Envy is one of the undesirable traits and the root of many forms of hostility, confrontations, and gossip. Envy is, in fact, the desire for the blessings of others to be taken away. In contrast, there is ghibta (covetousness), which is when a person wishes to have the same blessings as others, or even more, without desiring the loss of anyone’s blessings. Envy, when present in anyone, not only deprives them of popularity but also causes difficulty for others, to the point where, according to the Holy Quran, one must seek refuge in God from the evil of the envious: “And from the evil of the envious when they envy” [1].
In this regard, Imam Hadi (peace be upon him) is quoted as saying:
“Beware of envy, for your envy will become apparent, and it will not have any effect on your enemy” [2].
No matter how much envy is concealed, it eventually reveals itself, for the envious person is always thinking of harming the one they envy, trying to undermine their reputation and position. This leads them to take various actions, which expose their envy through their words, behavior, and interactions.
However, in addition to the difficulties others face due to the envious person’s malice, the envious person themselves suffers internal pain, without causing any loss of blessings for the one they envy [3].
Thus, the envious person will never find peace and will always remain troubled. The saying “An envious person never rests” has its roots in hadiths, and it is narrated: “For the envious, there is never comfort or peace” [4].
In contrast to envy, one must consider whether the thing causing the envy truly has real value and whether it contributes to our own happiness. Unfortunately, many instances of envy stem from material possessions and worldly competitions, which are inherently condemnable. However, if the thing causing envy is something praiseworthy, instead of wishing for others’ blessings to be taken away, we should ask God to grant us similar blessings. God’s generosity is vast, and His treasury of blessings is endless [5].
(Excerpted from the book “The Wisdoms of Naqvi,” by “Javad Mohaddesi,” with summary and additions)
Footnotes:
[1] Surah Al-Falaq, verse 5
[2] A’lam al-Din, p. 311
[3] According to Imam Hadi’s (peace be upon him) statement, envy does not cause the blessings of the envied to be lost, but it may lead to some inconveniences or harm for the envied person, from which we should seek refuge in God. In this valuable teaching, Imam Hadi (peace be upon him) advises us to avoid envy because it does not remove blessings from the envied party.
[4] Gharar al-Hikam, p. 300
[5] Some of God’s gifts and blessings are exclusive and are only given to specific individuals, such as the ranks of the Imams (peace be upon them). It is obvious that wishing for such honors is not correct.