The World Of Soul

Hassad

Envy

 Hassad (envy) is a feeling of a man who cannot cope with it until the person, he envies, loses or is deprived of the object of envy.[1] This feature is extremely sinful and harmful first and foremost for the person who envies. It is typical of a hypocrite rather than of a true believer. Envy and faith cannot exist in one and the same heart. One of them is bound to force out another one.[2] Hassad is a dangerous mental disease that ruins man, his soul and life from inside.

 Gybta is another type of envy. This is a feeling when a person finds something good in another person, but he does not wish the latter to lose it. On the contrary this person wishes to acquire the same feature, good, knowledge or skills. This type of envy belongs to the category of the permitted, of the lawful.[3]

  Hassad is an extremely sinful and mean quality. In the present research we shall try to outline and understand the essence of this vice, in order to fight it and thus ameliorate the life of people around (on the mercy of the Creator).

The Holy Qur’an reads: "I seek refuge from the mischief of the envier, when he envies".[4] The mischief means the harm and damage that an envier can cause by means of words or deeds.

 A short Sura of the Qur’an that aims at keeping man away from evil and that contains a prayer to the Creator for salvation from evil as such, ends exactly with this line – “from the mischief of the envier, when he envies". It was done not without reason.

 Here are some unfortunate historical facts of the manifestation of this pernicious quality:

1. The first sin in heaven was caused by the feeling of envy. Iblis (Satan) envied the privileged position of the newly created Adam, for which he was damned. Satan was guided by his envy. He instigated Adam to commit a sin. Thus, Adam and Eve were brought down to Earth. Apparently this should have happened according to God’s intention in order that the history of mankind on Earth began. But Satan did not have to show his foul essence and to instigate Adam and Eve to the sin towards the Creator.[5]

2. It was this mental disease (that can be both cured and develop) that was the reason of the first murder on Earth. One of the sons of Adam, the forefather of mankind, envied his brother and killed him because Allah, He is the Most High, accepted the generous gift of the latter, and did not accept the gift of the former, for it was offered without generosity and sincerity.[6]

3. Envy made the brothers of Yussuf (Joseph)[7] decide to kill their own brother, only because he was the most beloved son of their father, Prophet Ya’kub (Jacob). At the last moment, on the request of one of them, they changed their mind and threw the twelve- year old boy into a well.[8]

1. How does man come to feel envy?

Answer: The source of this feeling is anger, enmity and rage that appear in the soul of a man as a result of ignorance and narrow-mindedness which he does not eliminate through sending up prayers and improving his knowledge.

 Many factors can develop the feeling of envy:

-  A hostile attitude towards a certain person;

-  Hypocrisy that we cannot control as soon as one sees the advantages of other people;

-  Anxiety about one’s social status, prospects;

-  Striving for power, and thus defiling everybody who may aspire to it;

-  Bad manners and foul nature that do not allow man to estimate the success of other people and so on.

Envy is usually manifested among the representatives of one profession, field of activity, especially if their interests, place of work or residence place cross. If two men confine themselves to worldly values and aims and are weak in their faith, they gradually begin to envy each other, which is usually manifested in faultfinding in each other’s work and in disclosing these faults in public, as well as in creating additional obstacles in their activity.

 But if these two men are active and perform good deeds in the temporal world and aspire with their hearts to the eternal life (just as every Muslim is supposed to do), no envy can appear between them. In such situation only a healthy competition can take place, which is considered to be acceptable, and even necessary (for the development and progress of the field they work in).

2. How does envy influence man?

Answer: Prophet Mohammed (let peace and Allah’s blessing be upon him) said:

“Envy destroys the good deeds of the envier just as fire burns firewood".[9]

“Envy influences faith disruptively just as aloe spoils the taste of honey".[10]

“A serious disease of past generations has afflicted[11] you – envy and hatred. This disease is a blade. But this blade shaves your faith, rather than your hair. By Allah, the Lord of the world! You will not believe [your faith will not be complete] until you treat each other with love and respect. Do you know what will contribute to it? Wish peace to each other [not so much with your tongues, but proceeding from friendly and sincere attitude towards each other, which will relieve you of anger, hatred and hostility]".[12]

 An envier is hated, damned (by the angels), he is deprived of the blessing of the Creator and is the object of God’s anger (even if he does not notice it).[13]

 Imam al-Kurtubi said:

   Somebody has wisely noted:

Address an old envier, when he

  Begins to defame a certain man,

Hey, oppressor (Zalim)! Although he (the envier) is similar

  To him who is being oppressed (Mazlum),(for actually he inflicts harm on himself).[14]

3. Does a Muslim have a moral right to cultivate in his soul such a great vice as envy?

Answer: Prophet Mohammed (let peace and Allah’s blessing be upon him) said:

  “Do not be angry with each other, do not envy each other, do not quarrel with each other, but be brothers! [If you have quarrelled] do not let your animosity be longer than three days [try to be reconciled within the next three days at most]";[15]

  “Do not feel happy about troubles (difficulties, problems) of your brother-in-faith[16] (whom you envy). Allah, He Who is the Most High, thus bestows on him His blessing (He will save him from the difficulties), whereas you are being tested [whether you are able to sympathize with other man’s grief and try to help him, or you are happy about his troubles]".[17]

  Al-Fudeyl ibn ‘Iyad[18], who was very famous for his great religious knowledge and the ability to implement it in everyday life, said: "A true believer shows Gybta in his relations with other people [he does not want another person to lose the good that he possesses; on the contrary, he is sincerely happy for this person and on his part tries to achieve the same results], whereas a hypocrite feels Hassad [he finds faults and shortcomings in other people; he wishes them to lose their wealth, good, or committed mistakes and sins][19]".[20]

4. How can one protect oneself from the evil of the envier, from the harm of his envy?

Answer: Prophet Mohammed (let peace and Allah’s blessing be upon him) said: "In order to satisfy your (temporal or eternal) needs [in order to achieve noble aims and goals] ask the Creator for help through concealment. [It is mainly applicable to your plans that have not yet been implemented]. [And this is] the result of the fact that any possessor of a good is always exposed to envy".[21]

 You surely remember the words of Prophet Ya’kub (Jacob) that he said to little Yussuf (Joseph), who had had a beautiful prophetic dream: "My son, do not unveil your dream to your brothers! Otherwise they will plan evil against you, they will plot against you guided by their envy. Verily, Satan is a true man’s enemy".[22]

 In order to protect oneself against the evil of the envier it is useful to read from time to time the 113^th Sura of the Holy Qur’an[23], that is a universal Du’a-prayer that helps to find refuge from various kinds of evil, including “the mischief of the envier, when he envies".[24]

5. How can man protect himself from “the delayed poison", from the envy that we show towards other people (sometimes disguising it by “noble" wishes or intentions)?

Answer: Prophet Mohammed (May Allah greet and bless him) once said: "[Man possesses] three qualities, that are very difficult[25] to be controlled (it is difficult to oppress them, to defeat them completely)[26] [but it is very important to work on them, in the name of the Creator and for the personal good]. They are as follows: taking heed of bad omens [being dependent on them on the mental level]; thinking badly of other people; feeling envy for other people". The Messenger of Allah was asked: "What are we supposed to do? How can we control this feeling?" He (let peace and Allah’s blessing be upon him) answered: "If you take something as a bad omen do not pay heed to it. If you think badly about other people, do not let these thoughts become true (do not check anything, do not try to carry out an investigation, to justify your suppositions). And if you envy somebody, try to oppress it (do not commit sins, do not inflict any damage upon the person whom you envy)".[27]

 Al-Hassan al-Basri, an outstanding scholar of the first generation, said: "Envy is in everyone. And those who do not turn it to any form of oppression, causing harm, suspecting other people of anything, will leave it behind (they will never suffer losses)".[28]

