We want an idea about envy. Is it possible for a person to envy someone dear to himself?
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The questioner : The questioner says, I hope you will give us an idea about envy, and is there...
The Shaykh : about?
The questioner : about envy.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And is it possible for a person to envy someone dear to himself?
The Shaykh : Envy.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It has been said that it is wishing the removal of Allah’s blessing from another, and it has been said that envy is disliking what Allah has bestowed upon others. The first is the well-known view among the scholars, and the second is what Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) established. Thus, merely disliking what Allah has bestowed upon people is considered envy.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Envy is forbidden because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) prohibited it, and it is one of the characteristics of the Jews who envy people for what Allah has given them of His bounty. Envy has many harms. Among them is that it is a rebellion against the decree and destiny of Allah and a lack of satisfaction with what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has decreed, because the envious person dislikes this blessing that Allah has bestowed upon the one being envied. Among them is that the envious person remains constantly in anxiety, burning, and distress, because the blessings of Allah upon His servants are innumerable. If he envies and dislikes the blessing whenever he sees one on another, he must remain in constant anxiety, and this is the state of the envious person, may Allah protect us from it. Among them is that it is the norm for the envious person to be aggressive toward the one being envied, attempting to conceal Allah’s blessing upon this person or to remove Allah’s blessing from this person, thereby combining envy with aggression. Among them is that the envious person has a resemblance to the Jews who envy people for what Allah has given them of His bounty. Among them is that the envious person belittles Allah’s blessing upon himself because he sees that the one being envied is more complete and better than he is, so he despises Allah’s blessing upon himself and does not thank Him (Glorified and Exalted is He) for it. Among them is that envy indicates the baseness of the envious person and that he is one who does not love good for others, but is lowly and looks only at this world. If he looked at the Hereafter, he would turn away from this. But if someone says, “If envy occurs in my heart without my choice, what is the cure?” The cure consists of two things. The first is to turn away from this completely, to forget this matter, and to occupy oneself with what concerns his own self.
The second is to reflect and contemplate on the harms of envy, for contemplating the harms of an action necessitates aversion to it. Then let him try: if he loves good for others and is content with what Allah has given, is this better, or is it better to pursue the blessings of Allah upon others, leaving a burning in his heart and dissatisfaction with the decree and destiny of Allah? Let him choose whichever of the two paths he wishes. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : about?
The questioner : about envy.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And is it possible for a person to envy someone dear to himself?
The Shaykh : Envy.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It has been said that it is wishing the removal of Allah’s blessing from another, and it has been said that envy is disliking what Allah has bestowed upon others. The first is the well-known view among the scholars, and the second is what Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) established. Thus, merely disliking what Allah has bestowed upon people is considered envy.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Envy is forbidden because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) prohibited it, and it is one of the characteristics of the Jews who envy people for what Allah has given them of His bounty. Envy has many harms. Among them is that it is a rebellion against the decree and destiny of Allah and a lack of satisfaction with what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has decreed, because the envious person dislikes this blessing that Allah has bestowed upon the one being envied. Among them is that the envious person remains constantly in anxiety, burning, and distress, because the blessings of Allah upon His servants are innumerable. If he envies and dislikes the blessing whenever he sees one on another, he must remain in constant anxiety, and this is the state of the envious person, may Allah protect us from it. Among them is that it is the norm for the envious person to be aggressive toward the one being envied, attempting to conceal Allah’s blessing upon this person or to remove Allah’s blessing from this person, thereby combining envy with aggression. Among them is that the envious person has a resemblance to the Jews who envy people for what Allah has given them of His bounty. Among them is that the envious person belittles Allah’s blessing upon himself because he sees that the one being envied is more complete and better than he is, so he despises Allah’s blessing upon himself and does not thank Him (Glorified and Exalted is He) for it. Among them is that envy indicates the baseness of the envious person and that he is one who does not love good for others, but is lowly and looks only at this world. If he looked at the Hereafter, he would turn away from this. But if someone says, “If envy occurs in my heart without my choice, what is the cure?” The cure consists of two things. The first is to turn away from this completely, to forget this matter, and to occupy oneself with what concerns his own self.
The second is to reflect and contemplate on the harms of envy, for contemplating the harms of an action necessitates aversion to it. Then let him try: if he loves good for others and is content with what Allah has given, is this better, or is it better to pursue the blessings of Allah upon others, leaving a burning in his heart and dissatisfaction with the decree and destiny of Allah? Let him choose whichever of the two paths he wishes. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.