Do Not Be Envious

IJi:~'J
DO NOT BE
ENVIOUS!
Ji~
DARUSSALAM
DARUSSALAM
GLOBAL LEADER IN fSLAMIC BOOKS
Riyadh • Jeddah • Al-Khober • Sharjah
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This book is printed by Darussalam, Publications, Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia after getting the written Permission from
its original Publishers, Deen Communications Limited,
Lagos, Nigeria.
First Edition:
Printed in: September 2007
Supervised by: Abdul Malik Mujahid
Cover design: M. Zulfiqar Mahmood
Typesetting: Najam ul Majeed
© Maktaba Dar-us-Salam, 2007

King Fahd National Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Maktaba Dar-us-Salam. Research & Compilation Department Riyadh 2007
Do not be envious.
Pages 88 size : 14X21 cm
ISBN : 978-9960-9967-0-7
1- Preaching - Islam 2- Islamic ethics 1- Title
213 de 1428/4659
L.D. no. 1428/4659
ISBN: 978-9960-9967-0-7
Editorial work, carried out at Deen Communications Limited by

the entire Editorial Team with particular attention of Suleman
Fulani, Idris Busari, Taofeeq Awwal, Abdur Raheem Abdus
Salaam and Mudaththir Olaniyi Sanuth.
Contents
Explanation of Symbols Used 6
Introduction 7
Chapter 1: Envy! 15
Chapter 2: Envy & Its Associates 17
Chapter 3: Causes of Envy 29
Chapter 4: Effects of Envy 45
Chapter 5: Treatment for Envy 61
Chapter 6: The Praiseworthy Envy 75
Chapter 7: Be Free of Envy ...Gain Allaah's Paradise 81
Index of Hadeeths 85
Bibliography 87
Explanation of Symbols Used
A Muslim is encouraged to utter certain phrases at the mention

of Allaah, His Messengers, His Angels, the Sahaabah, or other
righteous Muslims. The phrases are presented below and the
reader is advised to utter the complete phrase when he comes
across any of these symbols or abbreviation:
Phrase Mentioned With Transliteration Meaning
Subhaanahuu wa Glorified and

~. Allaah's Name
ta'aalaa Exalted is He
May the peace

Sal/allaahu 'alayhi
~ Prophet Muhammad
wa sal/am
and blessing of
Allaah be on him
A Prophet or an
~\ 'Alayh is Salaam Peace be on him
Angel
Radiyallaahu May Allaah be

~ A Companion
'anhu pleased with him
May Allaah be
More than two Radiya/1/aahu
:$, pleased with
Companions 'anhum
them
Introduction
Naseehah (Advice) and its position in

the Religion
All Praise is to Allaah, we praise Hini, seek
His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge
with Allaah from the evils of our souls and
evils of our deeds. One whom Allaah guides
none can lead him astray, and one whom He
misguides, none can guide him . I bear witness
that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear
witness that Muhammad ~ is His Servant and
His Messenger.
1_; ~Aili J;. ~1 i]Jf ~1: 0j1 \;~}

~0;.~1 ;;IJ ~~ ~;1
Golden Advice Seri es 07
"O you who believe! Fear Allaah as He should

be feared, and die not except in a state of
lslaam." [Aa/ lmraan (3): 102]
"O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who

created you from a single person (Aadam),
and from him (Aadam) He created his
wife [Hawwa (Eve)], and from them both
He created many men and women and
fear Allaah through Whom you demand
your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the
relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely,
Allaah is Ever an All-Watcher over you."
[An-Nisaa ' (4): 1]
o ~+: 1; hiJ~ ~\ ~\ ~1: &Jr c~~
"O you who believe! Keep your duty to

Allaah and fear Him, and speak (always)
the truth. He will direct you to do righteous
good deeds and will forgive you your sins.
8
Do Not Be Envious
And whosoever obeys Allaah and His

Messenger ;,';; he has indeed achieved a great
achievement (i.e. he will be saved from the
Hell-fire and made to enter Paradise)." [AI-
Ahzaab (33): 70-71]
,~I ~~ ~~I ;;- ~~ ,~ t;f

,. .
J;\11
~
?.J '* ~ ~l_.;t5J.+ll
" /
;;-_;
As for what follows:
Verily the most truthful speech is the Word of

Allaah and the best guidance is the guidance
of Muhammad ;i, and the worst of affairs
are the newly-invented matters. Every newly-
invented matter is an innovation, every
innovation is a going astray and every going
astray is in the Fire.P l
Giving Naseehah Is A Characteristic

of the Prophets
One of the major characteristics of the
caller to Allaah ~ - indeed, it should be
[1) This is the famous Khutbat AI-Haajah which the Prophet ~ would recite
whenever he was going to deliver a sermon, make a speech. See 'Khutbat
AI-Haajah' of Shaykh Muhammad Naasirudeen AI-Albaanee (AI-Maktab Al-
lslaamee, Damascus, 1980) for its authentication and further details.
Golden Advice Series 07
a major characteristic of the believer - is

that very important characteristic of giving
advices. Being from the people of Naseehah
or having the characteristic of being 'Naasih' is
something that Allaah 'M has commanded this
Ummah with. It is also one of the important
characteristics that the Prophets came with.
Allaah informs us that when the people of

Nuh ~I accused him of being upon misguidance
and error with their saying:
"Verily, we see you in plain error." [AI-A'raaf

(7): 60];
he rejected that and responded that he was

giving them sincere advice:
"[Nuh (Noah)] said: "O my people! There

is no error in me, but I am a Messenger
from the Lord of the 'Alameen (mankind,
jinns and all that exists)! I convey unto you
the Messages of my Lord and give sincere
advice to you. And I know from Allaah what
you know not." [AI-A'raaf (7): 61-62]
Similarly, Allaah ~ tells us that when Hud

10
Do Not Be Envious
~I began to call to Allaah; his people referred

to him as being upon 'foolishness':
"The leaders of those who disbelieved

among his people said: 'Verily, we see you
in foolishness, and verily, we think you are
one of the liars."' [AI-A'raaf (7): 66] -;
so he retorted and said:
"O my people! There is no foolishness in

me, but {I am) a Messenger from the Lord
of the 'Alameen (mankind, jinns and all that
exists)! I convey unto you the Messages of
my Lord, and I am a trustworthy adviser (or
well-wisher) for you." [AI-A'raaf (7) : 67-68]
So there is no doubt that the characteristic

of giving advice for the sake of Allaah - that
is the characteristic of being 'Naasih' - is from
the characteristics of the Prophets, just as
it should be with the callers to Allaah and all
of the believers. So this affair of Naseehah is
something, which is fundamental and a most
11
important characteristic for every Muslim .
Jarir bin 'Abdullah ~ said: "Amma Badu

(now then), I went to the Prophet ii and said, 'I
give my pledge of allegiance to you for lslaam.'
The Prophet ~ conditioned (my pledge) for
me to be sincere and true to every Muslim so
I gave my pledge to him for this. By the Lord
of this mosque! I am sincere and true to you
(Muslims) ." (21
Also, Tamim Ad-Dari narrated: Allaah's

Messenger ~ said three times:
~-/
\ 0:
tlJ1
"The religion is Naseehah (sincere advice)."

(Ad-Deen' Naseehah)
The people asked, "To whom?" The Prophet

~ replied:
"To Allaah and to His Book and to His

Messenger and to the leaders of the Muslims
and the common folk (all the Muslims)."f-31
(2] Bukhaaree.
[3] Muslim [55 (196)] .
12
Do ll!ot Be Envious
The Golden Advice Series

In response to the obligation of giving
Naseehah and its obvious need in our
Ummah at the present time, DARUSSALAM
PUBLICATIONS has come up with The Golden
Advice Series which was orginally published by
Deen Communications Limited, Nigeria. This
series will, lnsha Allaah, contain several books;
each of which is devoted to an advice given
from the texts of lslaam (the Qur'aan and the
Sunnah) with its explanation as provided by the
esteemed scholars or people of knowledge.
The advices range from the most important
issue (Tawheed or worshipping Allaah alone),
to morals and they also cover issues of business
transactions.
Each book comes in an easy-to-read size but

the contents are highly beneficial, Bi lthnillaah !
In this first phase, ten pieces of advice have
been treated. It is our hope that, lnsha Allaah,
more will be added in the days ahead. This
book centers on the Naseehah of the Prophet
~ on avoiding Envy!.
Everything that is correct in the books of The

Golden Advice Series is from Allaah ~ - and
to Him is all the praise; every mistake or error
is from our imperfection and from Shaytaan
- and we seek refuge in Alla ah from him! We
ask Allaah ~ to accept this effort of ours as an
act done purely and sincerely for His Face and
that He does not allow anyone or anything else
13
to have a share in it.
The end of our Du'aa' is that all praise is

for Allaah, Lord of the worlds. And may His
peace and blessings be upon the Prophet
Muhammad, his family, his Companions and
those who follow him till the Day of Reckoning!
Aameen.
DARUSSALAM PUBLICATIONS,
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia .
Ramadan, 1428 A.H .
September 2007
4
Chapter J
Envy!
Abu Hurayrah[4J ~ narrated that the Messenger of Allaah

~ said:
, / ., .,,,. ,,,,,,, ., ,,,, ,.,.. ,,.,
'I:, ,l~Q 'I J 'I J 'I
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, 1..,).1i; 'I _,....,:>:-

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, ,
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0 /
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~
/
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'I:,
(4] He was Abdur-Rahmaan bin Sakhr Ad-Dausiri ~ - He was one of the noble
Companions of the Messenger of Allaah ~ - He accepted lslaam in Makkah but
came to Madeenah in the year of the Conquest of Khaybar. He was always in
the constant company of the Prophet ~ being satisfied with whatever he got
to fill his stomach. He later became the Governor of AI-Madeenah then that
of Bahrain during the Khi/afah of Umar bin AI-Khattab ~ - He spent most of his
life in Madeenah and died in the year 59 A.H . a year before the ascendancy of
Yazeed bin Mu'aawiyah bin Abi Sufyaan as the Khalifah. He is reputed to have
narrated the most from the Messenger of Allaah ~ - About 5374 Ahadeeth
have been narrated on his authority.
"Do not be envious of one another and do not nurse grudge

against one another. Do not artificially raise prices against
one another; do not hate one another; do not turn your
back on each other; do not undercut one another in business
transactions.
And be, 0 servants of Allaah, brothers. A Muslim is the
brother of a Muslim. He does not oppress nor wrong him.
He does not fail him when he needs him. He does not lie
to him. And he does not show contempt for him. Piety is
here."
And he (the Prophet ~ } pointed to his chest three times.
"It is enough of evil for a person to hold his brother Muslim in

contempt. All of a Muslim is sacred and inviolable to another
Muslim: his blood, his wealth and his honour." [sJ
[SJ Muslim.
16
Chapter 2
Envy & Its Associates
Envy constitutes a disease of the heart and it is one of the flaws

inherent in human characters that can damage the well being of
the family and the community in general.[6l In order to understand
its true nature and convey a beneficial understanding, a single
[6] Hasad (envy) : The disease of Hasad has created a great deal of hatred
between different Muslims, groups and daa'iyahs (callers). The following story
about AI-Barbahaari (d . 329 A.H), the lmaam and preserver of Sunnah during
his lifetime illustrates this point. lmaam AI-Dhahabi said: lmaam AI-Barbahaari
had a large number of followers. He passed by the west side and sneezed,
so his companions said 'Yarhamuk Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you).'
They made so much noise that the kha/eefah heard it and was told of what
had happened, and he thought it was too much . Then the people of Bid'ah
kept on stirring up hatred in the heart of the Kha/eefah until it was declared in
Baghdaad, 'No two followers of AI-Barbahaari may gather together.' Then he
disappeared. (As-Siyar)
definition of this malady will not be sufficient.