6. How should one fight against this feeling?

Answer: One of the companions of Prophet Mohammed Anas narrated: "We sat once around the Prophet. Suddenly the Messenger of Allah said: "Now you will see a man. He is the dweller of Paradise".[29] A man entered the room. His face was covered with small drops of water after performing an ablution. He carried his shoes in the left hand [Anas tried to notice certain peculiarities of this man.] On the next and the third day everything repeated. [On the third day] the Prophet stood up [and withdrew] short after announcing the coming of this man. Then ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amru ibn al-‘As (the son of ‘Amru ibn al-‘As) followed the man.[30] On having overtaken him the young man exclaimed: "I quarrelled with my father and I said that I would not return home within three days! May I stay at your home within the next three days?" The man answered: "Yes, of course".

 Anas continued: "Then ‘Abdullah told us that he had spent three days at this man’s home. And he never saw him performing the night prayer (“Tahadjud")[31]. Sometimes he woke up at night and turning on his bed, repeated the name of Allah and worshipped Him. At dawn he sent up the morning prayer (“Fadjr"). At the same time ‘Abdullah noticed that this man had never said any bad word (he always said only good things). After three days the young man decided to leave the house of this hospitable man. Saying good-bye the boy said: "I did not quarrel with my father. The thing is that Allah’s Messenger reckoned (without any doubt) you among the dwellers of Paradise. But I have not seen anything extraordinary about your behaviour or way of living [for example, fasting every two days or performing additional prayers]. What could be the reason for such a high appreciation?" The man answered: "Everything you have said is true". When ‘Abdullah was going to leave, this righteous person called him: "It is all true. I can only say that I never feel angry with other people and I never envy the blessings that Allah bestows on them". ‘Abdullah exclaimed: "It is this virtue that is the most precious about you! For this is what is extremely difficult".[32]

Let us repeat what has been mentioned above: "But if these two men are active and perform good deeds in the temporal world and aspire with their hearts to the eternal life (just as every Muslim is supposed to be), no envy can appear between them. In such situation only a healthy competition can take place, which is considered to be acceptable and even necessary (for the development and progress of the field they work in)".

 There can be no envy between truly learned, intelligent and pious people, for they aspire to the cognition of Allah, He is the Creator, the Lord of the world. They seek to cognize the Creator, and this is a long process, with no need to struggle for success or first place.

***

Several wise statements to the point:

 “Every man can be contented except the envier. The latter will do all that he can until he deprives the other one of the blessings that cause his envy".

 “I have never seen an oppressor, tyrant, who at the same time would be so tightened and oppressed. It is an envier. Poor man, he is always unhappy about the successes of other people", - said ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul –‘Aziz.

 “A hypocrite flatters right to the face of the man he envies. Whereas when the latter is absent he says spiteful things about him, slanders him and defames him, and if a misfortune overtakes the person he envies, it makes him feel happy and satisfied".

 “An envier is surprised and struck when he becomes a witness of the blessing of another person, but if the latter commits a mistake or a slip, he is happy and rejoices the misfortunes of others".

 “An envier is angry with another person without reason and is greedy for what he does not possess".

 “Do not waste your time trying to seek love and respect of the person who envies you. He will not appreciate your noble attitude all the same".

 “If the Lord wants to make somebody a subordinate to an enemy, who will have no mercy over him, He chooses his envier".

 “Once al-Hassan, the son of imam ‘Ali, was asked: "Can a believer envy another person?" He answered: "Do you remember the history about the sons of Ya’kub (Jacob)? Yes, it is possible. But this quality is typical of man. It will not inflict damage on him, if he does not harm other people either with deeds or with words".

 “Envy is a wound that does not heal. An envier is bound to suffer from his own disruptive feelings“.

 Baqr ibn ‘Abdullah told: "There lived a man who was in close relations with some kings. When he attended their palaces and stood near, he whispered to them: "Don’t be in a hurry to reward a man for a noble deed, but do not haste to punish a bad person either. Sooner or later he will be punished all the same".

