'Let it be known that Allah's people always do good deeds' (qasida 62:11)

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Envy 3

To complete what we started in two previous articles about envy, we find that one of the great acknowledgeable Imams spoke about the envy, warned people of it, and clarified its evilness. It was Imam al-Qushairi [AAH] who explained some of the things about it to us in his book " the Message". Ibn Masoud told us that the Prophet [PPBUH] said (Three thing are the root of all sin, so beware of them. Beware of the arrogance, because it prevented Satan from prostration to Adam. Beware of the greed because it urged Adam to eat from the tree. Beware of the envy, as one of Adam’s sons killed his brother because of envy). So the first crime on the earth was committed due to envy. So look brothers, may Allah bless you and save us all from this incurable disease. Imam al-Qushairi said that some of the great ancestors said: the  envious is ungrateful because he did not accept Allah’s judgment.

Allah, Almighty, says [Say 'My Lord has only forbidden fornication whether open or secret'] al-Araf 7:33. It was said that hidden deeds here means envy. Some books say: the envious is the enemy of my bless. It is said that envy affects you before affecting your enemy. Al-Asma’i said: I saw an old Bedouin who aged one hundred and twenty, I asked him about the reason for being very old, he replied: I left envy so I lived long. Ibn al-Mubark said "praised be to Allah, that He did not put in the heart of my prince, what He left in the heart of my envious". In some ancestors traces, that there is an angel in the fifth  heaven who stops a shinning deed saying to it: Stop I am the angel of envy, go hit the face of your doer, as he is envious. Moua’wia said: I could satisfy and please any one but I could not satisfy the envious because he only wants the gift to be gone. It is said that the envious is unjust and outrageous, he does not does not leave or let anything. Omar ibn Abdel-Aziz said: I have never seen an unjust who is more like the wronged one than the envious, as he is always depessed and breaths fast. They say that of the marks of an envious is that he fixes his eyes if someone is present with him, he backbites if they are absent, he is rejoiced with the calamity if it happened to someone. Moua’wia said: there is nothing more just in the bad morals than envy because it kills the envious before the envied. Allah, Almighty, revealed to Soliman ibn Dawoud seven  things "I advise you seven things: do not backbite my righteous servants, do not envy any of my servants" Soliman said "O, my Lord, that is enough!". 

It was said that Mosa saw a man by the throne and admired him much, and asked about him, what was he like? He was replied that: this man did not envy people on what Allah has given  them from His bounty. It was also said about the envious that if he sees a grace, he would be astonished, and if he sees a calamity he would rejoice. It is also said do not try to get the sincere affection of the envious because he will not accept your favor. It is also said: If Allah, Almighty, wants his servant to be dominated by a merciless enemy, He would make him dominated by his envious one.

Ibn Sereen [AAH] said: I have never envied anyone for having something of the worldly life because if he is one of the paradise people, so how can I envy him for the worldly life while it is nothing comparing to the paradise, and if he is one of the hell people, so how can I envy him for the worldly life while is finally going to hell. Abuel-Darda' said: the more the man mentions death, the less his happiness and envy are. Some said that the envious gains from sittings only humiliation and dispraise, gains from angels only curses and hatred, gains from creatures only worry and depression, gains only hardship and terrifying at the time of death, and gains in the judgment day only disgrace and punishment.

The strongest prove that envy is prohibited is that envy objects Allah’s fate. If He, Almighty, prefers some of His servants to others. There is no excuse or allowance to the envious. It is a big sin to hate the convenience or content of any Muslim whenever you he has not harmed you.

Imam Algazali said about envy: you have to know that envy is the result of hatred and hatred is the result of anger. So envy is the branch of the branch of anger, and anger is the origin of its origin. Also envy has a countless number of ugly branches. There are a lot traces and news about the dispraise of envy. There are many examples on envy and its destructive effects for the envious: 

-  Enmity of Satan to Adam: where it arouses from envy and prejudice on the dignity that Allah granted Adam. Satan said: I was created from fire but Adam was created from mud. It the first of the sins; arrogance. He, the enemy of Allah, refused to prostrate to Adam [PBUH]. He denied, abstained, and said [I am better than him] Ala’raf 7:12.

-  The prophet Jacob told his son Yusuf [PBUT]: Do not tell this vision to your brothers, as it will provoke envy in their selves, and Satan will persuade them to make devil tricks and plots against you. As Satan is an apparent hostile enemy to mankind.

-  Allah, Almighty, speaks in general about the disbelievers and in particular about Quraish disbelievers [And when there comes unto them a sign, they say: we shall not believe  until we receive as the messengers of Allah had received, Allah knows best with whom to place His Message. Humiliation and disgrace from Allah will overtake the criminals and a sever torture for what they used to plot] al-Ana’m 6:124. Allah, Almighty, said: [And when there comes unto them] i.e. those criminals. [a sign] revealed to a prophet. [they say: we shall not believe] it [until we receive] a part of the prophecy [as the messengers of Allah had received] and so we will be prophets like them. but [Allah knows best with whom to place His Message] Ala’raf 7:12. Allah knew that sayydina Muhammad [PPBUH] is worthy for the message, so He granted him with it specially. And He knew that they are not worth of it, so He banned it from them. Prophecy is not gained with money and linage, but it is with moral virtues that Allah, Almighty, grants whom He wills of His servants. And it is but with pure grace and generosity of Allah, He grants His message to whom He best knows to be good for it. Allah knows where to place his message. So look brothers and sisters how envy prevented them from seeing the light of the truth in spite of what they saw of his miracles [PPBUH]. Envy veiled their eyes, hearts and minds from seeing him [PPBUH], so they only saw the darkness of their selves and it sealed their hearts, so they were not able to embrace Islam. not only that but also envy increased their enmity to the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH], and with this enmity they fell in the worst evil. Allah, Almighty, describes those disbelievers and the likes of them [and thus have We made for every prophet an enemy from among the sinners, but Sufficient is your Lord as a Guide and Helper] al-Forqan 25:31, then He mentioned the threat of the disbelievers and said [Humiliation and disgrace from Allah will overtake the criminals] i.e. meanness and humiliation in the day of judgment after they were pride and conceit in the world life [and] they will have [a sever torture for what they used to plot] i.e. because of their cunning or as a punishment for it. As you condemn, you will be condemned. Allah, Almighty, said about the hypocrites [there is a disease in their hearts, so Allah added more to their disease and they will have a painful torture for what they used to lie] al-Baqarah 2:10. So those had in their hearts the diseases of envy, hatred, grudge and hypocrisy against the people of faith, with their own disbelief. Allah increased their sickness by the victory that He granted to the Truth which was painful for them due to their envy, grudge, and obstinacy. For those there will be a painful torture in the worldly life and in the hereafter because of their lying and ingratitude.

We all ask Allah to save us from their evil deeds and make us attentive and cautious of these reprehensible morals so as to avoid it and advise our acquaintances to avoid it. Prayers and Peace Be Upon the Prophet and all his family and companions.

Written by Abdel-Sattar al-Fiqy

Translated by Ahmad al-burhany

Whoever wants to get more about this, can browse the pages of Sufism in the official site of tariqa Burhaniya.

The Editors Team