its opposite. Thus, life negates death, knowledge negates ignorance, and power negates inability.
The attribute of anger is established in many verses, including Allah’s saying:
“And do not transgress therein, lest My anger descend upon you. And whoever My anger descends upon has certainly fallen.”
[Ta-Ha: 81]
Allah also says:
“Whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, wherein he will remain, and Allah has become angry with him, cursed him, and prepared for him a tremendous punishment.”
[An-Nisa’: 93]
It is also authentically reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“The anger of Allah became severe against a people who did this to His Prophet.”
Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Perfection does not mean that anger must exist in every circumstance, whether obedience or disobedience occurs. Rather, part of the perfection of Allah’s justice and wisdom is that He loves and is pleased with obedience, while He becomes angry at disobedience that deserves His anger.
Allah Almighty says:
“Or should We treat those who believe and do righteous deeds like those who spread corruption on earth? Or should We treat the righteous like the wicked?”
[Sad: 28]
The term “change” is one of the ambiguous expressions that Islamic revelation has neither affirmed nor denied of Allah in an unrestricted manner. Therefore, its intended meaning must first be clarified.
If what is meant is to deny deficiency, instability, and being affected in the manner that created beings are affected, then Allah Almighty is exalted above all of that.
However, if the term is used to deny the attributes and actions that Allah affirmed for Himself, such as pleasure, anger, love, descent, and similar attributes, then it is not correct to use this terminology as a reason to reject the revealed texts.
The principle regarding ambiguous expressions is that their meaning should first be clarified; the correct meaning is accepted, while the false meaning is rejected.
The texts indicate that Allah becomes angry and is pleased as He wills, in a manner befitting Him.
Among the clearest proofs is the hadith of intercession, in which Adam (peace be upon him) says:
“Indeed, my Lord has become angry today with an anger the like of which He has never had before, and the like of which He will never have afterward.”
Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
For this reason, Ahl al-Sunnah affirmed anger, pleasure, and the other attributes mentioned in revelation, while denying any resemblance between them and the attributes of created beings.
Imam al-Tahawi summarized this by saying:
“Allah becomes angry and is pleased, but not like anyone among creation.”
Yes. There is no harm in reflecting on Allah’s attributes with the intention of knowing Allah, glorifying Him, increasing one’s faith, and contemplating the effects of His names and attributes.
However, the basic principle is that the Muslim should adhere to what has come in the Qur’an and Sunnah, affirming what Allah has affirmed for Himself and what His Messenger ﷺ affirmed for Him, without distortion or denial, and without asking how or likening His attributes to those of creation.
Allah’s anger does not conflict with His perfection. Rather, it is an established attribute befitting His Majesty and does not resemble the anger of created beings. Allah becomes angry and is pleased according to His will, as indicated by the revealed texts. These attributes should not be denied because of ambiguous terms such as “change.”
It is also permissible to reflect on Allah’s attributes with the intention of gaining knowledge, glorifying Him, and increasing one’s faith, while remaining within the limits of revelation and refraining from delving into the exact nature of His attributes.
And Allah knows best.