 One man decided to harm him, envying his authority and power. He came to the governor and said: "The man who is close to you and whispers something to you, says to other people that the mouth of the king smells awfully". The king asked him again: "And how can I check it?" “Invite him to you and pay heed to the fact that he covers his nose every time he approaches you".

 At the same time the malicious man, after leaving the palace of the governor, invited Baqr ibn ‘Abdullah to his house. He consented. All dishes contained garlic. After dinner the wise man went to the king and as usual stood near him and said: "Don’t be in a hurry to reward a man for a noble deed, but do not haste to punish a bad person either. Sooner or later he will be punished all the same". The governor told him: "Come closer". The former approached, but at the same time he covered his mouth and nose with his hand, in order not to bother the king with the smell of garlic.

 The governor was convinced of the denunciation, drew appropriate conclusions and wrote a letter to one of his subordinates. As a rule he would write only about a reward or a present to be offered to somebody. But in this letter he wrote the following: "When this man comes to you, make a scarecrow stuffed with straw out of him and send it to me". The wise man took the letter and went away. On his way he met his envier. And the latter asked him:

“What is it?"

“The letter of the governor, that must contain an order to offer me a present".

“Give it to me".

“Here you are, it is yours",- said the wise man without any mean thought.

The malicious man went to the place of destination. He handed the letter. No sooner had he become aware of its content and tried to justify himself, than the sentence of the king was executed. The skin was stuffed with straw and sent to the palace.

 On the following day the wise man came to the king, which obviously surprised him.

 “And what have you done to the letter?"- he asked.

 “I offered it to that man".

 “This man came to me and said bad things about you. According to him, you defame me".

 “I have never said anything of the kind",- the wise man answered.

 “Why did you cover your nose and mouth with your hand?", - asked the governor in perplexity.

 “I did so because this man had entertained me at the dishes with garlic and I did not want to bother you with the smell".

 “It is an honest answer. You deserve your position. And this malicious man got his deserts",- concluded the governor.

 The Holy Qur’an reads as follows: "But evil shall recoil on those that plot evil".[33] Enviers, insidious and sly people will suffer from their own intrigues. It is not always possible to notice it, for our possibilities are limited by time and place.

Arabic poets wrote about envy:

The eyes of the true envier will always guard you,

   Noticing your mistakes and concealing, belittling your noble deeds.

He will greet you with (secret) anger and with a smile.

   His heart is closed, he has what he has.

A true envier shows enmity without the slightest cause.

   He will never accept any excuses or arguments, accusing somebody of crime.[34]

If you envy me, I do not blame you,

   There lived really authoritative people before me, who also were envied.

I am fed up with your envy, but it does not matter.

   Many people die from their anger towards what is around them.

When Allah wishes to reveal something noble, that is concealed from others,

   He does it through the loose and sharp tongues of enviers.

If fire did not burn that which is near (puffing smoke),

   We would never know the fragrance of perfumed sticks.

As well as:

Bear with the intrigues of the envier, they will eat him through,

 Fire burns itself when it does not find anything else (and gradually dies out).

***

Resumé: Man should constantly work on himself[35] and lead a decent life in order to deserve forgiveness of the Lord and His Mercy in this world and in the hereafter.

 A truly wise man can discover God’s wisdom and will in the world around.

 May Allah bless us, strengthen our faith, improve our piety and good intentions and increase our reason up to the level of noble aspirations. Amen.

 Muslim theologians also write about high aspirations:

He who does not try, will not know;

He who does not know, will never seek;

He who does not seek, does not have an aspiration (to achieve an aim);

He who does not aspire, will never achieve the aim,

He who does not achieve the aim, will stay among those deprived,

   At the lowest social level.

“He that does not heed the warning of the Merciful shall have a devil for his companion [devils turn men away from the right path]".[36]

 Therefore, you, man, must choose - either you follow Allah, He is the Most High, Who bestows His blessings upon the believers, or Satan will become your companion.