Shams-e Tabrizi is a remarkably singular figure in the intellectual history of Iran and one of the distinguished personalities in the sphere of Sufism. A close examination of the Maqālāt as well as others’ reports about him suggests that this enigmatic figure, in his temperament, conduct, and personal spiritual discipline, at times displayed diverse—even seemingly contradictory—tendencies, one of the most striking of which concerns his stance toward affection and anger, or gentleness and severity. The present study focuses on this issue. Five major causes emerge from this analysis: Shams regarded both divine grace and divine wrath as attributes of God and, in accordance with the principle takhalluq bi-akhlāq Allāh (“adopt the qualities of God”), sought to emulate them; he believed that the accomplished mystic capable of spiritual guidance is likewise endowed with this dual attribute and interpreted some of his own reproaches on this basis; at times his severity served pedagogical purposes for training disciples and seekers; at other times his rebuke and anger functioned as a test of loyalty, which he employed through various means; and finally, certain manifestations of anger arose from a form of protective, loving jealousy. Beyond these principal causes, additional factors are examined in the final section. Altogether, the evidence suggests that his harshness was generally grounded in discernible reasons that, besides offering a clearer understanding of his character, show that he was not afflicted by inner contradiction but acted according to a deliberate and coherent spiritual framework.