So envy is:
"To wish for a blessing from the person it was bestowed on,
regardless of whether the envious person wants the blessing
for himself or not."[ 7l
"When a person feels sad at seeing a blessing bestowed on
his Muslim brother, and hoping that the brother is deprived
of it."[sJ
"To hate and have resentment towards the apparent good

condition of the envied."[ 9l
"Wishing for a blessing to vanish ."[ 10l
"Hating a blessing and hoping that the blessed be deprived
of it."[11 1
When envy becomes widespread amongst a people, it migh
eventually cause their destruction because it will irrigate and
nurture ill feelings. Az-Zubayr bin Al-'Awaam ~ related that the
Messenger of Allaah ti said:
[7] lbn Hajar AI-Asqalani-Fath-u/ Bari.

[8] Al - Hulaymi (d. 403 A.H).
[9] lbn Taymiyyah (d. 728 A.H).
(10] An-Nawawi (d. 676 A.H).
(11) Abu Hamid AI-Ghazali (d. SOS A.H).
18
Do Not Be Envious
"Creeping and advancing upon you is the disease and malady

of the people and nations before you: envy and hatred. And
the hatred is the thing that shaves. I am not saying it shaves
the hair, but it shaves the religion. By the one in whose hand
is my soul - or he said: by the one in whose hand is the soul
of Muhammad - you will not enter Paradise until you believe
and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I
not inform you about that which will establish such for you?
Spread the Salaam (greeting of peace) among yourselves."f.121
Avoid being envious and lnsha Allaah you will be better off
because once envy becomes part of a person's character, it does
not act alone. It takes along with itself and makes such evils as
pride, haughtiness and arrogance, hatred, jealousy, backbiting
and several other evils; perhaps innumerable; flourish. How evil
these associates are and may Allaah save us from these wasters
of good deeds. Each one of these sins is enough to make a person
enter under the wrath of Allaa h not to mention when they are
combined !
1- Envy Mixed With Pride and Arrogance

In the heavens, the first sin to be committed was as a result of
this great disease - envy; the envy of our father Aadam %§1 by the
Shaytaan. This would later lead him to add pride and arrogance
to his crimes.
Shaytaan was envious of Aadam %§1 because of the blessings

Allaah had conferred upon him. First of such blessings is making
[12] Ahmad and At-Trimidhee .

him and his offspring successors on the face of the earth as Allaah
~ says:
"And remember when your Lord said to the angels: "Verily,

I am going to place mankind generations after generations
on earth ." [AI-Baqarah (2): 30]
The second blessing that Shaytaan envied was granting Aadam

~\ the knowledge not known to the Shaytaan and the company
of the angels before then. Allaah ~ says:
''And He taught Aadam all the names of everything, then HE:

showt~d them to the c1ngeb and ,,aid, "Tell Metre narnes
these if you are truthful." They (angei·=,) •,aid ''':.:ilory be tc
You, WE: have no knowledge except what you have taught
us. Veniy, You are the Ail-Knower, the All-Wis,~." He said
"O Aad;;:rnl Inform thern of their names/' and when he haci
informed them of thelr names, He said: '·Did I not teli you
that I know the unseen in the heavens and the earth, and ,
know what you reveal and what you have been corn:.ealing'?"
[AI-Baqarah (2): 31-33]
Do Not Be Envious
The third blessing is His honouring Aadam ~ I with the

command of prostration to the angels and all those in their
company at that time.
Allaah says:
J ~l ~h t'~ t~i ~~r

,,i/.
rn Ll;,.,,.~-::~t
·.,<T\ ,,
;l~}
-:-0
"'('.J~ ~ ub..J ~ ! J
"And remember when we said to the angels: "Prostrate

yourselves before Aadam.'' And they prostrated except
lblees (As-Shaytaan), he refused and was proud and was
one of the disbelievers.'' [AI-Baqarah (2): 34]
For all of these honours and blessings done to Aadam ~ I, the

rage and envy of Shaytaan that he had been concealing became
exposed. So when he was asked why he refused to prostrate,
his response was laced with grudge, jealousy, hatred, pride and
arrogance.
Allaah ~ says:
t_: ';_ ~ j~
"' ~l
.it:;i ~ -Jt ,;1:-:'~ (: j~}
"What prevented you (0 lblees) that you did not prostrate,

when I commanded you?" lblees said: "I am better than him
(Aadam), You created me from fire, and him You created
from clay." [AI-A'raaf (7): 12]
Also, Allaah ~ says:
Yf ~ j~ o ~~' ~ ~~ ~r ~
21
Golden Ad vice Series 07
"O lblees! What is your reason for not being among those
who prostrated?" He said: "I am not the one to prostrate
myself to a human being, whom You created from sounding
clay of altered black smooth mud.'' [AI-Hijr (15} : 32-33]
So, Shaytaan acted upon his envy and he went astray and out
of Allaah 's Mercy and forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Allaah
from taking up characters likened to that of the accursed and the
outcast being.
2 - Envy Mixed With Hatred

In the words of Shaykh lbn Taymiyyah, envy is always
accompanied with hatred . So the person starts by being envious
of the other person or party and it gradually turns into hatred
especially when such blessings abound and increase.
The People of the Book - the Jews and the Christians - and
the rest of the unbelievers are people of envy. Similar to them
are hypocrites who feign lslaam; they go a step furt her by having
hatred for the bounties Allaah has bestowed upon the Muslims.
It therefore follows that whoever from amongst the Muslims'
picks up this trait, he is by that resembling those whom Allaah is
angry and displeased with.
Allaah ~ says:
.,, r. ~ ~-:; -t,,..- jl,, .,-:-;.,...i•JI i ·j .· ~ »~,. L ~ ..-::i.._

~ ~ r-_,J:i_,i: ~ q--' ~ ~ --J r
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ fdt ~~
& ;&, 5l !~/\ ~, ~~ ~ ~ t \;u.t ~\
22
Do Not Be Envious
"Many of the People of the Book wish that if they could

turn you away as disbelievers after you have believed, out
of envy from their own selves, even, after the truth has
become manifest unto them. But forgive and overlook, till
Allaah brings His Command. Verily, Allaah is Able to do all
things." [AI-Baqarah (2) : 109)
Also, Allaah ~ says:
"Neither those who disbelieve among the people of the

book nor the disbelievers in the Oneness of Allaah, idolaters
and polytheists like that there should be sent down unto
you any good from your Lord. But Allaah chooses for . His
Mercy whom He wills. And Allaah is the Owner of Great
Bounty.'' [AI-Baqarah (2): 105)
23
i;; j; k:il ~ 1C\i1 ~ iy¼ ~ 1~~J \t1; r~~

~;>J~I ~1; ~ ;&1 0; ~
"O you who believe! Take not as your advisors, protectors,
helpers and friends those outside your religion (pagans,
Jews, Christians, and hypocrites} since they will not fail
to do their best to corrupt you. They desire to harm you
severely. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths,
but what their breasts conceal is far worse. Indeed We have
made plain to you the evidences, if you understand. Lo!
You are the ones who love them but they love you not, and
you believe in all the revealed books, while they disbelieve
in your Book.
And when they meet you, they say, "We believe". But when
they are alone, they bite the tips of their fingers at you in
rage. Say: "Perish in your rage. Certainly, Allaah knows
what is in the breasts." If a good befalls you, it grieves them,
but if some evil overtakes you, they rejoice at it. But if you
remain patient and become pious, not the least harm will
their cunning do to you. Surely, Allaah surrounds all that
they do." [Aal-!mraan (3): 118-120]
3 - Envy Mixed With Jealousy

