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…Or do they envy [other]
people because of what Allah has given them of His bounty?
(Qur'an, chapter 4, verse
54)
Abu `Abd Allah (al‑Imam
al‑Sadiq) (a) said that the Apostle of God (s) said that God
Almighty addressed Musa ibn `Imran (a) as follows:
"O son of `Imran,
never be envious of people concerning the favours I have conferred on
them by My grace; do not glower at them, and do not succumb to your
(envious) self. Indeed, the envious man is indignant at the bestowal of
My favour, and contests My apportioning of gifts among My creatures.
Whoever is such, he neither belongs to Me nor do I belong to him."
[Al-Kulayni, Usul al‑Kafi,vol.
2, p. 307, Bab al-Hasad, hadith no. 6]
Diseases of the Soul…
Envy
(Hasad)
Hasad or malicious envy is a psychological state in
which a person wishes for the deprivation of a blessing, talent, or
merit possessed by another
person (the
mahsud). Islamic ethical teachings shed light on the causes and motives
of hasad and its harmful spiritual, moral and social effects, and offer
practical solutions for combating this spiritual disease.
The Causes and Motives of Hasad
Qualities in others such as certain
intellectual, spiritual, and moral merits, or good and pious deeds, or
outward factors such as honour, prestige and wealth can cause hasad.
Also, immoral or negative traits that are imagined to be merits can be
a cause of hasad. Almost all of the causes of hasad are
the products of a feeling of inferiority and dejectness. When a person
perceives others to be more perfect than himself, a feeling of
inferiority seizes him, which, with the help of external factors and
inner propensities, generates the feeling of envy in his heart.
The scholar al‑`Allamah al‑Majlisi
has mentioned seven causes and motives of hasad. We have listed
these causes and in some cases provided examples of hasad corresponding
to the cause:
q Enmity: Hasad
can be the result of enmity. For example, enmity against another
family, tribe or group can cause one to envy successes they achieve.
q The sense
of one's supremacy: The hasid (one who envies)
anticipates the pride of the mahsud on account of a merit mahsud
enjoys. Not having the patience to put up with this pride, the hasid
feels a sense of superiority and earnestly desires the loss of this
merit.
q Kibr (pride) and
Wonder: The hasid high‑handedly treats the person
who is conferred some merit, favour, or talent, and may wonder to see a
great blessing enjoyed by the object of his envy. For example, a
wealthy individual outwardly looks with disdain upon the respect
enjoyed by a poor person believing that he deserves to be the
recipient of such admiration.
q Fear and Love
of authority:
Also,
the envious man is fearful of some hindrance on the part of the person
enjoying an advantage or talent or merit that may frustrate his
cherished objectives. Such fear manifests itself when one's acquiring
or preserving authority over others requires that nobody should share
his advantages or merits. For example, one who wishes to be re-elected
as the leader of an organization may desire that no other member step
forward and exhibit leadership skills such as eloquence of speech and
efficiency of organization and mobilization.
q Viciousness
of nature: A human being of vicious nature does not like to see others
enjoying any kind of good whatsoever. Such a person always greets news
of another’s good fortune for example, in education or business, with
sarcasm, pessimism, and ridicule or with other unethical tactics or
conduct.
The Evil effects of Hasad
Envy is one of the deadliest
diseases of the heart and it produces additional vices such as
hypocrisy, backbiting, slandering, abuse, taunting, and torturing, all
of which are grave sins. This hideous condition makes the human heart
so narrow and gloomy that its effects pervade the realm of one's inner and outer being. The
fears and grief of the hasid revolve around the person(s) of
whom he is envious. The hasad he harbours in his heart blinds
him to the virtues of the envied, and he becomes unhappy over the
blessings of God conferred upon the mahsud. The spiritual light
and the divine spark of faith which makes the human heart greater than
anything else in the world cannot go along with the darkness and
narrowness caused in it by hasad. The heart becomes grieved and
depressed, the chest narrow and suffocated, and the face grim and
frowning. The more this state gains in strength, the more it diminishes
the brightness of faith, while this faith is the source of his
salvation in the Hereafter and the life and vigour of his heart.
