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Recap
In the past two newsletters, we’ve shared with you the dangers of anger and hatred, and how these diseases of the heart can bring us to ruin. It is important for us to be aware of these diseases, so that we can take the necessary steps to soften and purify our hearts, as these diseases can have a negative effect on our spiritual health and the well-being of our akhlak (character). InshaAllah in today’s newsletter, we’ll be discussing another disease of the heart: envy. 

Envy
Envy (hasad) is a severe disease of the heart that some scholars hold to be the root of all diseases. Others opine that the parent disease goes back to covetousness (tama’). Regardless of where envy ranks in the hierarchy of diseases, most scholars agree that it is the first manifestation of wrongdoing and the first cause of disobedience against God.
 
It occurred when Iblis refused to obey God when commanded to bow down before the new creation, Adam, the first human being. Nothing prevented Iblis from bowing down except his envy of Adam, for God chose Adam to be His vicegerent on earth instead of him. Iblis arrogantly objected to the command, because he saw himself, a creation from fire, far more superior to Adam, who was created merely from clay. When confronted with his disobedience, Iblis did not seek forgiveness from God. Enviers develop a mindset that makes it impossible for them to admit they are wrong. To manifest envy is to manifest one of the characteristics of the most wretched creature, Iblis.

Disease of the Heart
In Arabic, hasūd or (hāsid) is one who carries and emanates this envy, and the object of his envy is called mahsūd. The Quran teaches us to seek refuge in God from "the evil of the envier [hāsid] when he envies." (Quran, 113:5) 
  The Prophet (SAW) said that envy consumes good deeds the way fire devours dry wood. He also said, "Every possessor of any blessing is envied." While it is believed that envy can bring about harm to the one envied, ultimately it is the envier who is harmed the most.

Ibn 'Abbas reported Allah's Messenger (SAW) as saying: "The influence of evil eye is a fact; if anything would precede the destiny it would be the influence of an evil eye, and when you are asked to take a bath (as a cure) from the influence of an evil eye, you should take a bath." - Sahih Muslim 2188

Imam Mawlūd explains that envy is exhibited when one desires that another person lose a blessing he or she has. This loss could be anything big or small – a house, a car, a job, etc. For example, an envious person may become resentful that a coworker was promoted, to the point that he wishes for the person to lose the position. A woman may envy another woman because of her husband such that she hopes that a marital crisis separate the couple. A man may grow envious over another man's wife. There are endless variations of envy, but a common thread is the desire that someone lose a blessing. In essence, envy arises over what one perceives to be a blessing in someone else's possession.

Envy: Reprehensible and Forbidden
A blessing (ni'mah) is something that God bestows. One of God's names is al-Mun'im, the Bestower of Blessing. Envy, then, is to desire that a person lose whatever blessing God has given them. It is tantamount to saying that God should not have given this person a blessing or, worse yet, that He was wrong to do so "because I deserve it more." However, what is perceived as a blessing could be based on a completely false notion, as one may desire something that in reality is nothing but trouble and difficulty. Conversely, there could be a blessing hidden in something difficult. "But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah knows, while you know not." (Quran, 2:216)

God is all-wise in what He gives to people. If one questions the blessing a person has received, then he or she is actually questioning the Giver. This makes envy reprehensible and forbidden.

Cure for Envy
Imam Mawlūd prescribes two cures for envy. The first is to consciously act in opposition to one's whims. As a remedy to the type of envy that prods one to bring harm to another person, Imam Mawlūd suggests that one contradict his temptation to cause harm, and instead do something that will benefit the person who is envied. For example, give that person a gift or do a favour. This defies the commands of one's whims, gains the pleasure of God, and protects against envy. The Imam also suggests that one may praise the person toward whom one feels the urge to slander. There is no hypocrisy in this recommendation. The purpose is to starve envy of the negative thoughts it requires to thrive. 

Another cure is to know with certainty that holding envy against another person brings harm to oneself. Human nature's most primal instinct is to avoid harm. It is easier for a person to repel negative feelings when they realise that these feelings hurt the soul. The basis of the remedy for envy is taqwā, which is having a sense of awe of God, an active awareness of Him as the ultimate power over all creation. This defuses false notions of misappropriated blessings. One should also realise that what people attain in terms of material wealth or prestige is from God. He is all-knowing and all-wise; He knows best how to distribute His blessings and to whom, while we do not possess such knowledge.

Envy that devours righteous deeds is envy that drives someone to wrong others. Imam al-Ghazali makes a distinction between various strains of envy. He states that if one hates envy and is ashamed that he or she harbours it, the person is not essentially an envious person. It is important to be aware of the feelings that reside in one's heart. This self-awareness is essential for the purpose of purification. 

Not Necessarily Negative
According to Imam al-Ghazali, because these diseases are common to human nature, the objective should be to transform them into something beneficial and turn them into an advantage. The Prophet (SAW) said, "There is no [acceptable] envy except of two people." One of them is a person who has been given wealth and spends it toward good causes. Envying such a person is permissible because one's desire is to have wealth in order to do the righteous deed of giving alms to the poor. 

The other person is one who has been given wisdom and teaches is to people. A person may envy the wise because he or she wishes to be instilled with some of that wisdom as well in order to teach others. Hence, if one has envy, one should let it not be of fleeting things, like worldly assets that are usually hoarded and displayed for show. One should instead desire what will serve one's Hereafter. This is how to convert negative feelings into positive ones.  
 
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Source: Purification of the Heart by Hamza Yusuf