The evils of envy can also erupt within blood ties, which are
considered one of the strongest ties amongst mankind. When this
occurs, jealousy and rank hatred will appear between them and
the desire to eliminate the envied is very likely. Allaah informs us
about the brothers of Yusuf ~ I and the two sons of Aadam ~ I.
As for the brothers of Yusuf, they envied their pat ernal brother
24
Do Not Be Envious
for the kind of love their father Ya'qub ~I had for him. So they
became jealous and sought to eliminate Yusuf ~ I.
Allaah ~ says:
.,£-:-,1 ,:. .. ~ ,y
~~~
~----
The brothers said: "Truly, Yusuf and his brother are loved
more by our father than we, while we are a strong group.
Really, our father is in a plain error. Kill Yusuf or cast him out
to some other land, so that the favour of your father may
be given to you alone, and after that you will be righteous
folk." One from among them said: "Kill not Yusuf, but if you
must do something, throw him down to the bottom of a
well, he will be picked up by some caravan of travellers."
[Yusuf (12): 8-10]
As for the two sons of Aadam ~I, the one who murdered his
blood brother did so mostly out of envy and jealousy of the fact
that his own sacrifice was rejected while that of his brother was
accepted by Allaah.
Allaah ~ says:
25
Golden Advice Seri es 07
"And (0 Muhammad ~ ) recite to them the story of the

two sons of Aadam (Habil and Qabil) in truth; when each
offered a sacrifice (to Allaah), it was accepted from the one
but not from the other. The latter said to the former: "I
will surely kill you." The former said: "Verily, Allaah accepts
only from those who are pious. If you do stretch your hand
against me to kill me, I shall never stretch my hand against
you to kill you, for I fear Allaah; the Lord of all that exists.
Verily, I intend to let you draw my sin on yourself as well as
yours, and then you will be one of the dwellers of the Fire,
and that is the recompense of the wrongdoers". So the soul
of the other encouraged him and made fair seeming to him
the murder of his brother; he murdered him and became
one of the losers." [AI-Maa'idah (5): 27-30]
So he committed the first grievous sin on earth - murder - and

till the end of the world, he will continue to have a share of the
punishment in every unjust killing . This is what envy can cause so
let's beware! Abdullah bin Mas'ud ~ narrated that the Prophet
ii said:
26
Do Not Be Envious
"No human is killed or murdered unjustly, but a part of

responsibility for the crime is laid on the first son of Aadam
who invented the tradition of murdering on the earth."f.13l
(13] AI-Bukhaaree .
27
Chapter J
Causes of Envy
Discontentment with Qadar

Envy in most cases is an expression of dislike, opposition and
discontent for what Allaah has decreed, since the blessings been
envied can only come from Allaah alone or by His permission
from other people. If a person dislikes what another person has
received, he is in reality showing hatred towards Allaah's decree.
And we seek refuge in Allaah from this!
Allaah ~ says:
"Is it they who would portion out the Mercy of your Lord?
It is We Who portion out between them their livelihood
in this world, and we raised some of them above others
in ranks, so that some may employ others in their work.
But the Mercy of your Lord is better than that which they
amass (of this life)." [Az-Zukhruf (43 ): 32]
Competition for the Glitters of This Life

When you are not contented with the favours Alla ah has
bestowed upon you and always peer and strain your neck and
eyes into the worldly blessings conferred upon others, there is
the great tendency for you to be envious and forget that your
Lord Allaah gives to whomsoever He wills amongst His creation.
Due to this, you would have forgotten that all of these glitters are
Fitnah - afflictions and trials for those who have them and t hat
the best and most enduring provisions lie w it h Allaah.
Allaah ~ says:
"And strain not your eyes in longing for the things We

have given for enjoyment to various groups of them, the
splendour and glitters of the life of this world that We may
test them thereby. But the provision of your Lord is better
and more lasting." [Taa Haa (20): 131]
Looking at the enjoyment of the wealthy ones will not encourage

you to be patient and give thanks for the ones that are with you .
Do Not Be Envious
"Look at those who are lower than you but do not look at
those who are higher than you, lest you belittle the favours
Allaah conferred upon you."[ 141
Most importantly, one of the greatest causes of envy is mutua l

rival ry in amassing this Dunya[ 15 J_
Narrated Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-As ~: "Allaah's Messenger

~ sa id:
"How would you be, O people, when Persia {Iran) and Rome
would be conquered for you?"
Abdur Rahman bin Awf ~ said: "We wou ld say as Allaah has
commanded us and we would express our gratitude to Allaa h."
Thereupon Allaah's Messenger ~ sa id:

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,0J..r.\,x; ~ ,0J..l....~ ~ ,0_,...-H:.:;
,,, ., 0/ ,,,. , ,,.. ' ,,,. ~
~G J 0 ~ ~ .~~ ~ ~I
[14] AI-Bukhaaree.
[15) This earthly life.

"Nothing else besides it? You would in fact vie with one
another, then you would feel jealous, then your relations
would be estranged and then you will bear enmity against
one another, or something to the same effect. Then you
would go to the poor emigrants and would make some the
masters of the others." [161
Uqbah bin Amir ~ reported: "One day, the Prophet ~ went out
and offered the funeral prayers of the martyrs of Uhud and then
went up the Minbar- pulpit - and said:
r-5~Y 0µ ,j_t~~ ? Cf., ,~)

~ Ju ,1h ~~ ~ ~1 ~\J
... / .... ,....
o~ J-,,,.. ,,,.. "" ' , oJ. o-:-.
L;:J\ ~ ~ i ~ j l_,5,? 01
"I will pave the way for you as your predecessor and will be
a witness for you. I see my fountain (Kawthar) just now and
I have been given the keys of all the treasures of the earth.
By Allaah! I am not afraid that you will worship others along
with Allaah after my death, but I am afraid that you will fight
with one another for the worldly things.'1171
An Unsound Heart
Envy is an indication of an unhealthy heart. An -Numaan bin
Basheer ~ related that the Messenger of Allaah ::i said:
[16] Muslim.
[17] AI-Bukhaaree.
32
Do Not Be Envious
"Verily! In the body is a morsel of flesh which, if it is rectified

then the whole of the body will be rectified and which if it
diseased then the whole of the body is diseased. Certainly it
is the heart." [IsJ
Being envious is a sign that a person's heart and soul is evil

and is far away from the level of faith that is desirable for it to
achieve. Indeed, he is far from the complete and perfect faith
(18) AI-Bukhaaree. The full Hadeeth is as follows: An-Numaan bin Basheer

~ said: "I heard the Messenger of Allaah ~ saying:
"Verily! The lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear. However, between
them are doubtful matters and many amongst the people do not know
them . So whoever fears the doubtful matters and avoids them has indeed
cleared himself with regard to his religion and honour. But whoever falls
into the doubtful matters falls into that which is forbidden just like the
shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein . Verily!
For every king is a sanctuary and surely the sanctuary of Allaah are His
Prohibitions. Verily! In the body is a morsel of flesh which, if it is rectified
then the whole of the body will be rectified and which if it is diseased then
the whole of the body is diseased. Certainly it is the heart."
33
since he dislikes good for his brother whereas Anas bin Mal ik ~
related that the Messenger of Allaah ~ said :
. ~:' t & '
,~, ., ,. , , ~ . , , ..
I/ . \t ~ '
, . .. , , ., , . , , . -
1.,0o.....>-)~
~/
-
~
r-5''/,:
...I.>- \'
. •'•
~...>:
,r)
"None of you would have believed until he loves for his
brother what he loves for his own soul.'1. 19l
As a Muslim, you should be happy and glad that good is

happening to your brothers in faith. So, ask Allaah for yours and
do not wish to have what is with him or that if you don't get it, it
should just be destroyed .
Allaah ~ says:
"And wish not for the things in which Allaah has made
some of you to excel others. For men there is reward for
what they have earned, and likewise for women there is
reward for what they have earned, and ask Allaah of His
Bounty. Surely, Allaah is Ever All-Knower of everything."
[An-Nisaa' (4) : 32)
Abu Hurayrah ~ narrated that the Messenger of Allaah :i

said:
'~Jli~ ;L ~ 1~l5 ~ r-! ·~ :-!81 ~ ~~ '1
[19] AI-Bukhaaree.
34
Do Not Be Envious
"The following two persons do not exist together in hell: a

Muslim and a disbeliever whom the former killed and then
rectified his conduct and tried to be near perfection. The dust
of fighting in the cause of Allaah and the heat of hell do not
co-exist in the chest of a believer. And belief and envy do not
occur together in the heart of a believer."!20 J
Pride
Envy can result from being haughty - which is behaving in an
unfriendly manner out of the feeling that you are better than
another person. The haughtiness of Shaytaan - indeed his pride
- made him not to prostrate for Aadam ~I. The proud person
dislikes being with words of truth and may go to the extent
of despising the people of truth . However, the reality is that
whoever has a grain of pride in him and thereby rejects the truth
(of lslaam) wil l not be admitted into Paradise.
Abdullah bin Mas'ud ~ said : "The Messenger of Allaah ;i

observed:
"He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of

pride shall not enter Paradise."
A person amongst his listeners said: "Verily a person loves

that his dress should be fine, and his shoes should be fine. The
(20) An-Nasaa'ee (Hasan) .
35
Prophet ~ remarked :
j;J1 ~ ~\ .J~\ ~ ~ J~ 4Ii\ 0i

(.)"'01 ~.:;
,
"Verily, Al/ooh is Graceful and He loves Grace. Pride is

disdaining the truth due to self-conceit and contempt for the
peop/e.'121 1
Abu Hurayrah 4¼> also narrated that a man who was beautiful
came to the Prophet ~ - He said: "O Messenger of Allaah, I am a
man who likes beauty, and I have been given some of it, as you
see. And I do not like that anyone excels me in respect of beauty.
Perhaps he said: "even to the extent of thong of my sandal"l22J or
he said : "to the extent of strap of my sandal"l23 1_ Is it pride? He
replied :
"No, pride is disdaining what is true and despising people.'1241
The reason why pride prevents the arrogant from entry to

Paradise is because the arrogant man is vying with Allaah in
one of His unique qualities . Narrated Abu Hurayrah ~ : " The
Prophet ~ said:
(21) Muslim.
(22) In Arabic: Shirak na'/i
(23) Shis'i na'li
(24) Abu Dawood.
Do Not Be Envious
Allaah Most High says: "Pride is my cloak and majesty is

my lower garment, and I shall throw him who vie with me
regarding one of them into Hell." [25 1
Stinginess
Envy can also result when a wealthy man refuses to help his close
associates, fam ilies and the rest of the people in dire need. So you
will find that a poverty-stricken man who sees those around him
enjoy the luxuries of life without even the crumbs getting to him
and not receiving any helping hand will have a hateful envy for the
society where he lives. The purification lies in paying the compulsory
charity called Zakaah and giving voluntary charities too.
Allaah ~ says:
"Take Sadaqah (alms) from their wealth in order to purify

them and sanctify them with it, and invoke Allaah for them.
Verily! Your invocations are a source of security for them,
and Allaah is All-Hearer, All-Knower." [At-Tawbah (9): 103]
Discrimination
Envy will grow where there is the practice of treating certain
[25] Abu Dawood.

37
individuals less fairly than others. This could happen amongst

co-wives, children, and workers to name a few. The inability to
rectify the perceived or apparent unfairness could lead those at
the receiving end to resort to envy. So be just in all that you do,
that is nearer to piety.
Allaah ~ says:
"O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allaah and be
just witnesses and let not the enmity and hatred of others
make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety, and
fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah is Well-Acquainted with what you
do. 11 [AI-Maa 1idah (5): 8]
An-Numaan bin Basheer ~ related that: 'My mother asked my
father to present me a gift from his property; and he gave it to
me after some hesitation. My mother said that she would not be
