Some people speak ill of others and envy them for what Allah has granted them of His bounty. What is your guidance for these people?
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The questioner : This questioner, Abu Abdullah, says: Some people speak ill of others and envy them for what Allah has granted them of His bounty. What is your guidance for these people?
The Shaykh : Our guidance for these people is to fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and to beware of envy, for envy consumes good deeds just as fire consumes fuel. Envy does nothing for the envious person but increase his anxiety and sorrow, because every time Allah’s blessing is renewed upon the one being envied, the fire of envy flares up in his heart, and he regrets and is unable to try to be like that person who is being envied.
Furthermore, envy is a rejection of Allah’s divine decree and destiny, because he disliked what Allah bestowed upon others. Envy is also an aggression against others, against those who are being envied, because it is the norm that the envious person seeks to suppress the blessing from the one being envied, to hide it, to backbite the one being envied, and to tarnish his reputation. Moreover, envy is one of the characteristics of the Jews. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:109] And Allah the Exalted said: [An-Nisa 4:54] And Allah the Exalted said: [An-Nisa 4:32] And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: meaning, do not envy one another. So envy is a despicable, vile trait that does not occur except from weakness of soul, bad opinion of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and malice toward the Muslims.
The Shaykh : Our guidance for these people is to fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and to beware of envy, for envy consumes good deeds just as fire consumes fuel. Envy does nothing for the envious person but increase his anxiety and sorrow, because every time Allah’s blessing is renewed upon the one being envied, the fire of envy flares up in his heart, and he regrets and is unable to try to be like that person who is being envied.
Furthermore, envy is a rejection of Allah’s divine decree and destiny, because he disliked what Allah bestowed upon others. Envy is also an aggression against others, against those who are being envied, because it is the norm that the envious person seeks to suppress the blessing from the one being envied, to hide it, to backbite the one being envied, and to tarnish his reputation. Moreover, envy is one of the characteristics of the Jews. Allah the Exalted said: