Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 3543

Sayyiduna Samurah bin Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) says: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say to us: "In this world, envy is permissible only regarding two men: that a man envies someone to whom Allah Almighty has given much wealth, and that person spends from that wealth (in the way of Allah Almighty) and spends abundantly, so the other person says: 'If I too had wealth, I would also spend it just as this person spends it, and even better,' and in this way he expresses envy of him; and a man who recites the Qur'an and recites it at night in voluntary prayers, and another person who is beside him does not have knowledge of the Qur'an, so he envies him, thinking of how he stands in prayer, and envies him for the knowledge Allah Almighty has given him, and says: 'If Allah Almighty had given me knowledge like his, I too would perform voluntary prayers just as this person performs them.'"
This narration was recorded by Imam al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir; its chain contains some narrators who have been declared da'if (weak).
This narration was recorded by Imam al-Bazzar with a da'if (weak) chain.