satisfied unless the Prophet ~ was made a witness to it. I being
a young boy, my father held me by the hand and took me to the
Prophet ~ - He said to the Prophet, "His mother, Bint Rawaha,
requested me to give this boy a gift." The Prophet ~ said:
"Do you have other sons besides him?"
He said, "Yes." The Prophet ~ said:
~~/ ~ iJJ.l/
/ .J
~f
JS~
Do Not Be Envious
"Have you given the like of it to everyone of your sons."

He said "No." The Prophet ~ said:
"Do not make me a witness for injustice." [261

Narrated Abu Hurayrah ~ : The Prophet ~ said:
"When a man has two wives and he is inclined to one of

them, he will come on the Day of resurrection with a side
hanging down."l27l
Not Seeking Refuge in Allaah

Allaah ~ has commanded us to seek refuge in Him alone in
order to be protected from the evils of the envious ones. The
envious person may affect whoever seeks any form of protection
besides what they have being instructed by Allaah and His
Messenger ~ -
He ~ says:
[26] Combined reports from Bukhaaree.

[27] Abu Dawood.
39
Say: "I seek refuge with (Allaah) the Lord of the daybreak,
From the evil of what He has created; And from the evil
of the darkening (night) as it comes with its darkness; (or
the moon as it sets or goes away). And from the evil of the
witchcrafts when they blow in the knots. And from the evil
of the envier when he envies." [AI-Falaq (113)]
Admiration
Expressing likeness for a particular blessing can result in envy
and the evil-eye effect. Whoever finds any good thing in his
brother and admires him for it should seek Allaah's blessings
and say :
"Masha' Allaah laa quwwata ii/a billaah
Meaning: "What Allaah willed and there is no power and

authority except with Allaah ." or
"Allaahumma baarik 'alayhi
"O Allaah, bless for him what he has."
Abu Umaamah bin Sahl bin Hunayf ~ said: '"Aamir bin Rabee'ah
~ passed by Sahl bin Hunayf ~ whilst he was doing Ghusl, and
said, 'I have never seen anything like what I have seen today, not
even the skin of the virgin who is hidden away!' (Referring to the
whiteness of his skin). It was not long before he (Sahl) fell to the
ground. He was brought to the Prophet :i and it was said, 'Help
Sahl! (He is) epileptic!' He ~ asked:
40
Do Not Be Envious
,,,, ., ~,..,
~ 0~:;
'Whose fault is this?'
They said, 'Aa mir bin Rabee'ah's.' He said:
~ ~f ~ r5l;.f lSfJ 111 ~t;_f r5l;.f ~ f ~

;_s IL ~ t.>
/ ..r.' ;.
' li; ~
-:.- ~
0
'Why would any one of you kill his brother? If any one of you
sees that his brother has something he likes, let him pray for
blessing for him.'
Then he called for water and told 'Aamir to perform ablution',

so he washed his face, his hands up to the elbows, his knees and
inside his fzaar (lower garment), then he told him to pour the
water over him (the person he had harmed) ." l28 l
A Subtle Sign of the Presence of Envy

When you come across a person who always tries to conceal
the virtues and goodness of others and he does not like it when
others talk about the good that a person has done and he is
always quiet and pretends like he does not know of that good,
and he tries to put down the other person then this is a subtle
sign of envy. A true believer free from envy likes it when good
things are said about others and when others are appreciated
and spoken about and when he speaks about them, he recounts
Allaah's bounties upon them and spreads the good message _l2 9l
[28) lbn Majah.

[29) lbn Uthaymeen - Sharh Riyaadh-us-Saaliheen
41
This is different from the one who refrain from praise of a

person out of fear of him being afflicted by self-conceitedness.
Abu Bakra ~ narrated that a man praised another man in front
of the Prophet :i. The Prophet :i said to him:
0 > > ,,, ~

f ..t>-1
l;.f ~\ J;- J;. 'ij ' ~ i1j - ~ls jf <.5:; 0l5
"Woe to you, you have cut off your companion's neck, you
have cut off your companion's neck," repeating it several
times and then added, "Whoever amongst you has to praise
his brother should say, 'I think that he is so-and-so, and Allaah
knows exactly the truth, and I do not confirm anybody's good
conduct before Allaah, but I think him so-and-so,' if he really
knows what he says about him." l30l
Envy in Peoplel3 11
(Their categories)
As mentioned earlier, envy is a contradiction to the love

of good for others and selflessness . It is a trait that does not
befit a Muslim. It can be found in people at different levels
depending on the ability of the individual to exert control over
his own soul. So some envious people are active while others
are passive enviers.
[30] AI-Bukhaaree.
[31] Adapted from Jamaludeen Zarabozo - Commentary on the Forty

Hadeeths of An-Nawawi - 1999 Al- Basheer Publications.
Do Not Be Envious
The Actively Envious People

Four categories can be identified in this group. Of the actively
envious individuals, the worst are those who simply wish that
blessings and favours bestowed upon their brother is destroyed,
regardless of whether they themselves get it or not. They only
desire that the blessing be removed!
The second category is those who actively work and desire to

remove the blessings from the other person without necessarily
destroying the favour itself. This can be in form of speech such as
gossips, backbiting and slander or by their actions.
The third category are those who do not just seek to remove
that bounty from the other persons, but they also work to get
that favour specifically for themselves.
The fourth class includes those who willingly have the evil
thoughts of envy, are pleased with them and continue to think in
such an evil manner while putting up no resistance to stop them.
The people of knowledge differ whether this person is a sinner or
not. However, his condition is precarious.
The Passively Envious People

There are many amongst the people who despite their
deliberate effort cannot remove the feeling of envy from their
souls. They cannot control it but they do not like it and wish that
it could go away. These people are not regarded as sinful since
'the evil of envy manifests when the person acts upon his envy
even in his heart.'[32 1
[32] lbn AI-Qayyim Al-Jawzi quoted in As-Saa/ihi vol.6 pg 529.
43
The second group includes those who recognized that they have
traits of envy within their souls and tried hard to treat themselves
and be free from it and to treat the one they are envious of in the
best possible manner. They pray'for the person, speak well of him
to others and they love what Allaah has bestowed upon him of
His bounties in all situations.
44
Cliapter 4
Effects of Envy
On the Envious Person

There are four obvious effects on the envious person:
a. Anxiety and permanent distress - since he is dissatisfied with

Allaah's decree. The envious person will continue to be in this
state since he has forgotten the Bestower of the blessing he is
envying and instead prefers the perishable goods of this life.
b. He ceases to work and strive, and depends on wishful

thinking.
c. Loss of good deeds, since envy feeds on the good acts until
they are all destroyed .!3 31 The Messenger of Allaah ~ said:
(33] There is a weak Hadeeth in this regard that was narrated upon Abu
"Creeping and advancing upon you is the disease and malady

of the people and nations before you: envy and hatred. And
the hatred is the thing that shaves. I am not saying it shaves
the hair, but it shaves the religion. By the one in whose hand
is my soul - or he said: by the one in whose hand is the
soul of Muhammad - you will not enter Paradise until you
believe and you will not believe until you love one another.
Shall I not inform you about that which will establish such
for you? Spread the salaamah (greeting of peace) among
yourselves.''f. 34l
Hurayrah ~ : The Prophet ~ was reported to have said:
"Avoid envy, for envy devours good deeds just as fire devours fuel or (he
said) grass." (Abu Dawood, garaded Da'eefby Al-Al baa nee in Da'eef Sunan
Abee Dawood)
[34) Ahmad and At-Tirmidhee . Related from AI-Zubayr bin AI-Awwam ~ -
concerning the meaning of the phrase:
"It shaves (destroys) faith";

At-Tayyibi said: "i.e., hatred takes away faith like a razor takes away hair."
(Check Tuhfat AI-Ahwadhi bi Sharh Jaami' At-Trimidhee).
Do Not Be Envio us
d. Punishment in the hereafter.
On the Envied
There are at least five obvious effects on the envied as follows:
a. Harm.l3 51
b. Inability to fulfill one's task.
c. Hate and resentment for the envious person.
d. Seeking retaliation or revenge.
e. A new avenue for rewards. Suhayb bin Sinan Ar-Rumi ~
narrated that: Allaah's Messenger ;I said:
[35] Abu Umaamah bin Sahl bin Hunayf ~ said: "'Aamir bin Rabee'ah ~
passed by Sahl bin Hunayf ~ whilst he was doing Ghusl, and said, 'I have never
seen anything like what I have seen today, not even the skin of the virgin who
is hidden away!' (Referring to the whiteness of his skin). It was not long before
he (Sahl) fell to the ground. He was brought to the Prophet ~ and it was said,
'Help Sahl! (He is) epileptic!' He asked:
,... ,. ~ .....
~ 0->-f;;
They said, "Aamir bin Rabee'ah.' He said:
111~L;-1 r-5id ~ r~
¥;.J~;}
'Why would any one of you kill his brother? If any one of you sees that his
brother has something he likes, let him pray for blessing for him.'
Then he called for water and told 'Aamir to perform ablution', so he washed
his face, his hands up to the elbows, his knees and inside his lzaar (lower
garment), then he told him to pour the water over him (the person he had
harmed)." (fbn Majah)
47
,
~\)
" ,
..W1, u--::'-'
, .,, y;>-
"·~ as j ~'°f
..r4
01• ~.r-'
,
· ~:11 ..r4·\),
, ,
~
..
0µ ~j \~ 0~ j:.j ~\~ ~L;,f 01 ~-r~ :11

j \~ 0~ ;.:c, ~\~ ~L;,f
"Strange and amazing are the ways and affairs of a believer
for there is good in every affair of his and this is not the case
with anyone else except in the case of a believer. If he is
granted ease of living, he is grateful, and this is best for him
and if he is afflicted with a hardship, he perseveres, and this
is best for him."f.361
Envy and the Effect of the Evil Eye

One of the harmful consequences of envy on the envied is the
effect of the evil eye.
The evil eye - called Al-Ayn in Arabic - is the case in which
Allaah creates in a person what He wills of pain or decay- when
the person who envies him looks at and admires him." And it is
also a "wicked envy-laden admiration, which inflicts harm upon
the person who is admired (by Allaah's permission)."[37l
This definition makes it clear that the effects of evil eye do not
always come from the wicked envious look; rather, it may come
from the envious looks of an admirer. The case of Sahl bin Hunayf
~ cited above is a proof of this.
The evil eye is of two types

lmaam lbn AI-Qayyim said: Al-'Ayn is of two types, the "eye" of
[36] Muslim.
[37] Dr. Sayed Noah - Obstacle on the path of Da'wah Pg 231.
48
Do Not Be Envious
humans and the "eye" of the jinn. Umm Sala mah ~ narrated that
the Prophet ~ saw a young girl in her house who had Saf'ah[ 3 s1 on
her face and he said:
,,,. o~ a ,,,, ,,,, J.
ofa\l ~ 0~ ~ 1;j..:I
/ / /
"Recite Ruqyah for her, because she is affected by a look

(Nazrah )."l39l
The harm done by Al-'Ayn - the evil eye - is something very

real. Allaah ~ and His Prophet ~ inform us that this does indeed
happen . Allaah informs us about the desire of the unbelievers to
afflict His Messenger ~ with their eyes. He ~ says:
.i'!:~:--1
"'\ '-'~,
i,~ ~~~.)
)~,, J-;, i>, G,~~
,c--.1i1 ~ ,,,·{,. J:~..J;l
~.1?1 i>~c::,.J1 ~'62; -(J..
~_,u ., - '-',J "f'
"And verily, those who disbelieve would almost make you

slip with their eyes through hatred ... " [AI-Qalam {68) : 51][401
And Abdullah bin 'Abbaas ~ reported that the Prophet ~ said:
[38) That is, her face was becoming black. AI-Husayn bin Mas'ood Al-Fara'
said: "Saf'ah means a look (Nazrah) from the jinn, and the look of the jinn is
more harmful than the points of spears."
[39) AI-Bukhaaree.
[40) Some of the scholars explained the Verse as follows : "The meaning
is that they are trying to harm you (Muhammad ~ ) with their evil eyes in an
attempt to remove you from the high position to which Allaah has raised you,
out of enmity and hatred towards you . They used to look at him with intense
envy and hatred that could almost have made him slip, if Allaah ~ had not
protected him. They did indeed want to harm him with their eyes, and a group
of Quraysh who were infamous for that looked at him and said, "We have
never seen anyone like him or anything like the evidence he brings," with the
intention of harming him with Al-'Ayn, but Allaah protected him from their evil
