Abu Dawud

Benefits and Issues:
This narration is weak.
However, there is no doubt about the evil of envy.
Because envy, in reality, arises due to a deficiency in the belief of rida bil-qada (being content with Allah’s decisions and His distribution), therefore, when a person sees a blessing or goodness with someone, instead of burning with jealousy or resentment, he should supplicate to Allah, saying: “O Allah! Grant me this or something even better.”
This state is called rashk and ghibtah, which is a praiseworthy quality.

Takhrij:
«ضعيف»
In the chain of narration of Abu Dawud (4903), the grandfather of Ibrahim is unknown, while the rest of the narrators are trustworthy.
Al-Bukhari said: “This is not authentic.” See Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Da‘ifah by al-Albani (1902).
And in Ibn Majah, in the narration of Anas radi Allahu anhu (4210), there is a narrator, ‘Isa ibn Abi ‘Isa Hannat, about whom it is mentioned in Taqrib that he is abandoned; therefore, this chain is also very weak. [سلسلة ضعيفه 1901 ]

Benefits:
➊ Although this narration is weak, there are authentic ahadith prohibiting envy (hasad) as well.
Thus, it is narrated from Anas ibn Malik radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«لا تباغضوا ولا تحاسدوا ، ولا تدابروا وكونوا عباد الله إخوانا»
“Do not harbor hatred against one another, do not envy one another, do not turn away from one another, and be, O servants of Allah, brothers.” [صحيح بخاري 6065 ]
In this hadith, it is prohibited to envy someone in response to their envy, so it is even more strictly forbidden to envy someone who does not envy you. [فتح]

➋ The meaning of envy (hasad) is to wish for the removal of Allah’s blessing from someone—that why did he receive this blessing, it should be taken away from him, whether or not the blessing then comes to the envier.
In terms of reprehensibility, envy has several levels. The worst is that a person not only wishes for the removal of Allah’s blessing from someone but also strives to make it happen. Then, some people strive so that the blessing is transferred to themselves, while others do not care about that, rather they are simply pleased that the other no longer possesses the blessing.
Another form is that one does not practically try to harm the other, but harbors the desire in the heart that the blessing should be removed from him.
Both of these forms are forbidden, and in Surah al-Falaq, we are instructed to seek refuge from the evil of such enviers «وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ» “And from the evil of the envier when he envies.” That is, whether he merely wishes for the removal of the blessing or also acts to achieve it.
One form of envy is that a thought arises in the heart—why did this person receive this blessing?—but the person dismisses it, does not try to harm the other, nor does he intend or wish for the blessing to be taken away. There is no accountability for this; such thoughts do occur, for it is in human nature to dislike that someone of his kind surpasses him in any virtue. So, whoever, upon such thoughts, strives to remove them, does good to the envied, prays for him, and begins to mention his virtues publicly so that love for his brother replaces envy in his heart—this is a sign of the highest level of faith.

➌ The reason envy is forbidden is that the envier is, in reality, displeased with Allah for granting that blessing to someone. Then, he is also angry with the person, even though he had no role in acquiring the blessing. Thus, the envier is, in fact, an enemy of Allah as well as an enemy of Allah’s servants.

➍ The cure for envy is to reflect that the harm of envy, in both religious and worldly terms, falls only upon the envier, not the envied—neither in this world nor in the Hereafter. Rather, the envied benefits from the envy of the envier in both religious and worldly matters.
The religious benefit is that he is oppressed, especially when the envier tries to harm him through words or actions. On the Day of Judgment, he will be compensated for this oppression, and the oppressor, the envier, will be left bankrupt of good deeds. The worldly benefit is that people generally wish for their enemies to be afflicted with grief, worry, and torment, and what greater torment can there be than the suffering and distress in which the envier is trapped? He is constantly burning in the fire of envy, deprived of peace and tranquility.

➎ A beneficial practice to rid oneself of envy is to act contrary to its demands: strive to benefit the person, pray for him, praise him, and realize that this feeling has arisen from arrogance—so adopt humility and be content with Allah’s decree. In this way, insha’Allah, this disease will be cured, though this remedy is difficult and bitter. But if one seeks Allah’s help and strives against the evil-commanding soul (nafs al-ammarah), it becomes easy.

➏ Envy leads a person to disobedience of Allah. It is said that the very first act of disobedience to Allah was due to envy: Satan refused to prostrate to Adam alayhis salam out of envy. Then, the first murder was also caused by envy, when Qabil killed Habil out of envy.
The brothers of Yusuf alayhis salam wronged Yusuf alayhis salam and their parents due to envy. The Jews, even though they knew that Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was truthful, did not believe in him, and the cause was also envy.
«أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ عَلَىٰ مَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّـهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ» [4-النساء:54 ]
“Rather, they envy people for what Allah has given them of His bounty.”
And He said:
«وَدَّ كَثِيرٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَوْ يَرُدُّونَكُم مِّن بَعْدِ إِيمَانِكُمْ كُفَّارًا حَسَدًا مِّنْ عِندِ أَنفُسِهِم» [2-البقرة:109 ]
“Many of the People of the Book wish to turn you back to disbelief after you have believed, out of envy from themselves.”

➐ Sometimes, the word envy (hasad) is also used in the sense of ghibtah, i.e., emulation or healthy competition—meaning, upon seeing Allah’s blessing on someone, one wishes to have the same blessing, but does not wish for it to be taken away from the other. This is not forbidden, but competing in only two things is praiseworthy. It is narrated from Ibn ‘Umar radi Allahu anhuma that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«لا حسد إلا فى اثنتين، رجل آتاه الله القرآن، فهو يقوم به آناء الليل، وآناء النهار، ورجل آتاه الله مالا، فهو ينفقه آناء الليل، وآناء النهار» [متفق عليه]
“There is no (permissible) envy except in two things: a man whom Allah has given the Qur’an, so he stands with it (in prayer) during the hours of the night and day; and a man whom Allah has given wealth, so he spends it (in charity) during the hours of the night and day.”

Takhrij:
«أخرجه أبوداود، الأدب، باب في الحسد، حديث:4903.* جد إبراهيم بن أبي أسيد لا يعرف (تقريب) والحديث ضعفه البخاري، وحديث أنس: أخرجه ابن ماجه، الزهد، حديث:4210، وفيه عيسي الحناط وهو متروك (تقريب).»©Explanation:
➊ The aforementioned narration is weak in its chain of transmission; however, there is no doubt regarding the evil of envy, because the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has described its reprehensibility and vileness in numerous hadiths and has commanded to avoid it.
➋ The first act of disobedience by Shaytan was due to envy.
Qabil killed Habil (his brother) out of envy.
The actions of the brothers of Prophet Yusuf (alayhis salam) against him were also the result of this same envy.
The enmity of the Jewish scholars and Abdullah bin Ubayy, the hypocrite, towards the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was also due to this envy.