Eventually this disease reduces the hasid into a helpless
wretch.
q The Prophet
Muhammad (s) said: “Beware! Do not bear enmity with the blessings of
Allah.” When asked about the people who bear enmity with the
blessings of Allah, he (s) replied: “Those who are envious.”
(Al-Mu`tazali, Sharh Nahj al-Balagha, vol.1, p. 315)
q Imam Ali
(a) said: “Envy is a great trap of Satan.” (Al-Amadi, Gharar
al-Hakam wa darar al-Kalam, hadith no. 1133)
q Imam Ali
(a) said: “A hasid is a sick person though he (may)
physically appear to be healthy.” (Gharar, hadith no. 1963)
q Muhammad
ibn Muslim reports that al-Imam al‑Baqir (a) said: “A man may be
forgiven for something done in a fit of anger, but hasad
devours faith as fire consumes wood.” (Al-Kulayni, Usul al‑Kafi,
vol. 2, p. 306, Bab al-Hasad, hadith no. 1)
q Imam Ja`far
al-Sadiq (a) is reported to have said: “Satan says to his soldiers: “Instil
hasad and disobedience of Allah among them (bani Adam) as these
are equal to shirk (polytheism) in the eyes of Allah.”
(Al-Kulayni, Usul al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 327, Bab al-Baghy,
hadith no. 2)
q Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq
(a) said that Luqman (a) said to his son: “There are three signs of a Hasid:
(1) He is a backbiter at the back (2) He is a flatterer in
front and (3) He is happy when a misfortune befalls (the
envied). (Al-
Saduq, Al-Khisal,
p. 121, hadith no. 113)
The Cure for this Disease
If
you suffer from this deadly disease, seriously contemplate the enormity
of its devastating effects on your faith. Consider taking following
steps to purge it from your heart:
q Know that
your envy doesn’t harm your mahsud, nor does it make him lose
any of his favours and merits. You shall ever suffer in grief, pain,
and anguish while the mahsud is in a state of bliss and joy. In
the Hereafter as well your envy will benefit your mahsud,
especially if it results in backbiting or slandering as your good
deeds will be assigned to the mahsud.
q Force
yourself to be affectionate with the mahsud. The aim of your
kindness should be to cure yourself of envy. Your inner self will ask
you to ill-treat or hurt him, but you must act against these
inclinations and be friendly to him. You must respect him and gradually
convince your heart to respect him.
q Try to see
his virtues yourself and think that these are favours of Allah on him.
Force yourself to speak in his praise and make his good qualities known
to others. Though your behaviour will be unnatural in the beginning,
since your aim is self‑rectification, it will gradually become
less artificial. Insha’Allah, day by day this will become a
reality and your heart will follow your tongue to appreciate his
virtues and good qualities.
q You should
convince yourself and make it understand that your mahsud is a
creature of God; perhaps it is God's grace that He has selected him for
the advantages and blessings he enjoys that you do not (currently)
possess.
q If, God
forbid, the object of your envy is a scholar endowed with knowledge or
piety, you must understand that he is from the chosen ones of God,
blessed by great merit. Try to generate love and humbleness towards
him.
q At any
stage during your treatment, don't think that this moral vice is not
curable; this erroneous notion is inspired by Satan and the lower self
(al-nafs al-ammara), who want to frustrate your efforts of
curing yourself. Have hope in God Almighty Who has promised that He will
guide those who struggle and help them through His invisible grace and
increase their capacities. (Al-Khumayni, Forty Hadith, chapter 5
‘Hasad’)
Conclusion:
Hasad is a disease of the soul
that has grave psychological, moral, and social consequences.
Fortunately, with faith and, sincere and persistent efforts, it is
curable. A faithful person is optimistic, has a hopeful attitude
towards God, and is satisfied with the way He has divided His bounties
among His creatures.
q Imam Ali (a) said: “The
person who gives up hasad is loved by people.” (Al-Majlisi, Bihar
al-Anwar, vol. 77, p. 237, hadith no. 1)
Courtesy
Al-Islam.org
To find out more about authentic
Islam, visit:
http://al-islam.org/
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