and revealed this Aayah to him."
49
"Al-'Ayn is real; if anything were to compete with the Qadar

(decree) of Allaah it would be Al-'Ayn."l41 l
Also, Jaabir bin Abdullah ~ reported from the Prophet ~ that:
"Al-'Ayn could lead a man to his grave, and a camel to the

cooking pot." l42 l
Abu Sa'eed ~ reported that the Prophet ~ used to seek refuge

with Allaah from the jinn and from the eyes of people."l43 l
The Treatment for the Evil Eye

The Prophetic treatment for this problem is of several types.
1. Performing Ruqyahl441
Sahl bin Hunayf ~ said: "We passed by a waterfall and I entered
it and did Ghusl, and I came out with a fever. Someone told the
Messenger of Allaah ~ about that, and he said:
? :. ,,,
;:;~S"'i-0 i..;1 I n
.J_r
(41) Muslim.
(42) Reported by Abu Na'eem in AI-Hilyah. There is some weakness in the
Hadeeth.
(43) Reported by AI-Trimidhee and he said it is a Hasan Saheeh Hadeeth .
(44) Ruqyah - consists of words said or written in the form of Du'aa or Dhikr
for the purpose of protection or cure. It is sometimes accompanied with other
actions such as blowing or wiping over the thing to which it is applied.
Do Not Be Envious
"Tell Abu Thaabit to seek refuge with Allaah."

I said, "O my master, is Ruqyah correct?" He said,
"There should be no Ruqyah except in the case of the eye, or

a fever, or a sting (of a scorpion and the like)."!45 l
Aa'ishah ~ said : "The Messenger of Allaah ~ commanded me

or commanded us to recite Ruqyah for protection from Al-'Ayn."[46 l
Asma' bint 'Umays ~ reported that she said: "O Messenger of

Allaah, Bani Ja'far are being harmed by Al-'Ayn, so shall I recite
Ruqyah for them?" He said:
~I ~~;~~. ,~~\ ~G t~ ~l5 _,Ll r

"Yes, for if anything were to compete with Allaah's decree
(AI-Qadar), it would be Al-'Ayn."[47l
And the Messenger of Allaah ~ also recommended the
following Dhikr as a means of protection for two children at the
same time.
?~~ ,~t;~
U ,,,, .../ .... -I
0lb
~
0
..
~, JS
~' ~
? ~81 41 u ~
,,,, ,,... ,,,, ,,,. ;
ci-~1 - -
,,, ,,., i,,J J
~':} .· / JS
/
"' ~"'
"I seek refuge for you both in the perfect words of Allaah,
from every devil and every poisonous reptile, and from
[45] Abu Dawood. The Hadeeth was graded Da'eef by Al-Al baa nee under
the chapter Kitaab At-Tibb in Da'eef Sunan Abee Dawood.
[46] AI-Bukhaaree and Muslim.
[47] Ahmad and At-Tirmidhee. He said it Hadeeth Saheeh Hasan.
51
every evil eye." [4s1
Other Examples of Ruqyah

a. Among the Ruqyah that should be recited to seek refuge with
Allaah is frequent repetition of AI-Mu'a'widhataynl491 Suurat-
ul-Faatihah and Aayat AI-Kursi. rso1
b. Specific words of remembrance (adhkaar) and supplications

from the Prophet ~ such as the following.
(i)
"A'oodhu bi kalimaat-illaahi il-taammati min sharri ma

khalaq-
{I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from the evil
[48] Narrated Abdullah bin Abbaas ~ : "The Prophet ~ used to seek refuge
with Allaah for Al-Hasan and Al-Husain (his two grandsons) and say:
"Your forefather (i.e. lbraaheem ~\) used to seek refuge with Allaah for
lsmaa'eel ~\ and lshaaq ~ by reciting the following:
~'l 0-:?
"
. ,/ u-
"
~ / .~t;
"1< ~J "
/
J
01t;' ~.
" - u- ~ /~81 .&1..::..i~
"1< ~ / / / . /
w-Lr
-/
"U'eedhukuma bi kalimaat Allaah al-taammati min kulli shaytaanin wa
haammah wa min kulli 'aynin laammah
"O Allaah! I seek refuge with Your Perfect Words from every devil and
from poisonous pests and from every evil, harmful, envious eye."' (AI-
Bukhaaree)
[49] The last two Surahs of the Noble Qur'aan.
[SO] [AI-Baqarah (2): 255.]
Do Not Be Envious
that He has created.)"l51l

(ii)
~J ,~ ~J ~ 1i;.:~. Js ~ ~ \;81 41 u ~ ~_;t
''A'oodhu bi kalimaat-illaahi al-taammati min kulli shaytaanin

wa haammah wa min kul/i 'aynin laammah'~
{I seek refuge with Allaah from every devil and poisonous

reptile, and from every evil eye.)"l52l
(iii)
''A'oodhu bi kalimaatillaahi al-taammaat allati laa

yujaawizuhunna birrun wa laa faajir min sharri maa khalaqa
wa dhara'a wa bara'a, wa min sharri maa yanzilu min al-
(51) Reported by Ahmad.

[52) AI-Bukhaaree.
53
soma: wa min sharri ma ya'riju fihaa, wa min sharri maa

dhara'a fi'l-ard, wa min sharri ma yakhruju minhaa, wa min
sharri fitan a/-layli wa'/-nahaar, wa min sharri tawaariq al-
lay/ illaa taariqan bi khayrin ya Rahmaan."
{I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah, through which

no man, righteous or evil, can penetrate, from the evil of
what He has created and made, and from the evil of that
which comes down from heaven, and from the evil of that
which ascends in it, and from the evil of what He has created
in the earth, and from the evil of that which emerges from it,
and from the evil of the trials of night and day, and from the
evil of those who come at night, except for those who come
for a good reason, O Most Merciful)." [53 l
(iv)
~J -~~J ~; ~ ~ ..::.;l;81 41 9 ~ ~.;f

,,,. (J. ,, 0 ~ ;:;;
0_J~ 01J ~1:~11 s-,1~ ~J -~~~
"A'oodhu bi kalimaatillaahi al-taammah min ghadabihi

wa 'iqaabihi, wa min sharri 'ibaadihi, wa min humazaat il-
shayaateen wa an yahduroon."
{I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from His wrath

and punishment, from the evil of His slaves, from the
suggestions of the evil ones and from their coming near)."'i54J
(v)
[53] Ahmad.
[54] Adhkaar of lmaam An-nawawee.
Do Not Be Envious
''Allaahumma anta rabbi la ilaaha ii/a anta, 'alayka tawakkaltu,

wa anta rabb al-'arsh al'azeem. Masha' Allaahu kaana wa maa
lam yasha' lam yakun. La haw/a wa /aa quwwata ii/a billaah.
A'lamu anna Allaaha 'ala kulli shay'in qadeer, wa anna Allaaha
qad ahaata bi kulli shay'in 'ifman wa ahsaa kulla shay'in 'adadan.
Allaahumma innee a'oodhu bika min sharri nafsi, wa sharri'l-
shaytaan wa shirkihi, wa min sharri kulli daabbah anta aakhidhun
bi naasiyatihaa. Inna rabbi 'ala sitraatin mustaqeem."
(0 Allaah, You are my Lord, there is no god besides You. In You

do I put my trust, and You are the Lord of the Mighty Throne.
Whatever Allaah wills happens, and whatever He does not
will, does not happen. There is no strength and no power
except with Allaah. I know that Allaah is Able to do all things,
and that He encompasses all things with His knowledge and
knows the number of all things. 0 Allaah, I seek refuge with
You from the evil of my own soul, from the evil of Shaytaan
and his Shirk, and from the evil of every beast over which You
have control. Verily my Lord is on a Straight Path)."f.551
[55] Adhkaar of lmaam Nawawi.

55
(vi)
Another means of warding off the effects of Al-'Ayn is to say:

~ ,,,,. _,. ,,,. a _,,,
~~ /
'il o.J-' 'i 4lll
/
~L;, ~
"Ma sha' Allaah laa quwwata ilia billaah"
(What Allaah wills, and there is no strength except in

Allaah)."l56 l
(vii)
Also another means is the Ruqyah of Jibreel ~I which he said

to the Prophet ~ :l57l
~JS?~
, ,~~~ ~~JS ~ ,~11~I - r
d.i_/_) i /41 ,,~ 0-:? .J 1
° ,~a~: ~I 4..w\,;. ·
0 0 0
,, ; -/ - "/ ~
/
"Bismillaahi urqeek, min kulli shay'in yu'dheek, min sharri

kulli nafsin aw 'aynin haasidin, Allaahu yashfeek, bismillaahi
urqeek"
{In the name of Allaah I pray for you, from everything that
may harm you, from the evil of every soul or envious eye.
May you be healed, in the name of Allaah I pray for you).''l 5&J
[56] [AI-Kahf (18): 39]

[57] Muslim .
[58] Muslim - Abu Sa'eed AI-Khudree ~ narrated that Jibreel ~ came to
the Prophet ~ and said : "Yaa Muhammad - 0 Muhammad - Are you ill and
suffering? He said :
Do Not Be Envious
Whoever tries these supplications and words seeking refuge,

will realize their value and how much he needs them. They
will prevent the effects of Al-'Ayn from reaching him, and will
ward them off if they have reached him, in accordance with the
strength of faith, strength of heart, trust and steadfastness of the
one who says them. They are weapons, and a weapon is only as
good as the one who uses it.l5 9l
2. Taking a bath and performing ablution

A person who has done harm with Al-'Ayn may be instructed
to wash his armpits and other bodily crevices, and his hands
and feet, and inside his lower garment, then to pour the water
suddenly over the head of the one who has been harmed. This
is not something that is known from medical doctors, and the
one who denies it, makes fun of it, doubts it or does it only as an
experiment without really believing in it, will not benefit from it.
It is inspiration to the Prophet :i from the highest heaven.
Aa'ishah ~ said: "He Used to command the one who harmed

another with Al-'ayn to do Wudoo' (ablution), then tell the one
who had been thus harmed to do Ghus/. (bath)"[60 l
"Yes'~
Then Jibreel ~I said "Bismillah urqeek ..."till the end of the prayer.
[59) AI-Haafiz Ad-Dhahabi said: "Ruqyah and seeking refuge with Allaah are
only of benefit if people believe in them and if they coincide with a time when
Allaah answers Du'aa's and with the appointed time."
lmaam lbn AI-Qayyim said: "A person should recite Ruqyah for protection from
Al-'Ayn if he does not know who has harmed him in this way, but if he knows
who has harmed him with Al-'Ayn he should be told to do Ghusl." And Allaah
knows best.
[60) Abu Dawood.

57
Golden Advi ce Series 07
Abu Umaamah bin Sahl bin Hunayf ~ said:" 'Aamir bin Rabee'ah
~ passed by Sahl bin Hunayf ~ whilst he was taking Ghusl, and
said, 'I have never seen anything like what I have seen today, not
even the skin of the virgin who is hidden away!' (Referring to the
whiteness of his skin) . It was not long before he (Sahl) fell to the
ground. He was brought to the Prophet ~ and it was sa id, 'Help
Sahl! (He is) epileptic!' He asked:
...... ;. -;:,....-
~ 0 ~ ;_;
They said,' 'Aamir bin Rabee'ah's.' He ~ said,
~ G-1 ~ r5~f l>f~ 11i ~l;.f r5~f ~ f~

45°I , .Ll_; ~
L j (>
~ ..r.' :, -:..~
'Why would any one of you kill his brother? If any one of you
sees that his brother has something he likes, let him pray for
blessing for him.'
Then he called for water and told 'Aamir to do Wudoo', so he

washed his face, his hands up to the elbows, his knees and inside
his lzaar (lower garment), then he told him to pour the water
over him (the person he had harmed)."l61 l
In a separate narration, the Messenger of Allaah ~ came to

'Aamir ~ and rebuked him, saying:
j ~ \ ~.- ~~ '1 f ~~l;.f r5~f ~ f ~

"Why would any one of you kill his brother? You should have
[61] lbn Majah.

Do Not Be Envious
asked for blessing for him. Wash yourself to help him."
So 'Aamir washed his face, hands, elbows and knees, and the
sides of his feet, and inside his lower garment with a vessel, then
he poured some water on him, and he went with the people (i.e.,
he was cured and got up)."l62 1
3. Concealment
Another way of dealing with Al-'Ayn is to try not to provoke it
in the first place, by covering the beauty of the one for whom
you fear with something that will repel it. 'Uthmaan ~ saw a
handsome boy, and said : "Put something black on his chin, lest
Al-'Ayn harm him" - meaning that they should put something
black in the dimple of his chin. r631
(62] Muwatta lmaam Malik.

Shaykh Muhammad As-Saalih bin Uthaymeen said: "Part of the treatment of
the evil eye effect is asking the person who has put the evil eye on another
to wash, as the Prophet ~ commanded 'Aamir bin Rabee'ah ~ to do in the
Hadeeth quoted above. Then the water should be poured over the one who
has been afflicted .
With regard to taking his waste, such as his urine and stools, there is no basis
for doing so; the same applies to taking any of his belongings. Rather what
is narrated is that which is mentioned above, washing his limbs and washing
inside his garment, or likewise washing inside his headgear and garments. And
Allaah knows best.
There is nothing wrong with taking precautions against the evil eye before
it happens, and this does not contradict the idea of Tawakkul (putting one's
trust in Allaah) . In fact this is Tawakkul, because Tawakkul means putting one's
t rust in Allaah whilst also implementing the means that have been permitted
or enjoined ... " (AI-Fataawa)
(63] AI-Baghawi - Sharh AI-Sunnah:
59
Cliapter J
Treatment for Envy
(A general guide)
Allaah ~ grades all of His creation the way He

likes
Why should you be envious of another creature like yourself
while it is Allaah ~ that grants excellence to any amongst
them the way He desires based upon His Perfect Wisdom and
Judgement. This is the Sunnah of Allaah and in it there is no
alteration. He ~ says:
~,,,,
/
,,,,,,, , , . , , ~-:F >t ,,,,,,,... J// ....,., , , , , , , , ., . ., , ,. " " , , ., , //
/
~
~~~ ~I ~ ~ . ~ ~ .r,_ c.1;. ~ ~ I ~I / /

