The Cure for Envy (Hasad)علاج الحسد

Questioner: (audio unclear) Yes. What is the cure for envy?

First, we must know that envy (hasad) is one of the diseases of the hearts, and it has ranks and kinds. The greatest and most severe of it in the sight of Allah is that the servant wishes for a blessing to be removed from another, even if it does not come to him. Next to it in rank is wishing for a blessing to be removed from another and that it come to him. The first is more wicked than the second, and the second is also forbidden. As for one who wishes that he had a blessing like another's, and does not wish for it to be removed from the other, this is not the forbidden envy; rather, this is ghibtah [benign emulation].

Envy is what occurred from Iblis when he refused to prostrate to Adam. Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, counted it in the book al-Fawa'id as one of the pillars of disbelief. He said, may Allah have mercy on him: "The pillars of disbelief are four: arrogance, envy, anger, and desire. Arrogance prevents submission; envy prevents accepting and giving sincere counsel; desire prevents devoting oneself to worship; and anger prevents speaking the truth and justice. So if the pillar of arrogance is demolished, submission becomes easy for him; if the pillar of envy is demolished, accepting and giving sincere counsel becomes easy for him; if the pillar of anger is demolished, speaking the truth (audio unclear) justice becomes easy for him; and if the pillar of desire is demolished, devoting himself to worship becomes easy for him. And the removal of mountains (audio unclear) is easier than the removal of these four from one who has been afflicted with them." This is the statement of Ibn al-Qayyim.

But through supplication, reflecting upon the Qur'an, and faith in the decree — its good and its bad — these four are removed. For Allah has not sent down a disease except that He sent down a cure for it; there is nothing that has no cure except death. And the diseases of the hearts — their cure is in the Qur'an. Allah, majestic and exalted is He, said: "And We send down of the Qur'an that which is healing and mercy for the believers, and it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss." His statement, majestic and exalted is He, "And We send down of the Qur'an" — "of" (min) here is explanatory, not partitive; "of" here is explanatory, not partitive. "Of the Qur'an" means that the whole Qur'an is healing. What is it healing for? Healing for the diseases of doubts, and healing for the diseases of desires. "And mercy for the believers": guidance for them, light, clarification, elucidation, and direction — as Allah, majestic and exalted is He, said about it: "Indeed, it is a decisive word, and it is not amusement."

Some of the supplications of the Prophet ﷺ were mentioned earlier, among them: "O Allah, grant my soul its piety." This means: O Allah, remove from me the diseases of the hearts, including showing off, self-admiration, and envy. (audio unclear) faith in the decree — its good and its bad — removes rancour from the servant, because this is a matter Allah has decreed.

This envy that exists in hearts does not repel blessings from others; rather, your envy may be a cause of the completion and increase of the blessing for others. Allah, majestic and exalted is He, said: "Or do they envy people for what Allah has given them of His bounty?" This envier is objecting to the decree of Allah and His wisdom, objecting to His knowledge and His disposal [of affairs], because it is as if he says, "O Lord, why should it be like this?" — as if he says, "I do not want it to be like this." Allah wants this, [and] he does not want it.

And if envy in worldly matters [is so], (audio unclear) envy in matters of the Hereafter, because some people may envy a scholar and wish for his destruction, even though this scholar is standing in support of this religion — meaning he wants corruption to spread in the land. That envier's soul is not content until he sees the one he envies dead. And perhaps he envies him even when he is dead, as you find some people speaking [ill] even about the dead, out of the envy that boils in his heart.

The one who is envied must be patient and seek the reward [from Allah], and not avenge himself. For Allah defending him is better than his defending himself. Allah, majestic and exalted is He, says: "Indeed, Allah defends those who believe." According to the servant's patience, his seeking the reward, and his entrusting his affair to his Lord will be Allah's being with him and His defending him. And in reality this [envier] has done good to you — [done good] to you — as Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said about his enemies: "If they were to be thanked for an evil deed, I would thank them."

Imam Ahmad — his enemies were a cause of honour for him from his own era, (audio unclear) the Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah. Had the trial (fitnah) not occurred, [he would have been] like other scholars; he was not the most knowledgeable of his era — rather, Allah raised him when the trial came and he stood firm. That is why the poet says:

"My enemies have a favour and a blessing upon me, so may the Most Merciful not keep my enemies far from me. They searched for my stumble, so I avoided it; and they (audio unclear), so I attained the heights."

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