The reality of envy and its danger

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Beware of envy because envy consumes (destroys) the virtues just as the fire consumes the firewood."[1]

He also said:"The disease of the people before you, jealousy and hatred has penetrated in you. It is the shaver. I do not say that it shaves the hair, but it shaves religion."[2]

Envy is a noxious manner which Allah prohibited, moreover, Allah commanded people to seek refuge in Him against the evil of enviers when they practice envy. Furthermore, the Messenger (peace be upon him) prohibited envy in many Hadiths because if envy spreads in a nation, it generates disharmony, hatred, and bad relationships, and would destroy a loving and integral community; this is not one of the attributes of a Muslim society, therefore Allah and His Messenger dispraised it.

The reality of envy:

When Allah grants favors to someone and another wants to remove them, this is envy but when someone wants to have the same favor without removing it from its owner, this is rejoicing and competition.

As for envy, it is prohibited in all cases except if a debauchee is granted a favor which he uses to harm others, so there is no harm to wish the removal of such favor because he uses it for corruption.

* Types of envy are four:

1- To love the removal of a favor from the envied even if that does not happen to him; this is the utmost goal of an envier.

2- To love the removal of a favor in order to possess it.

3- To desire the same favor for oneself without wishing its removal from its owner, but if it did not happen, a person would envy him and wish its removal.

4- To desire the same, but if it does not, he does not love the removal of the favor.

The first type of enviers is dispraised and dangerous, the second is about to fall in a forbidden matter, the third is between praise and dispraise, and the fourth is forgiven.

Scholars mentioned seven reasons for envy:

1- Enmity and hatred whether aggression or because of harm.

2- When a person gains a higher position than another person and the later cannot stand it, then he envies him and desires the removal of that favor.

3- To have the nature of using others, so a person desires the removal of favors from those whom he desires to use.

4- Astonishment as Allah (Glory be to Him) narrated about the enemies of Messengers who said: "You are only human beings like ourselves." [Surat Ya Sin: 15]. "Shall we believe in two men like ourselves, and their people are obedient to us with humility (and we use them to serve us as we like)." [Surat Al Mu'minun: 47]. "Has Allâh sent a man as (His) Messenger?" [Surat Isra': 94].

5- The fear to miss an objective, that is for those who are competing about one goal or one profession, each one of them envy the other to seek the favor for himself, such as the envy of brothers to gain a higher position at the parents or the envy of fellow wives to gain the love of the husband.

6- The love of presidency and power such as those who master a profession and when they hear about a peer or a counterpart, they do not love that and wish the removal of the favor.

7- Self-niggardliness and not wishing good for the people, and that is the worst of all types.

The reason of muchness, fewness, power, and weakness of envy in some places:

Scholars mentioned some reasons of envy and of the most prominent are competition in favors, actions, and professions.

Therefore, we find envy widespread in small villages where everything is not hidden, so rejoice and envy spread unlike big cities where actions are numerous, movements are accelerated, distances are vast, and each person is concerned with his affairs and business. In villages, villagers always look at one another and ask about their affairs, therefore, envy spreads massively in villages unlike cities.

As for the cure for envy, it has two sides:

From the side of an envier:

An envier has to know that one of prerequisites of faith is to satisfy with the destiny, and by practicing envy, he is not content of Allah's Destiny but interferes in Allah's Division and justice to His Servants which are not shown to many people; this is a defect in faith.

From another side, an envier should know that when he cheats a believer for the sake of envy, he loses one of the qualities of believers which is loving for others what he loves for himself, and would have a common quality with Satan and disbelievers which is loving of evil for believers.

From another side, when an envier shows hostility to a believer for the sake of envy, he is fighting Allah because a believer is one of the close patrons of Allah even if he has many defects because infallibility is not a condition in pious people.

From another side, an envier should remember the great punishment of Allah in the Hereafter.

From another side, an envier should show mercy to himself and gets ready from the impacts of concerns and worries that would not leave his heart. Many enviers were killed by envy, especially envy for presidency and power.

When an envier knows for sure that the harm will be against himself in his religion and in the world, and envy will not harm the envied less than him, then he will quit envy and will be safe of concerns, insinuations, and worries.

From another side, an envier should know that the envied will not be harmed by his envy because in the world he is given favors which predestined for him.

An envied benefits from envy in this world and in the Hereafter: As for the religion, he is oppressed by an envier especially when an envier dispraises him, defames his honor, and showes his defects; all these gifts are given to him at the hand of his envier to increase his good deeds. An envied still gains benefit from his envier against his will, so when an envier knows that, he figures out that he is the only loser and leaves out his envy; and this is the best cure for an envier.

As for the cure of the envied, it will be through several things:

1- Seeking refuge in Allah against the evil of an envier because whoever seeks refuge in Allah sincerely, Allah will protect him.

2- Fearing Allah and not approaching His Prescribed Limits as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Fear Allah so that He would guard you."

3- Sincere repentance of sins.

4- Observing patience on enemies, and not speaking about their harm, but seeks help from Allah.

5- Full reliance on Allah and seeking refuge in His Dhikr.

6- Freeing the heart from thinking about an envier and forgets him completely.

7- Drawing nearer to Allah by loving him, showing sincerity to Him, relying on Him, and invoking Him alone.

8- Giving in charity and showing benevolence as much as possible, for that has an amazing effect in warding off afflictions and trials.

9- Showing benevolence to an envier and giving gifts to him to put off the fire of envy in his chest, which is hard for oneself.