~ r
"That has been the Way of Allaah already with those who
passed away before. And you will not find any change in
the Way of Allaah." [Al-Fath (48): 23]
So you will find that Allaah ~ has given an edge to some over
the others even among His Names!
Excellence among His Names and Attributes

All of Allaah's Names and Attributes are perfect and beautiful.
However, some amongst them have been labelled the "greatest
names by His Messenger ~ - Buraydah ~ narrated that the
Messenger of Allaah heard a man praying and he was saying:
"O Allaah ! Verily I ask you by virtue of the fact that I testify that
you are Allaah and there is no deity worthy of worship except
you; AI-AhacJf-641, As-SamacJf- 65 1, He who does not beget nor was He
begotten and there is no one comparable to Him."
Then the Messenger of Allaah :i said :
/
,,,, ,., ~ J
~G:-1 ~ ~~
"Indeed, you have asked Allaah the Most Exalted by the
Names with which when He is asked, He gives, and when He
is invoked He responds. "
And in another narration, he said:
_1;.;.\11 /.&1 t"""• ~:-

r- 4111 ~L .Ll
/ /
"Surely, you have asked Allaah by virtue of His greatest

Names."f-661
[64] The Only One.
(65] The Independent, the Eternal and the Absolute.

(66] Abu Dawood, Tirmidhee and An-Nasaaee.
Do Not Be Envious
Excellence among His Books

Allaah has revealed books to His Prophets and Messengers.
However, He made the Qur'aan to excel all of them and He ~ has
promised to protect it from any alteration. A promise not given to
the earlier books. He ~ says:
"Verily It is We who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the

Qur'aan) and surely, We will guard it from corruption." [AI-
Hijr (15) : 9]
Excellence amongst His Prophets

Allaah ~ compared the people for excellence, the best of
them being the Prophets, and He ~ compared the Messengers
for excellence, the most excellent of them being Muhammad ~ -
Allaah ~ says:
At a different time, Anas bin Malik ..t;, narrated that while he was seated with
the Messenger of Allaah ~ and a man was offering the Sa/aah and thereafter
he prayed saying: "O Allaah ! Certainly I ask you by virtue of the fact that the
Praise is for you, there is no deity worthy of worship in truth except you; Al
- Manaan - The Benefactor, Badee'u samaawaati wal-ard - The Originator
of the Heavens and the earth, Ya Dha/-Jalaal wal-/kraam - Owner of Majesty
and Honour, Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyuum - The Ever living one that dies not, The
Self-Subsisting and Independent." So the Prophet ~ said :
"He has indeed asked Allaah and invoked Him by virtue of His greatest
Names, with which whenever He is invoked He responds and when He is
asked by them, He gives." (Abu Dawood and An-Nasaa'ee.)
63
"Those Messengers! We preferred some to others." [AI-

Baqarah (2): 253].
Excellence among the Muslim Nation

Allaah g compared the believers in the Ummah (Community)
of Muhammad ~ for excellence, and the best of them, after His
Prophet ti was Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq ~ .[671
Excellence of the children of Aadam over the rest

of creation: Allaah ~ says:
"And indeed we have honoured the children of Aadam, and

we have carried them on land and sea, and have provided
them with lawful good things, and have preferred them
above many of those whom we have created with a marked
preference." [Al-lsraa (17): 70]
Allaah ~ compared the children of Aadam for excellence and
(67) Narrated Muhammad bin Al Hanafiya I asked my father ('Alee bin Abi
Taalib ~ ), "Who are the best people after Allaah's Messenger ~ ?" He said,
"Abu Bakr." I asked, "Who then?" He said, "Then 'Umar." I was afraid he would
say "Uthman," so I said, "Then you?" He said, "I am only an ordinary person ."
(AI-Bukhaaree)
Likewise lbn Umar ~ narrated that: "We used to compare the people as to who
was better during the lifetime of Allaah's Messenger ~ - We used to regard Abu
Bakr as the best, then 'Umar, and then 'Uthman." (AI-Bukhaaree)
64
Do Not Be Envious
made the people of goodness and benefits to mankind excel the

others.
He ~ says:
,\; _)
>~- " ~ ~'_,, t ~~ ,_, > ":, /// >-;; \ , u ' / / }.._
i;_r _ l
1..--- -: ~.J )l::.A .i..ll Y~_J "T
J:oi ~ -t '1
<>" ;., '-::-' -
i.p;>
.:-:>: d - LllJ-4,/ J ~ ..r-- ~~ ~·, ~
' __,
,I._ -~'~ .1,:
"'Z -1 -~ ..... /J"f'; &-' Y'-' /
,'(; / > / J1Jt .>>t _,,,, ,,,,.
'!
;.,
,
_r4 - (Y_, Y'

:'"
l>r
"And Allaah puts forward another example of two men,
one of them dumb, who has no power over anything
(disbeliever) , and he is a burden to his master, whichever
way he directs him, he brings no good. Is such a man equal
to one (believer) who commands justice, and is himself on
the Straight Path?" [An-Nahl (16): 76].
He ~ even assigned excellence amongst the foods and plants:
"And in the earth are neighbouring tracts and gardens of

vines, and fields sown with corn, and palm trees, growing
out two or three from a single stem root, or otherwise (one
stem for every palm), watered with the same water, yet
some of them We make more excellent than others to eat.
Verily, in these things, there are signs for the people who
understand." [Ar-Ra'd (13): 4].
65
Excellence of the Night and Day: Allaah ~ compared the days

on earth for excellence, Layla-tu/-Qadr - The Night of Decree -
being better than a thousand months: He ~ says:
"Layla-tul-Qadr is better than a thousand months." [AI-

Qadr (97): 3].
And He ~ made Yawmul Jumu'ah - Friday - to excel the rest

of the days of the week. Narrated Abu Hurayrah ~ - "Allaah's
Messenger ~ said:
4-' ;T /-\~ W 4 ~ \ ~
i. ~ /-/ / . i-'o/
y.. ~
>~{I\~
/- i y..o/ >o-;
~
r:; ., ,.,., • .,.,.... ,,,, ., ,,,,.,, ~
f.;; '1:,
0 .,
'll ~w1 4~ t_/i ~:, 4~1 ~;i ~:,

~ \ 0 / •
/ . iY..c.1-
"The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday; on it
Aadam ~\ was created, on it he was made to enter Paradise,
on it he was expelled from it."l 68 l
If you reflect carefully upon all that has been stated, you will
see that Allaah is the Doer of all that He intends and that no one
can question His Authority. Instead of grudging Allaah's decision,
the various forms of excellence granted to different people should
instill in you:
a. The absolute faith in Allaah .
b. Being pleased with Qadar as you continue to strive in
your endeavours.
[68) Muslim.
Do Not Be Envious
c. The ability to avoid the rivalry for excellence for the sake
of th is world.
This is the first and the surest cure for the di sease of envy.
From the other ways of cure of this disease are:
Love of One Another

