The Deformity of Envy and Heart Disease
One of the most grievous character flaws that leads to spiritual ruin and consumes goodness like fire devours wood is envy (hasad). Imam Ghazali, in his work Al-Munkhiyat (Destructive Traits), meticulously examined envy, emphasizing it as one of the most insidious afflictions causing the heart to darken. Envy is an inability to accept blessings bestowed upon another and a desire for those blessings to be taken away or destroyed. In a believer, it harbors a hidden objection to divine distribution and the justice of fate. Abdul-Qadir al-Geylani stated that removing envy and malice from the heart is even more important than outward acts of worship – a crucial purification.
The Difference Between Envy and Admiration
In Islamic ethics, while envying another’s blessings and wishing for their removal (hasad) is forbidden, desiring to possess the same blessings oneself without diminishing them from their owner (ghiybah) is permissible. The envious person is perpetually unhappy; for Allah’s favors upon His servants never cease, and the fire within the envious heart will never be extinguished. The one who envies actually torments himself – his sleep evades him, his nerves are frayed, and his world becomes poisoned. Indeed, the first sin that led to Satan’s expulsion from the mercy of Allah was envy and pride towards Adam (peace be upon him).
Purifying the Heart and Acceptance of Divine Decree
Sufi masters teach that the sole remedy for freeing the heart from envy is to reach the station of Rida (contentment). A believer who accepts the sustenance, position, and abilities distributed by Allah will not envy anyone. For he knows that the absolute owner of dominion is Allah, and He gives as much as He wills. A perfect believer should learn to rejoice in the success and blessings of his fellow Muslims as if they were his own blessings. The servant who uproots envy, greed, and worldly competition from their heart attains spiritual peace and joins the ranks of those with pure hearts (qalb-i salim), whose prayers are accepted by Allah.