What Are the Ways to Avoid Envy and Jealousy?
Answered by Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib
Question
What are the ways to avoid envy and jealousy?
Answer
In the name of Allah, and all praise is due to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, his Family, his Companions, and those who follow him.
Understanding the Roots of Envy
A Muslim should strive diligently to cleanse their heart from the impurities of sins, including envy, which, as Imam Ghazali explains, stems from malice, and malice, in turn, results from anger. Thus, anger is the root cause of envy. [Ghazali, Ihya’]
Allah (Most High) condemns those who harbor envy, as He says:
“Or do they envy people for what Allah has given them of His bounty?” [Quran, 4:54]
There are numerous hadiths specifically condemning envy. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,
“Do not cut off ties, do not turn away from one another, do not harbor hatred, and do not envy one another.” [Bukhari; Muslim]
In another narration, he said, “Envy consumes good deeds as fire consumes wood.” [Ibn Maja]
Practical Steps to Combat Envy
Imam Ghazali (Allah have mercy on him) offered a practical remedy for envy, saying:
“The beneficial knowledge for curing envy is to understand with certainty that envy harms only you in both this world and the Hereafter, while it does not harm the one envied in either realm—in fact, it benefits them. If you truly understand this and are not an enemy to yourself or a friend to your adversary, then you will abandon envy.”
The harm envy causes to one’s faith is that it demonstrates dissatisfaction with Allah’s decree and discontent with the blessings He has distributed among His servants. It signifies objection to His wisdom, and this damages the essence of belief and taints the purity of one’s faith. [Ghazali, Ihya’]
Cultivating Contentment and Gratitude
Therefore, a person who fears Allah (Most High), recognizes Allah’s blessings upon them, and understands that harboring envy harms only themselves will inevitably abandon it. They will rebuke themselves for focusing on others instead of committing to self-improvement and diligence.
May Allah protect us from negative inclinations and envy of others’ blessings. O Allah, content us with what You have provided for us. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds.
[Shaykh] Dr. Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib
Shaykh Dr Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib is a prominent Islamic scholar from Yemen born in Shibam, Hadhramaut, in 1976. He received his degree in Shari‘a from Al-Ahqaf University, a master’s degree from the Islamic University of Beirut, and a PhD in Usul al-Din from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
He studied under great scholars such as Shaykh al-Habib Ahmad Mashhur al-Haddad, Shaykh Fadl Ba‘ fadl, Habib Salim al-Shatiri, Habib Ali Mashhur bin Hafeez, and others. He has served as the Director of Publications at Dar al-Fiqh, the former Deputy Director of Cultural Relations at Al-Ahqaf University, a former Assistant for Employee Affairs at Atiyah Iron Company, a researcher at the Sunna Center affiliated with the Dallah al-Baraka Foundation, and a researcher at Al-Furqan Foundation’s Makka al-Mukarrama and Madina al-Munawwara Encyclopedia branch.
Currently, he is a researcher at Al-Furqan Foundation’s Makka al-Mukarrama and Madina al-Munawwara Encyclopedia branch, teaches traditionally through the Ijaza system at Dar al-Fuqaha in Turkey, supervises the Arabic department at Nur al-Huda International Institute (SeekersGuidance), and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Manuscript House in Istanbul.
His works include “The Efforts of Hadhramaut Jurists in Serving the Shafi‘i School,” “Contributions of Hadhramaut Scholars in Spreading Islam and its Sciences in India,” “Hada’iq al-Na‘im in Shafi‘i Fiqh,” in addition to verifying several books in Fiqh, history, the art of biographies, and Asanid (chains of narration).