What every Muslim is obliged to do is to love for his brother
what he loves for himself of good things, and to hate for his
brother what he hates for himself of bad things. This does not
mean that you cannot like for yourself what you like for others. If
you see that your brother has something that you do not possess,
and wish that you have it too, this is the good envy that is free
from malicel69l; however, if you wish that the blessing would be
taken away from him, this is the destructive jealousy.
As a Muslim, you need to strive against your own selfl 70l so that
your heart will be free of jealousy towards your Muslim brothers.
If you sincerely Jove your brothers, most of these problems from
which you might be suffering will disappear.
[69] This is the praiseworthy envy called AI-Ghibtah. A discussion on it

follows shortly.
[70] Jihaad AI-Nafs: Striving against the soul because it is always inclined to
evil. Allaah ~ says : Yusuf ~ said :
"And I free not myself from the blame. Verily, the human self is inclined
to evil, except when my Lord bestows His Mercy upon whom He wills.
Verily, my Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Yusuf (12) : 53]
67
When you realize how great your virtue and status will be when
you love your brothers and love good things for them, and when
you know how great your reward will be if you treat them well,
this will motivate you to treat them well in all ways, and to strive
to benefit your brothers and sisters instead of being preoccupied
with jealous thoughts of what they have and you do not have.
You need to reflect and think deeply these words of Allaah:
1':
~ j. ,,, fi. .,,, _,.,:.1.,,, .),..,,,..... ., , / 'J ,-;,, ). ,:, ,-; / ,,,, ~
, ~ t:t'.J JJ!\_J ~~ 0-4 ~J: ~1 µ ~·~r
"That (which you are envious and sad about) is the Grace
of Allaah which He bestows on whom He wills. And Allaah
is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower." [AI-
Mad'idah (5) :54]
And also His ~ saying:
"Is it they who would portion out the Mercy of your Lord?
It is We Who portion out between them their livelihood in
this world, and We raised some of them above others in
ranks, so that some may employ others in their work. But
the Mercy {Paradise) of your Lord is better than the wealth
of this world, which they amass." [Az-Zukhruf (43): 32]
Piety and Patience

Hasad - Destructive jealousy - causes a great deal of harm in
Do Not Be Envious
this world and in the Hereafter.P 1l That is why "Whoever finds in

himself any Hasad towards another has to try to neutralize it by
means of piety and consciousness of Allaah along with patience.
So he should hate the feeling of Hasad in himself... But the one
who does wrong to his brother by word or deed will be punished
for that. The one who fears Allaah and is patient, however, is not
included among the wrongdoers, and Allaah will benefit him by
virtue of his piety and consciousness of Allaah ." (721
Supplication
Make Du'aa' (supplication) to Allaah ~ and ask Him to rid you
of th is problem. The Prophet ~ used to say in his Du'aa',
"Guide my heart and remove ill will from my breast."f.731
Reading the Qur'aan.

Ponderingthe meanings of the Qur'aan and reading it frequently,
especially the Verses which speak of Hasad (destructive jealousy).
Reading the Qur'aan brings you a great deal of reward for good
(71] This is evident from the Hadeeth of AI-Zubayr bin AI-Awwam ~ stated
on page 36.
(72] Shaykh ul-lslaam lbn Taymiyyah : Amraad AI-Qu/oob (Diseases of the
Heart) :
(73] At-Tirmidhee.
J o ,.,.
O ,,,,
/ •/ . /
O
lI ·- 1/ I; • I/
(.>.)...L...,
.. ,,,, ~ r...r- _J (J':"'"'
.,. ,,,, ~ _J
" Wa 'hdi qa/bi wa'slul sakheemata sadree'~

The phrase "guide my heart" means to the straight path, and "remove ill will
from my breast" means take away all insincerity, rancour and hatred.
deeds.
Allaah ~ says:
"Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds.'' [Hud

(11):114]
And certainly, it is in the words of Allaah that all hearts find rest
and tranquility.
Allaah ~ says:
~yfll ~ .&, ~~ 1t~

!::,, / ,,.,,. /;,,
"Verily, in the remembrance of Allaah do hearts find rest.''

[Ar-Ra'd (13): 28]
Reading the History of the Prophet and the Salaf-

us-Saaliheen[74J
Reading the SeeraH 15 l of the Messenger of Allaah ~ , seeing
how he kept away from Hasad and how he loved good for others,
even for his enemies.
Seeking Allaah's refuge!

If any such thoughts of Hasad, cross your mind, then seek
refuge with Allaah from the accursed Shaytaan, and keep yourself
(74] Those consisting of the companions, their successors and their righteous
followers and upholders of the Sunnah from the earlier generations of
Muslims.
(75] Biography. An addition to this is reading the biographies and stories of
the Sahaabah.
Do Not Be Envious
busy with something that will make you forget these insinuating
whispers and thoughts.
If the Shaytaan manages to instil Hasad in your heart, then

beware lest you say or do anything, which will show that Hasad.
Every person has his or her share of hasad. Shaykh Al-lslaam
lbn Taymiyyah said: "Nobody is free from Hasad, but the noble
person hides it whilst the base person shows it."[76l
Remember, a person will not be brought to account for

whatever crosses his mind, but he will be brought to account for
what he says and does. The Prophet ~ said:
/ M
<~· I t; J/ 0r
~ I.r' ..r"-'-'-"
.,,, /
·~11 J/ /tl;;J1 ~
M
·/
,,,, ~
-"½ / .,
. / ~
...
"Allaah will forgive my Um mah for their mistakes, what they

forget and what they are forced to do."f.771
Give a gift and a handshake.
If you feel that you are jealous of a specific person, then buy him
a gift and shake hands with him. The Prophet ~ said :
is:.ll101.:; 1;~ '1~;~_:; 'JJ1 0~ ' I ~ ~

"Shake hands, for this will dispel rancour, and exchange gifts
and love one another, for this will dispel hatred."17 81
Saying Salaam Alaykum!

Hasad is the result of hatred, whose opposite is love, the way
[76] Amraad AI-Quloob - Diseases of the Hearts.

[77] AI-Bukhaaree.
[78] Narrated by Maalik in AI-Muwatta. Garaded Da'eef by Al-Al baa nee in
Da'eef At-Targheeb wa At-Tarheeb.
71
of which is giving gifts and spreading the greeting of Salaam,

because the Prophet ~ said:
"You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will
not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you of
that which will strengthen love between you? Spread (the
greeting of) Salaam amongst yourse/ves."f_79 l
Making True and Sincere Repentance from Sins

As mentioned earlier, Hasad comes from an unhealthy heart,
which perhaps was made dead by sins, no matter how small they
may be. Abu Hurayrah ~ narrated that the Messenger of Allaah
~ said:
"When a slave of Allaah commits a sin, a black stain is dotted

on his heart. Then if that person gives up that sin, begs Allaah
to forgive him and repents, then his heart is cleared; but if he
repeats the evil deed, then that covering is increased till his
heart is completely covered with it. And that is Ar-Ran, which
(79] Muslim.
Do Not Be Envious
Allaah mentions in the Qur'aan:
"Nay! But on their hearts is the Ran (covering of sins and

evil deeds), which they used to earn." [AI-Mutaffifeen (83):
14](80]
By repenting from these sins and turning to Allaah, the evil of

this destructive hatred will lnsha Allaah be removed from your
heart.
(80] At-Trimidhee.
73
Chapter 6
The Praiseworthy Envy
Envy is of two types; the blameworthy and destructive envy,

which is called Hasad in Arabic, and the praiseworthy envy which
is called AI-Ghibtah. Everything that has preceded relates to
Hasad, the blameworthy envy.
On the other hand, AI-Ghibtah is to envy the righteous folks

and to wish that you also possess the capability to do as much
good as they are doing without any form of jealousy and without
wishing that the blessings they had been endowed with from
their Lord be withdrawn or that it should vanish. This is a good
and praiseworthy thing.
It therefore means that mutual rivalry and competition in

performing acts of righteousness and getting closer to Allaah ~
is a form of good envy.
Allaah ~ says:
"So hasten! All of you towards all that is good." [AI-Baqarah

(2): 148]
Competing to excel one another in good deeds should be

because of the rewards of the hereafter. Allaah ~ says:
"And for this (reward of Paradise) let all those strive who
want to strive (i.e. hasten earnestly to the obedience of
Allaah).'' [AI-Mutaffifeen {83): 26]
And also He ~ says:
"And hasten to the forgiveness from your Lord, and to Paradise

as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for the
pious who are obedient to Allaah." [AI-Maa'idah (3): 133]
This rivalry should not be to accumulate the things of this

life, as was the case with the people who envied Qaarun - the
arrogant but wealthy man who lived during the time of Prophet
Muusaa ~I.
Allaah ~ says:
, ,-.
/lb ,-~p,:: ~I}
~. 2-H
,- )- / 7 / ,,,..,.... ,'//
,- .> ),
~ ~ , ....J &,yt ~~ ~ --...;...> (.)~
> .,,,.>~,.,>.-> // ,-
J::J J\! °':-,.io J_;i\\ ~j ,,,,,~. ;:.it ~ J-''-~ t ~~\

),'' //
~I
~ ;.. (.)t ...)
Do Not Be Envious
,, ,, !,, ,, ,,- ,,,, ,,,,,.,,,,,,,,,.,,,,,.
~ ........,.; & ~ 0
/ .> )-
~\ --...;_.).J..A>....r..
.,,
0.:J1
.,, J\; ..i.:::,., .
L_,,,,.,... .,.--}, //
~:~~ £;.
,:, .Jil
_,.,,. ,,.~,
.,A...:.J~
)- >-:: {
0.J.P <::,J..JI C~
/,
u4 / ,,..,,..
(L:uf
~' ~9 ~{::.~_; ri~1 ~;i ~J, Jt:J__, o
(0.J~1
,, ~l /
4-'~ 'l_; ~ ~_; G1~
"Verily, Qaarun was of Musaa's people, but he behaved
arrogantly towards them. And We gave him of the treasures,
that of which the keys would have been a burden to a body
of strong men. When his people said to him: 'Do not be
glad with ungratefulness to Allaah's Favours. Verily! Allaah
likes not those who are glad with ungratefulness to Allaah's
Favours. But seek, with that wealth which Allaah has
bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget
not your portion of legal enjoyment in this world, and do
good as Allah has been good to you, and seek not mischief
in the land. Verily, Allah likes not those who commit great
crimes and sins."' He said: "This has been given to me only
because of knowledge I possess."
77
Then, Allaah ~ says:
/ .,, / )- / J. /_ ..> J.,,,,.. { -...... / , // / / /

o 1"")~c. +;- _J..:u t'-j! ~up q_JI ~ ~ U ~
c,; 5:.J;.: ,r;r ..-;,Q' 1;{::~_; Fi~rr r;J 0}( Jt:1_;
"... So he went forth before his people in his pomp. Those

who were desirous of the life of the world, said: "Ah, would
that we had the like of what Qaarun has been given?
Verily! He is the owner of a great fortune.'' But those who
had been given (religious) knowledge said: "Woe to you!
The Reward of Allaah (in the Hereafter) is better for those
who believe and do righteous good deeds, and this none
shall attain except those who are patient (in following the
truth).'' [A/-Qasas (28): 76-80]
Due to this, envy is permissible concerning three people as

Abdullah bin Mas'ud ~ narrated that : I heard t he Prophet ~
saying:
~
1;:: ~ j 'i c;, ~ I ~ ti u-
~ 1.::. _)/ : ~ '-1 ~I i.:.;. 'J
· ::~~ I c.$-·
/ ~ /
I -:: , I'.'.'/ I -:: . . ~/ / , -; ~ ~ \ ~ ti ~ l.::. / / ' ~~ _-- II . ~

~ _ J ~~ ~ / c..r-.J_J ~<-I //
" There is no envy except in two: a person whom Allaah has

given wealth and he spends it in the right way, and a person
7
Do Not Be Envious
whom Allaah has given wisdom (i.e. religious knowledge)

and he gives his decisions accordingly and teaches it to the
others. "f_s1l
And in another narration, the Messenger of Allaah ~ said:
"There can be no envy except in two cases: A .man whom

Allaah has taught the Qur'aan, and so he recites it during
the hours of the night and during the hours of the day, and
his neighbour listens to him and says; 'I wish I had been given
what has been given to so-and-so, for then I would do what
he does; and secondly, a man whom Allaah has given wealth,
and thus, he spends it on what is just and right, whereupon
another man says; 'I wish I had been given what so-and-so \
has been given, for then I would do the same as what he
does." [s 2J
[81] AI-Bukhaaree.
[82] AI-Bukhaaree.
79
Chapter 7
Be Free of Envy ... Gain Allaah's Paradise
If you strive as hard as you can to free yourself from the evil
of envy, and may Allaah bless your effort, His Paradise will be
the reward for you. Surely Allaah's love and His Great pleasure is
upon those who struggle to attain the good end.
Allaah ~ says about the supplication of believers for their
righteous predecessors thus:
"And those who came after them say: 'Our Lord! Forgive
us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith, and
put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have
believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most
Merciful.'" [AI-Hashr {59): 10]
Paradise is a place where there will be no rancour, jealousy

or envy. Such bad traits will be removed from the hearts of the
believers before they are admitted into AI-Jannah {Paradise).
Allaah ~ says:
"But those who believed (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic

Monotheism), and worked righteousness - We tax not any
person beyond his scope, such are the dwellers of Paradise.
They will abide therein. And We shall remove from their
breasts any (mutual) hatred or sense of injury (which they
had, if at all, in the life of this world); rivers flowing under
them, and they will say: 'All the praises and thanks be to
Allah, Who has guided us to this, never could we have found
guidance, were it not that Allah had guided us! Indeed, the
Messengers of our Lord did come with the truth.' And it will
be cried out to them: 'This is the Paradise which you have
inherited for what you used to do."' [AI-A'raaf (7): 42-43]
Try your best to rid your heart of rancour, envy and hatred
Do Not Be Envious
against fellow Muslims. Allaah is ready to assist and guide you to

success in your efforts. He ~ says:
A~\
'.,,,,
:J
C
~ l/
~\ u,,J h>>., ~>~-- I::, Li.,, :.J~
. ~-;-r-
i > " ," u-3,,
,: ~\"l.-
:.J"f'
"As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will

surely guide them to Our Paths (i.e. Allah's Religion - Islamic
Monotheism). And verily, Allah is with the Muhsinun (good
doers)." [AI-Ankaboot {29): 69]
Beware of being envious of people because it destroys one's

religion. Is there any chance of being admitted to Paradise once
the religion is destroyed? The Messenger of Allaah ~ said:
"You have been afflicted with the illness of the nations

that came before you - jealousy and hatred. They are the
shearers, I do not mean the shearers of the hair, rather they
are the shearers of the religion."l83 l
Eemaan is the foundation of the Deen and the main condition
for admission into AI-Jannah. Beware of losing it to envy. The
Messenger of Allaah ~ said:
'... And belief and envy do not occur together in the heart of
a believer."[s4J
[83] Saheeh At-Targheeb wa At-Tarheeb
[84] An-Nasaa'ee (Hasan) .

May Allaah ~ keep our hearts free of the disease of envy. And
praise is due to Allaah ~ in the end as it is in the beginning. May
the peace and blessing of Allaah be upon Muhammad ~ , his
household and those upon his path till the Day of Resurrection .
May Allaah ~ keep our hearts free of the disease of envy. And
praise is due to Allaah ~ in the end as it is in the beginning. May
the peace and blessing of Allaah be upon Muhammad ~ , his
household and those upon his path till the Day of Resurrection.
And Allaah is our Source of help!
... End ...

Do Not Be Envious
Index of Hadeeths
Al-'ayn could lead a man to his grave, and a camel to the cooking pot 38
Al-'ayn is real; if anything were to compete with the Qadar 38
Alfaah will forgive my Ummah for their mistakes, what they forget 54
And belief and envy do not occur together in the heart of a believer 62
Creeping and advancing upon you is the disease and malady 16
Creeping and advancing upon you is the disease and malady of 35
Do not be envious of one another and do not nurse 13
Do not make me a witness for injustice 30
Guide my heart and remove ill will from my breast 52
He has indeed asked Alfaah and invoked Him by virtue of His 48
He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride 28
How would you be, 0 people, when Persia (Iran) and Rome 24
I seek refuge for you both in the perfect words of Af/aah 40
I seek refuge in the perfect words of Alfaah from His wrath 42
I seek refuge in the perfect words of Alfaah from the evil that 40
I seek refuge in the perfect words of Alfaah, through which no man 41
I seek refuge with Alfaah from every devil and poisonous reptile 41
I will pave the way for you as your predecessor and will be a witness 25
In the name of Alfaah I pray for you, from everything that may 43
Indeed, you have asked Alfaiinthe Most Exalted by the Names 48
Look at those who are lower than you but do not look at those 24
No human is killed or murdered unjustly, but a part of responsibility 22
No, pride is disdaining what is true and despising people 28
None of you would have believed until he loves for his brother 26
Nothing else besides it? You would in fact vie with one another 25
0 Alfaah ! I seek refuge with Your Perfect Words from every devil 40
85
0 Allaah, You are my Lord, there is no god besides You 42

Recite Ruqyah for her, because she is affected by a look (Nazrah) 37
Shake hands, for this will dispel rancour, and exchange gifts 55
Strange and amazing are the ways and affairs of a believer 37
Surely, you have asked Allaah by virtue of His greatest Names 48
Tell Abu Thaabit to seek refuge with Allaah 39
The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday 50
The following two persons do not exist together in hell 27
The religion is Naseehah (sincere advice) 10
There can be no envy except in two cases: A man whom Allaah 59
There is no envy except in two: a person whom Allaah has given 59
Verily the most truthful speech is the Word of Allaah and the 8
Verily! In the body is a morsel of flesh which, if it is rectified 26
Verily! The lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear 26
Verily, Allaah is Graceful and He loves Grace 28
What Allaah wills, and there is no strength except in Allaah 43
When a man has two wives and he is inclined to one of them 30
When a slave of Allaah commits a sin, a black stain is dotted 55
Why would any one of you kill his brother? If any one of you sees 32
Woe to you, you have cut off your companion's neck 32
Yes, for if anything were to compete with Allaah's decree (Al-qadar) 39
You have been afflicted with the illness of the nations that came before 62
You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not 54
Your forefather (i.e. lbraaheem iW,) used to seek refuge with Allaah 40
Bibliography
Obstacles on the path of Dawah- Dr. Sayed Noah AI-Mansurah,

Egypt: Darul-Yaqeen 1421 A.H (2000)
Commentary on the Forty Hadith of An-Nawawi - Jamal-Deen
M. Zarabozo. 1999 AI-Basheer Publications.
The Noble Qur'aan - Taqi-ud-Deen AI-Hilaali & Dr. Muhammad
Muhsin Khan's Translation, Darussalam Publishers, Riyadh.
SaheehAI-Bukhaaree-Arabic-English Translation-Muhammad
Muhsin Khan - Dar-ul-Arabia Publishing.
Saheeh Muslim - English Translation.

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IJi:~'J

© Maktaba Dar-us-Salam, 2007

Editorial work, carried out at Deen Communications Limited by

Explanation of Symbols Used 6

Chapter 2: Envy & Its Associates 17

Chapter 3: Causes of Envy 29

Chapter 4: Effects of Envy 45

Chapter 5: Treatment for Envy 61

Chapter 6: The Praiseworthy Envy 75

Chapter 7: Be Free of Envy ...Gain Allaah's Paradise 81

A Muslim is encouraged to utter certain phrases at the mention

Phrase Mentioned With Transliteration Meaning

Subhaanahuu wa Glorified and

May the peace

Radiyallaahu May Allaah be

Naseehah (Advice) and its position in

1_; ~Aili J;. ~1 i]Jf ~1: 0j1 \;~}

"O you who believe! Fear Allaah as He should

"O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who

o ~+: 1; hiJ~ ~\ ~\ ~1: &Jr c~~

"O you who believe! Keep your duty to

And whosoever obeys Allaah and His

,~I ~~ ~~I ;;- ~~ ,~ t;f

As for what follows:

Verily the most truthful speech is the Word of

Giving Naseehah Is A Characteristic

a major characteristic of the believer - is

Allaah informs us that when the people of

"Verily, we see you in plain error." [AI-A'raaf

he rejected that and responded that he was

"[Nuh (Noah)] said: "O my people! There

Similarly, Allaah ~ tells us that when Hud

~I began to call to Allaah; his people referred

"The leaders of those who disbelieved

so he retorted and said:

"O my people! There is no foolishness in

So there is no doubt that the characteristic

important characteristic for every Muslim .

Jarir bin 'Abdullah ~ said: "Amma Badu

Also, Tamim Ad-Dari narrated: Allaah's

"The religion is Naseehah (sincere advice)."

The people asked, "To whom?" The Prophet

"To Allaah and to His Book and to His

The Golden Advice Series

Each book comes in an easy-to-read size but

Everything that is correct in the books of The

to have a share in it.

The end of our Du'aa' is that all praise is

Abu Hurayrah[4J ~ narrated that the Messenger of Allaah

, 1..,).1i; 'I _,....,:>:-

"Do not be envious of one another and do not nurse grudge

"It is enough of evil for a person to hold his brother Muslim in

Envy & Its Associates

Envy constitutes a disease of the heart and it is one of the flaws

definition of this malady will not be sufficient.

"To hate and have resentment towards the apparent good

[7] lbn Hajar AI-Asqalani-Fath-u/ Bari.

"Creeping and advancing upon you is the disease and malady

1- Envy Mixed With Pride and Arrogance

Shaytaan was envious of Aadam %§1 because of the blessings

,~I I ;;- ~~ ,~ t;f

i;; j; k:il ~ 1C\i1 ~ iy¼ ~ 1J \t1; r